Impinged shoulder anyone?

I had a similar problem, and a C6 disk cervical nerve compression. Physiotherapy didn't work. While I was on holidays in Spain, a chiropractor made me feel better. Back to Bangkok, chiropractors were only a waste of money and time. Finally cured with TCM.

Now, my way prevent from happening again is to practice Chi Kung (also written as Qigong). A sort of Tai-Chi without the choreography (specific movements for each situation).
 
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I have some joint issues. Some brought about from years of wrecking motorcycles, and the others from age. Honestly, the last person I would ever go see is a chiropractor. A lot of them work on some total made up shit that has no place in the medical community. I don't want to start an argument about it, but I have family members in the field and have been exposed to that world.

I've been to plenty of physical therapy, and some of it has helped over time. I had a severe problem a few years ago to my left wrist from rock climbing, and it did ultimately help. It took a long time though. Did it again for tendonitis of my right elbow this past year, and it got me over the hump.

The best results I had for something like the OP is describing was going to see a doctor that practices osteopathic manipulation. They are unfortunately hard to find, since appointments normally take an hour, and most doctors have to move you through your appointment in five minutes. No harsh movements, and having struggled with problems with my left shoulder for years, I had complete relief in a few days. I was seriously blown away.

The closest thing I've found to that osteopathic manipulation is from a Feldenkrais practitioner. I found out about it when I was dating a girl that was a one. You can look it up. I have a great one I'll go see from time to time (not the psycho ex-gf). I've seen it help a lot of people as well.

Good luck. Nothing sucks more than when you can't do what you love.
 
spagthorpe said:
I have some joint issues. Some brought about from years of wrecking motorcycles, and the others from age. Honestly, the last person I would ever go see is a chiropractor. A lot of them work on some total made up shit that has no place in the medical community. I don't want to start an argument about it, but I have family members in the field and have been exposed to that world.

I've been to plenty of physical therapy, and some of it has helped over time. I had a severe problem a few years ago to my left wrist from rock climbing, and it did ultimately help. It took a long time though. Did it again for tendonitis of my right elbow this past year, and it got me over the hump.

The best results I had for something like the OP is describing was going to see a doctor that practices osteopathic manipulation. They are unfortunately hard to find, since appointments normally take an hour, and most doctors have to move you through your appointment in five minutes. No harsh movements, and having struggled with problems with my left shoulder for years, I had complete relief in a few days. I was seriously blown away.

The closest thing I've found to that osteopathic manipulation is from a Feldenkrais practitioner. I found out about it when I was dating a girl that was a one. You can look it up. I have a great one I'll go see from time to time (not the psycho ex-gf). I've seen it help a lot of people as well.

Good luck. Nothing sucks more than when you can't do what you love.
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I would agree with you about chiropractors. As much as they would like you to believe it, they are not real doctors. I have a few friends that are doctors and other friends in other fields of medicine. They do "business" with chiropractors with referrals and reading radiology etc. They always tell me all the horror stories of how they have no idea how to diagnose or figure out the real issue. They are there to make money - they make you feel better once - then get you on a "plan" to keep coming back a few times a week. All smoke and mirrors.
Theres no magic cure - sports medicine doctors are the best for this kind of thing. They can diagnose properly and get you on an exercise plan to strengthen the muscles up to avoid injury. Strengthening muscles can take months. You have to put in the work.
Good luck - I hope it all works out for you.
 
maxdown said:
Anyone else had this guitar playing killing condition? Does it go away? How do I make it go away?
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For myself I have (now more so had) chronic dislocations on my left arm.... Which if you can imagine makes guitar playing difficult if my shoulder randomly slips out of socket. It boiled down to my stabilization muscles on the shoulder, not necessarily directly the rotator cuff or shoulder socket itself. A list of potential improvements to avoid future distress:

1) Strengthen shoulder stabilization muscles
2) Neck & shoulder posture improvements
3) Calculated shoulder workloads while improving stabilization (no heavy gear/work lifting)
4) Steady dose of Turmeric Curcumin (replacing IBU profen) - a natural inflammation reduction supplement + other benefits

A couple exercises that I would suggest:

Internal/External Rotator Cuff Strengthening:


Even better full workout (this music rocks):


Neck and posture:


Don't do large amounts of heavy lifting... Try to limit the workload your shoulders have to work on while you are stabilizing.

