Health question.. rotator cuff?

volaredon said
In past years I've had tendonitis in both elbows flare up occasionally, that's been quiet for a couple years now.
In past times to chiropractor (always use same one) I've had "impingement" (whatever that is?) And something with the"AC joint" but the pain was different with those, don't remember hurting when I try to put a belt thru loops or get my wallet out, or extend my arms overhead when laying on a creeper or a stabbing pain when twisting my arm forward or after reaching out, and then drawing it back in especially with elbows bent. This is different.
I know of a few who have had to be operated on for rotator cuff issues, one recently (around veterans day last year) who got too dependent on pain meds and is no longer with us.... He'd been off after having his shoulder "done" alot longer than anyone ever thought he would.... Have a neighbor across the street who also had it done, even my younger brother and my boss at work. All were " worse than expected" once the doc got inside (none of those had same doc work on them)
And the secretary at an old job.... Every one of them either fell and extended their arm to "catch themselves" or were in a car accident or "caught" a heavy load from overhead and "jammed" the shoulder, some such trauma. I have had no such thing.
These people I know all had "complications" that were unforseen going in, except for one.... I certainly can't miss that much work.... Don't understand how I got here with this issue, and am hoping I can fix it without missing that time. I have been taking a lot of Aleve which does it's job but with the comments above pertaining to liver issues, I ain't wanting to trade one issue for another. It's good I guess it's been cold outside lately, as I have been holding the couch down so to speak after work, more over the past month or so than I have in a very long time. Weather is starting to break, so that will certainly change.

This sounds very similar to what my issue was. I did have several traumatic injuries, plus lots of teenage stupidity though.

My pain was excruciating and stabbing too. It would happen anytime I tried to lift my arm directly out from my side, and mostly when I'd rotate my arm so my palms faced forward. I could "work around" the tight spot if I would rotate my arms just so as I went through the range of motion. Overhead was the worst. I couldn't do much from under a car as a result, and any kind of hand-over-hand (like pulling a rope) was impossible. I also could NOT throw anything. I bought a dartboard after starting the stretching as a way to work the muscles and it did actually help. Fixing my sleeping position was I think the biggest help. Everything else has kept it from recurring. It's trsnge to think back on because it was awful for 5-7 years, but I've been good for probably 7 years now. Like I said, this post was the first thing to make me think about it in a couple years..

I'm pretty sure it was a combination of impingement and bursitis, but impingement also stresses the rotator cuff. Bursitis (depending on which one is inflamed) can exacerbate impingement and also inflame the cuff too. When those muscles get inflamed, it's a real challenge to get them back to normal because they do so much work that we hardly notice and there's not much space for them and they start to rub all kinds of things they shouldn't. The longer it lasts, the greater chance of permanent damage too. Best thing to avoid permanent damage is keep it moving, don't immobilize it. A relative had a similar issue when I was a kid and she was told to sling it by her doc. A decade later she had a frozen shoulder and had to go through cortisone shots and all kinds of painful therapy until it finally "let go". She was scheduled for surgery at the time and it slowly started to improve until it was fine - never did the surgery and today is still totally fine. But before all the PT she couldn't raise her arm at all, and driving stick was a massive challenge.

I've yet to meet anyone who had joint issues fixed by surgery unless they were literally immobilized by it. I had surgery on a knee for torn cartilage some years after twisting it all to hell, and I kind of wish I hadn't. It doesn't get as bad as it used to, but on average it hurts more constantly and is never as good as my "good days" prior. Not to mention, my other knee is screwy from compensating after surgery.

Sometimes surgery is the answer, but I'd exhaust every other avenue first. I wasn't super consistent with trying to work out my shoulder issue. If I had been it probably would have gotten better in under 6 months. But I'd do the stretches and stuff for a couple weeks, then go and move a pool table by myself or some other dumb thing and be hosed for a while as a result.

Wish you the best of luck, it sucks in the meantime though.