Yeah, so I managed to injure my shoulder pretty badly 2 Fridays ago playing football; I was making a tackle and we both crashed on my shoulder. I've had some really limited range of motion in my right arm, but its gotten a lot better and its only pain when I move laterally and motion-stopping pain when I go back-diagonally. Previously, it was impossible due to pain to move it laterally and backwards.

I've been to Student Health and am trying to get a referral out in town, but my insurance is being gay so I'm wondering what you people have done in the past. That way I can try and help out my shoulder while trying to get a proper orthopedic appointment. From reading the 'referral' I got at Student Health, the doc's initial thought is it may be impingement, so that (and some webMD) is what I'm going off of.

For the first week or so I was in a sling, but like I've said its gotten a lot better, to the point I can actually use my arm. I did some pushups last night so I can put a little force on the arm. I'm thinking of doing stuff like arm circles and lat raises with very little or no weight.

So, if you've had this or something similar before, any advice?

4/13/2009 11:18:47 AM

The Dude may be able to help with this subject. His shoulder was injured a while back.

4/13/2009 11:47:31 AM

The shoulder is a very complicated joint. There could be any number of things going on, and you probably want to see someone with some orthopedic and/or sports medicine expertise.

I had what seemed to be a shoulder problem and nerve tingling going down my arm, when the trapezius was in spasm and clamping down on my nerves and impeding joint function.

4/13/2009 11:56:26 AM

I have been diagnosed with shoulder impingement from a sports medicine doctor. I had to get x-rays and the like to make sure it wasn’t anything torn and while there was a very small tear in one of my ligaments they thought it was cause from the bone pinching it.

I noticed it while throwing a football because of a sharp pain in the front of my shoulder socket that ran down my arm to about the elbow. Mine was caused by an imbalance of muscles in the front of my shoulder and the back so I went to PT for about 2 months to learn exercises to strength my whole shoulder instead of just the muscles I used on a normal basis (I don’t lift weights as part of my workout so the across front muscles were weak.)

I still have trouble with it but normally only feel it if I throw a ball for any length of time.

Since mine was a gradual injury instead of a sudden impact injury like yours I don’t know if the same PT would work, but agreed with above that once you get insurance worked out to go see a specialist!

4/13/2009 2:37:58 PM

I injured my shoulder pretty badly about 2 years ago in an unfortunate soccer accident. I went up for a header and some guy undercut me, landed with all my weight on my shoulder. I couldn't move my arm for a few days and then the range of motion returned and everything seemed to be fine. I couldn't really throw or lift the arm above my head. I had some strength, i.e. i could do pushups etc but it never felt normal.

At any rate, I had to go to an orthopedist and the filled my shoulder with some sort of ink that would show the ligaments better in an MRI. I had torn some cartilage so I had to have out-patient surgery. Surgery wasn't bad, rehab sucked. My shoulder still hurts from time to time and the surgery was 2.5 years ago.

4/14/2009 2:35:09 PM

http://www.brentroad.com/message_topic.aspx?topic=562389

4/14/2009 2:53:00 PM

who has separated his/her shoulder? from a cosmetic standpoint...did your shoulder ever return to its normal "position"...mine seems to protrude pretty far, especially when putting weight on that side...it has been a good 8 months too

5/13/2009 3:37:01 PM