Overall I have to prioritize strengthening my shoulders in my workouts. If you desire the pain to subside long-term, you have to dedicate some time to overall shoulder stability before you play long gigs. I have had my shoulder literally dislocate in the middle of a show and it was, shall we say, memorable.... I feel your pain literally brother! Try the list above I hope it helps!
 
Jimmytwotimes said:
I would agree with you about chiropractors. As much as they would like you to believe it, they are not real doctors. I have a few friends that are doctors and other friends in other fields of medicine. They do "business" with chiropractors with referrals and reading radiology etc. They always tell me all the horror stories of how they have no idea how to diagnose or figure out the real issue. They are there to make money - they make you feel better once - then get you on a "plan" to keep coming back a few times a week. All smoke and mirrors.
Theres no magic cure - sports medicine doctors are the best for this kind of thing. They can diagnose properly and get you on an exercise plan to strengthen the muscles up to avoid injury. Strengthening muscles can take months. You have to put in the work.
Good luck - I hope it all works out for you.
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That is definitely the way to keep it from happening again. You just often have to get worked on to get to that point.

Because I have these issues, and I'm talking, multiple collarbone breaks, shattered both scapula, one wrist, etc; I do regular static work on all of it, and bodyweight strength training as well. When I do it regularly, I rarely have problems. I still hurt myself rock climbing occasionally, overdoing it, but the training keeps the gremlins at bay.

I try to do at least six minutes of planks every day, which I think has the biggest impact on keeping my shoulders strong. Regular, reverse and sides. Plus a sitting one where you lift your ass off the floor, no idea what it's called. Nothing fancy, but a couple of minutes of each. After that, pushups and rows, or dips and pullups. Basically horizontal one day, vertical the next.

I also do a lot of rock climbing style wrist stretches. Those are gold. I use a flexbar for keeping tendonitis at bay if I start to feel it.

That's all the upper body stuff I ever do at home.
 
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I totally agree with keeping fit being the best defense against injury, and ensuring the best quality of life as you age. I think each person has to find the exercises and foods that work best for their body and lifestyle.

For example, take eating red meat. I'm sick and tired of hearing one person/study says this, but then another says just the opposite. All I know is my body tells me to not eat red meat, so I don't. I feel better without it. For the same reason I try to limit intake of sugar and nuts. I feel bad after eating them. That doesn't mean nuts aren't great for someone else, but for me they're a no-go.

I take the same approach with exercise. I know my weak areas, so I focus on them, and at a pace that I can continue long term.
 
Well ..... now 6 or 7 weeks later the good news is I can lift my arm above my head again and rotate my forearm - guitar playing is now again possible but with slight tightness of forearm tendons after maybe an hour to hour and a half as they are still trying to compensate for biceps tendons weakness - but every day it gets a little better.

Have been for chiropractic sessions, X-Rays (no bony extrusions found) , Ultrasound scan (no tears in tendons but inflammation in bursa/bursis or whatever it's called) and physio sessions.

The physio I think is the winner here (although the anti-inflammatory drugs definitely help too during the process)

The main issue stems from a few cervical vertebrae being compressed - they caused me severe pain under the shoulder blade and nerve irritation/inflammation back in 2011. That was horrendous pain (Ulnic nerve irritation) and no amount of anti-inflammatory or analgesic pills seemed to ease it. Some relief was gained by unloading the shoulder blade by lifting/hunching the shoulder ..... so basically that's what my body adapted to do and some of that has remained even after the inflammation/pain went away - so 8 years of compensating has left me with a forward displaced shoulder position that has been slowly irritating the bursa and utilised different muscles to help out when it should have been purely biceps and triceps doing it all.

In short - the GP/MD just focused on NSAID pills (never even looked at shoulder or scapula position)

The orthopaedic doc focused on X-Rays and lost interest when no obvious bone related issues were present but told me my latest neck x-ray was 'fine'. Again he never even looked at my shoulder/scapula - just did the usual push/pull strength tests.

The Ultrasound doc said my neck x-ray was not good and then after finding a slightly enlarged bursis just went out of his way to poo-poo the physio's info that my scapula was high and shoulder rotated forward. He said my improvement signs did not merit any steroid injections - so that was good news to me.

All the above practically made the sign of the evil eye when I said I'd also tried a chiropractor.

So now I'm just sticking to the exercises the Physio showed me - some use a stretch band and some use a light weight. I also have used their tip to put a strip of physio tape across my shoulder blade/shoulder with the shoulder in a proper relaxed position and if I feel it tighten then I know I'm hunching the shoulder forward and it reminds me to fix my posture.

