Rotater cuff or pulled muscle ! ?

[Way north bass guy]

46 minutes ago, N Florida Mike said:

Its the least favorite  part of my job other than the politics.

Ive been doing that for 5 years now and honestly havent seen much that could potentially hurt me.

A dead possum was the nastiest.

My biggest fear  is getting bit by a spider, getting stuck, or touching a live wire.

At the Dr right now. Hoping they at least give me a note saying I cant crawl under houses for awhile.

Try to get in that note: Needs repetitive casting motion for several weeks straight to assist with proper stretching and healing. Is your doc a fisherman by chance??

 

[CrankFate]

Numbness and tingling usually means impingement or nerve canal injury. Possibly arthritis or bone edema. Not usually symptoms of a muscle tear. Best bet is an MRI. I just had one on my left elbow, thought I tore my bicep at the base. Dodged yet another bullet there ? and am mostly recovered now. Will not need any surgery ? The worst part was being too big to fit into a standard MRI. I could’ve torn my right rotator cuff by having to keep my right arm up like I was raising my hand to fit inside the tube. Least fun 40 minutes of my life. Get an MRI or ultrasound, everything else is guesswork.

 

For workers comp, I don’t know Florida regulations, but usually something that you think was nothing that starts to get worse is compensable. Hernias could be different and may need to be reported immediately. But it depends on the state.

[N Florida Mike]

I went to the workers comp dr. yesterday. Blood pressures good.

They did a chest x-ray and didnt find anything. Gave me some pain pills ( which I havent taken yet and may not take  ) and muscle relaxer. I took one of them before going to bed and feel like I could sleep for a week from it.

Going back on thursday for a follow up. Symptoms have eased up a little.

[Oregon Native]

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

I went to the workers comp dr. yesterday. Blood pressures good.

They did a chest x-ray and didnt find anything. Gave me some pain pills ( which I havent taken yet and may not take  ) and muscle relaxer. I took one of them before going to bed and feel like I could sleep for a week from it.

Going back on thursday for a follow up. Symptoms have eased up a little.

Cool...now as one your representing "BR" physicians i recommend going fishing until then!!!

[NorcalBassin]

Your symptoms are a bit atypical for a rotator cuff injury and from your description it sounds more consistent with the symptoms being referred from your cervical spine. Be sure to ask them to check out your neck as a potential source if they haven't already... he/she should be able to reproduce your symptoms pretty easily with a couple special tests if that's the case (with their hands, shouldn't need x-ray, MRI, etc). Best of luck! 

[Bankbeater]

Usually with a slap tear or rotator cuff tear there is some kind of popping sound when the shoulder is moved around. Kind of like rice crispies. Grinding could be anything. 

 

[slonezp]

Just throwing this out there because that is what I do. This was surgery #3. Left arm will never work right again or left for that matter LOL, nor will my left hand. The first 2 surgeries were arthroscopic and repaired the labrum, removed the bursa, and whatever else. The last one drilled a bunch of holes in the shoulder blade and sutured the trapezius and rhomboid muscles back on to my shoulder blade. To this day the scarred area is still numb and I can feel the muscles slide back and forth over the shoulder blade depending on how it's angled. I'm positive I have popped at least one of the sutures. Between the 3 surgeries, I probably went thru almost 2 years of rehab and I'm still crippled and I still get shooting pains down the biceps and triceps. Prior to surgery #3 I was unable to use my left hand. My fingers were unable to pick up objects and if I picked up anything with my entire hand it would just fall out. It was a career ending injury for me being a tradesman. Don't mess around and don't rely on workmans comp doctors to have your best interest in mind.

[N Florida Mike]

Things seem to be improving a little each day. Today was the best day Ive had in over a week. 

Was shaving today and right arm started tingling esp. around the elbow. As soon as I finished that motion, so did the tingling.

I keep thinking about the Doc. on Hee-Haw. Man comes up and tells the doc it hurts when he makes a certain motion. And the Doc. says " Well dont do that "??

[Fishing Rhino]

On 3/4/2019 at 11:05 AM, N Florida Mike said:

Yeah . Tell me about it ! I have done so much physical stuff in my life but never been seriously injured. Im just one that wont go to the doctor for every little thing. 

 

There is one problem with that.  Many major things begin as little things.  

 

Chronic pain should not be dismissed out of hand.

