Has anyone had rotator cuff problems?

[Sherry]

Hello, All. I've had a tremendous amount of left shoulder blade pain for a few years with no answers. About the last month or so, my left shoulder aches relentlessly. It radiates all over my shoulder blade and into my chest. Can anyone offer me some insight here, as I am at my wit's end.

 

[Gail in Ca]

my rotator cuff pain also lasted many yrs. I had a cortisone shot which only lasted about 4 mos, and then pain again.
I got congroitin/ glucosamine and take it twice a day and it has really helped my shoulder and elbow pain.
You might want to try it.
Gail

 

[Cecily]

Are we talking shoulder pain after the surgery? Or just rotator cuff problems in general? Has anyone had shoulder problems after surgery? I am going in for surgery on December 1st and don't want my already shoulder problems to become worse.. One thing I do for my shoulder problems now. Is get Shiatsu massage or yoga or rolfing or chi gong( a chinese exercise) all these have helped me. Stretching helps alote. Cecily

 

[Sherry]

Thanks for the advice, Gail. I'll ask my nurse if that will have any interaction on the Coumadin. I've known others not on Coumadin who have taken it successfully for other types of problems (hip/knee). Massage doesn't seem to help. I'll look into the others.

Cecily, I don't know what caused this. It started in my upper back about two years after my surgery (left side only) and has really progressed into the whole shoulder region here recently. I wouldn't say definitively that the surgery caused it.

Betty?? Didn't you say that you had some shoulder problems? Do you mind elaborating again?

 

[ShezaGirlie]

Ouchie, ouchie....

Ouchie, ouchie....

You brought back memories Sherry.. I had adhesive capsulitis in both shoulders, but thankfully not at the same time. One was before surgery and the other after. Wasn't any fun and I'm not a whiner, but wowee -- relief was wonderful and permanent --corticosteroid injections in the shoulder (only one injection in left, but two in the right shoulder) and practically instant relief. I completed the entire physical therapy protochol for both shoulders.

Here's a really good article ...


http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2000/09_00/sandor.htm

 

[bvdr]

Sherry, this is my third attempt to send a reply. One of my cats has been helping and has twice cleared my screen.

I do have a torn left rotator cuff. I've had the pain for years but the pain is more of a tired, burning, aching pain when it is at rest and not during a flare up. There is restricted range of motion and certain sudden movements cause severe pain. For example: When buckling up in the driver's seat, I always use my right hand to reach across for the shoulder harness in order to avoid a painful movement with my left shoulder. My shoulder is tender on the backside and in fact my arm is tender to palpation clear down to my hand.

Last spring it really flared up and I was debating surgery to try to correct the problem. I was put on prednison for a while and that settled it down again. During a flare-up, any sudden movement or pressure results in great pain.
Right now I am doing alright with it as long as I avoid things that might set it off...like golf .

I hope you get a handle on yours since it can affect your life in a negative way. Oh, and if I sleep on my left side it is worse for the whole next day.

 

[Bryan B]

Sherry,

Welcome to the "wit's end" club.

I've had problems with my right shoulder ever since I had the PICC line for endocarditis last year. Sometimes I wonder if my pain issues are somehow related to that or were exasberated by OHS. When I complained to my PCP about the pain shortly after he removed the PICC line he pretty much blew it off as a rotator cuff problem. If I learn anything in my "journey" to find resolution to my pain issues I'll pass them along to you.

 

[Karlynn]

Sherry, I take Glucosamine (I have read that condroitin doesn't do anything.) and have had not effect with my Coumadin dosage or INR level. I started taking it because my knees were really giving me problems.

I'd sure give it a try if I were you. It takes 2 weeks for you to begin to notice a change and you need to be religious in taking it daily. 1500 mg is the rec. dose. I take 1000 mg and find that works fine for me.

 

[Granbonny]

I was talking to my son-in-law's friend at their last year's Xmas party. He was talking about recovering from his surgery for Rotator cuff....Un-buttoned his shirt and showed me his scar. YIKES. it looked worse than open-heart surgery..Long, around his back, ect..and said he had to wear his arm in a sling next to his chest for a long time. He threw it out in high school pitching ball...Long time for recovery. Bonnie

 

[Gail in Ca]

Hi Sherry,
I saw my cats holistic vet today and we got on the subject of shoulder pain.
I said I took chondroitin/glucosomine and seemed to get good resultsbut that it wasn't helping my hip pain.
He said he takes glucosomine ( chondroitin is same as knox gelatin he said) and also he takes MSM and pure vitamin C.
He saved my cat's life when he was given no hope, and has spent years studying homeopathic remedies for animals and humans , too.
Just wanted to pass this along. I might try what he uses after my other is out.
Gail

 

[Sherry]

Thanks, All, for your speedy replies. Several co-workers have mentioned glucosomine so I think I'm going to try that, especially since I know some fellow Coumadin users have used it with no problems.

Janie, I've bookmarked that website and am going to spend some time with it this weekend. Thanks for your input, Red Hat Gal

Bryan, I knew you would identify. We're kindred spirits in more ways than one, I believe

Betty, I know what you mean about sleeping on the effected side. When I wake up in the morning after being on that side, it's just agony the rest of the day.

I did some swimming tonight at the club and am sure I'll wake up in pain again tomorrow, but I can't help but thinking that gentle movement is good for it in the long run, or maybe not. Take care.

 

[Bryan B]

I'm pretty sure my latest bout of pain was caused by sleeping "hard" on my right side all night. Sherry let me know if the glucosomine helps.

I cancelled my trip home because I had to get honest and admit to myself that I'm still hurting too bad right now to make the 8hr drive. I'm even thinking of putting off my move at the end of the month and trying to find a non-traveling job here in Nashville until I can get the pain under control. I can definitely empathize with your frustration Sherry. The pain I'm experiencing is controlling my life to the point where I'm making major life decisions based on my inability to function like I used to.

 

[liamty]

Steve too has had shoulder pain for years. He has hac cortisone injections in his chest and shoulders for the pain. After lots of hard manual work he tore the tendon in his shoulder, was recommended surgery, to which we baulked. He went to my osteopath (similar to chiropractor but nearly nil bone cracking, very gentle) and he has been great for almost 1 year. xrays showed tear in tendon rejoining (Dr said it couldnt happen, osteopath tried to take some of the weight from the tear to allow any sinews to repair, and it has worked). He is starting to get some discomfort again, but he's been good for ages. It sounds like lots of hocus pocus, but sceptical or not it has helped where Drs said only surgery would!!!

 

[RickKiem]

I had a torn Rotator....

I had a torn Rotator....

I had a torn Rotator Cuff repaired in 1995. I had chronic shoulder pain since high school (from Baseball) which was always always treated as tendonitis or an inflammed rotator and received numerous cortisone injections through the years if the pain got really bad. One day I was practicing shooting my bow and something gave way and it was time for surgery. I remember the Dr. telling me it would hurt for a few days after the surgery..... He was right.... It hurt for about 180 days!!!. Very painful. It took those six months before I finally decided that I had done the right thing in repairing the tear. I am happy to say that my right shoulder has not given me any troulble since! My left shoulder...... Now thats another story.....