Normal flexing of left biceps/triceps now is probably somewhere around 90% compared to my right side - which is almost miraculous feeling seeing as I could not flex them at all a few weeks back.

I've cut down the Ibruprofen daily dose from maximum to half - I'm not having any adverse side effects from it but just felt it was time to do so.

I've just confirmed with the band I'm going to do a gig we had booked in early May as I'm confident everything will hold up (and the guys in the band said they'd carry my gear in and out - which is going to be fun to watch and I'll exploit every moment).

So even though I'm not really a complete couch potato the bottom line for me going forward is - exercise and keep an eye on posture
 
Glad to hear it, @maxdown.

"Posture, Posture!" I say as I lean into my standing desk... I guess our moms were right when they told us to stand up straight.
 
I didn't hit my shoulder, but my shoulder used to tear. It was a painful experience and it took me a lot of time to recover it. If you feel pain while waiting for the surgery, the ice therapy system with shoulder pad is your good friend. Is it effective for pain relief, or is it freezing pain? In short, something that can make you feel more comfortable.
 
Shoulder fine even after recent head on high speed car crash ... a few other issues now with different areas though because of that but getting better and ideal time to recuperate as I’d be self isolating anyway. Stay safe everyone
 
my shoulder flared back up after my reply a year ago. It was constantly sore so I elected to have surgery on Dec 26th. The doc removed three bone spurs and shortened my collar bone 1/2”. The bone spur under my shoulder blade was the size of a grape, which explained why I was always sore back there.
I had full range of motion, felt great after a couple of weeks and started playing again (right shoulder). All of my lifting restrictions were removed after the 6th week and I found myself sleeping much better and even waking up laying on my right side.
If you’re doc is suggesting surgery you should think about it. I’m back to 100%.
 
I suffered a shoulder muscle "encapsulation" 3 years ago, it was very painfull and no drug would help. No way to put up my right arm to shoulder height without immense pain. It was probably caused to a bad work position in my desk during a period where I had no construcion sites ongoing so few other body movements. A very good physiotherapist got me over this by having me do specific exercices in his workshop. It took him 3-4 months to get me back close to normal functionality and another 4 months for the phenomena to disappear.

During this period I experienced the best to do was to play guitar standing up using a wide strap (3").

So, yes you get over it, but it is long. I wouldn't operate if possible, there's always a risk.
 
Old thread I see. Still valid though. I have had impingement in my right shoulder a couple times. Playing guitar was not helping. I learned to let my picking hand relax. Or I should say hand arm and shoulder. That has kept it from reoccurring. Ibuprofen and one of those personal impact massagers got it under control. Best luck to anyone dealing with this. Figure out what behavior is causing it. Then learn how to relax while doing it.
 
maxdown said:
Starting a few days ago I can't lift my left arm more than about 30 or 40 degrees in any direction.

Anyone else had this guitar playing killing condition? Does it go away? How do I make it go away?

Regards

Dr. Strangelove
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I had full blown Adhesive Capsulitis (frozen shoulder) in my right shoulder several years ago. What a nightmare. My right arm was totally useless for a very long time. It took more than two years to even begin to improve, after more then three years I was finally able to pick up my guitar again. The pain was intense and non-stop. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
 
t0aj15 said:
I had full blown Adhesive Capsulitis (frozen shoulder) in my right shoulder several years ago. What a nightmare. My right arm was totally useless for a very long time. It took more than two years to even begin to improve, after more then three years I was finally able to pick up my guitar again. The pain was intense and non-stop. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.
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I had the same thing. My MD said they could knock me out and break the encapsulation by force, or I could do PT. I chose therapy. It did not help. My wife was seeing a chiropractor at the time who helped her greatly, so I went to him. He used a contraption between his body and mine as he stood behind me, wrapped his arms around my front and squeezed. It would “pop” and jolt my shoulder somehow. I’d leave his office literally whimpering. But, after a few treatments it started to get better, so I kept at it for a while (can’t remember how long). That was the start of recovery for me. It took maybe another year to get the final 10% back.
 
I have had better results with a combination of a good chiropractor and a good masseur than with the assigned PT for frozen shoulder three times. The PT folks were nice, but the stuff they had me doing made it worse, not better, and the copays were ridiculous even on "good" health insurance. The masseur showed me some stretches that worked better than the PT exercises. Lost track of him during COVID, and have moved an hour away from there....
 
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