[N Florida Mike]

On 3/7/2019 at 7:20 AM, Fishing Rhino said:

There is one problem with that.  Many major things begin as little things.  

 

Chronic pain should not be dismissed out of hand.

What do you consider Chronic though ? I cant remember but one injury that took more than a month to heal and I went directly to the hospital on that one.

This hurt for around 3 weeks before I went, but it seems to hurt a little less every day. Not having to crawl under houses is helping.

[Fishing Rhino]

Chronic pain is continuing pain that does not get better with time.  Arthritis causes continuous pain that gets worse with the passage of time as joints deteriorate.  

 

In some cases, such as the original poster the cause is unknown.  Neglecting such pain can cause severe damage, such as a frozen shoulder.  Working through the pain can cause damage, where diagnosis and the appropriate treatment enables the source of the pain to heal.

 

I have a sister-in-law who hurt her shoulder.  She ignored it, figuring time would allow it to heal.  When it got to the point where she could not raise her arm to shoulder level, she saw a doctor.  It took a long period of painful rehab to make it better.  Her shoulder never has gotten completely better.  

 

Had she seen a doctor at the beginning she could have had a total recovery.

 

I have no cartilage in my right knee.  I can walk without pain.  It doesn't like some positions so I avoid them.  I asked the doctor what I should do to prevent further damage and he said "nothing".  But I could exercise the muscles that support the knee.  But the result is inevitable.  Should I live long enough, I will need a knee replacement.  But I can do things which can reduce the rate at which the knee deteriorates.  So far, so good.

 

The next step will be cortisone shots.  When they no longer work, it will be time to go under the knife (and saw).

[928JLH]

Check out the speeds and Neers test along with other shoulder impingment exercise test. A buddy can help you with them. Start taking anti inflammatories. Depending on your insurance it starts with 6 weeks anti inflammatories, cortisone shot, and x ray. If it doesn't get better MRI, and arthroscopic surgery.

 

Just had my left shoulder done in November. Turns out I had a bone spur cutting my bursa. Wishing the best for you. The shoulder is a complex joint. Glad you didn't wait too long to be seen. Physical therapy is a good option to explore before any surgery talk.

[N Florida Mike]

Thanks for all the replies. Theyve got me on some medicine, and about to set up therapy. It seems to continue getting better. I can sleep on both sides now, which I couldnt do last week. Boss at

Work has let me avoid crawling under houses, which is letting it heal ( hopefully )

[CrankFate]

Don’t under estimate rest and proper exercise for an injury. I had plantar fasciitis from running with cushionless sneakers (for weightlifting) and I was positive I had a bone spur or something that needed surgery. Doctor told me I was stupid for taking over 6 months to come in, but took care of it. Gave me a night splint to keep my foot and leg in an “L” shape overnight. Also told me to heel walk, which helped, too. Cured 100%. I didn’t know it, but when I showed the doctor, that I thought when your shins feel tight from running, I would stretch my shins by curling my toes down and stretching my foot downward so my foot would point straight down. He yelled at me and said “that’s what gives you plantar fasciitis!” He then showed me you’re supposed to stretch so your foot points up or like these pictures for that. Something I never would’ve known, but completely worked.

 

He also told me if you wait 6+ months to come in it takes 6+ months to go away, instead of 2-3 weeks ??‍♂️

[Fishing Rhino]

I had plantar fasciitis many years ago.  My doc told me to stand on a stair with my heel and arch hanging over the edge.  Then flex your heel down, until you reach the point where it becomes about unbearable.  Then, hold for twenty to thirty seconds.  Repeat two more times.  Do this three times a day. 

 

The pain was totally gone within a week, and never returned.

[CrankFate]

2 hours ago, Fishing Rhino said:

I had plantar fasciitis many years ago.  My doc told me to stand on a stair with my heel and arch hanging over the edge.  Then flex your heel down, until you reach the point where it becomes about unbearable.  Then, hold for twenty to thirty seconds.  Repeat two more times.  Do this three times a day. 

 

The pain was totally gone within a week, and never returned.

Yes, doctor told me that, too. When I first got it, it wasn’t bad, so I kept running and exercising, until it got pretty bad. So it took months to completely resolve. I did the steps exercise, too. It was a wierd thing to have because I never felt any pain exercising. 

[N Florida Mike]

The pain is completely gone now. I’m still not overdoing it, but have started back with my normal routine. It feels like it never happened. Thankful !?

[lo n slo]

glad to hear that buddy ?