Bicep - Shoulder injury

[transform]

If anyone can offer any insight on this it would be much appreciated.

I injured my left shoulder approx 2 weeks ago playing rugby. What happened was I was in a scrum, playing tighthead prop, I lost my footing and fell, but my arm was wrapped around the hooker and the other props arm, so as I fell and got pushed down, my arm was held and dragged up.

As it happened I felt and heard a very faint popping noise. The first couple days after it happened I had my arm in a sling and was icing it alot, which seemed to help. The issue now is that I cant raise my left arm laterally to a position beyond being parallel to the ground without a great deal of effort and have lost a lot of my ROM on it. I cant do any bench press or chest exercises or even push ups without sharp pain around my upper-outer pec. Also cant do pull ups/lat pull downs. However, I can still do bicep, shoulder and rowing exercises without pain.

I feel tightness and pain around my pec-delt-bicep tie in area, about 2 inches down my inner bicep through to my upper pec. Theres no bruising or swelling from this. I will be seeing a physio ASAP, but if someone could give me some insight into what this is and how long a recovery period I could be facing in the meantime Id be very thankful.

Thanks!

[lovbyts]

You got a rotator cuff injury and tendon strain. Very typical but unfortuanly takes a LONG time to heal. Mine got worse for 3 months before just recently starting to get better. I was sure I would need surgery but I found a GOOD doctor who said no, give it time while the other doctors I saw said orthoscopic surgery is required befoer even seeing an MRI. MRI showed slight tearing and quite a bit of arthritis but he still says PT, rehab, light exercises and it should be OK.

One thing that helped a lot is doing contrast therapy. I use an ice pack for 10-20 minutes then I switch to a HOT pack for 10-20 minutes and back to ice back and forth 5 or 6 times 2 times a day if possible.
Light cable exercises also help a lot. I start with 10-15 lbs. Google rotator cuff exercises, you will find quite a few. DONT let it turn into a frozen shoulder. Keep stretching it as much as possible. Hang from a door jamb or anything overhead to stretch it. Also use a door jamb to stand and press the front part of your shoulder into it for 60+ seconds. It's like you are trying to push the shoulder/ball back. It relieves the pressure.

[transform]

You got a rotator cuff injury and tendon strain. Very typical but unfortuanly takes a LONG time to heal. Mine got worse for 3 months before just recently starting to get better. I was sure I would need surgery but I found a GOOD doctor who said no, give it time while the other doctors I saw said orthoscopic surgery is required befoer even seeing an MRI. MRI showed slight tearing and quite a bit of arthritis but he still says PT, rehab, light exercises and it should be OK.

One thing that helped a lot is doing contrast therapy. I use an ice pack for 10-20 minutes then I switch to a HOT pack for 10-20 minutes and back to ice back and forth 5 or 6 times 2 times a day if possible.
Light cable exercises also help a lot. I start with 10-15 lbs. Google rotator cuff exercises, you will find quite a few. DONT let it turn into a frozen shoulder. Keep stretching it as much as possible. Hang from a door jamb or anything overhead to stretch it. Also use a door jamb to stand and press the front part of your shoulder into it for 60+ seconds. It's like you are trying to push the shoulder/ball back. It relieves the pressure.

Thanks for that. Ive been trying to stretch it alot and avoid keeping it in the same position for too long. Was your injury recent or has it healed up? How long was it before you were able to bench heavy again?

[dec11]

i have the same and it was 6mths before i could any shoulder work and even still, a year later, im only dbell pressing 30kgs.

strangely, bench pressing hurts it even still, but i can dbell chess press heavier than ever! bicep curls didnt help it much either

mine has shown improvement in the last few weeks, thank fvck, cause the waiting lists in dublin are long, next april before im getting an MRI.

be careful and work out what exercises are straining it and avoid them, it was a one step forward, two back scenario for me for a long time.

imo and experience, barbell bench press and lateral/front dbell raises are the main culprits and should be avoided.

[blackdove]

Might be bicipital tendinitis. See a rehab doctor for it. The earlier you see one, the better. Good luck.

[transform]

Thanks for the replies. The injury has gotten much much better. Nearly have full ROM back in my arm and can do incline bench, deadlifts, rows, etc. Only exercises that I cant do are bench press (dumbells are far worse than barbells), any fly/cable crossover or dip type movements or pull ups.

Very frustrated, because as I said my arm has got much better, but its like it isnt improving anymore now. Ive been trying some very light bench exercises to avoid it becoming sedentary (benching just the bar, dumbell benching 8kg dumbells, which are too sore I to do I should add), but it isnt getting any easier or less strenuous. Nearly 5 weeks now, am I being way too impatient?? Also, in the injured area theres like a 'hard wire' going from my pec to my bicep along my armpit. Im certain its a tendon or something that is protruding. Anybody have any idea what this is or could be? Want to get an MRI, but as dec11 said, waiting lists are very long here

Thanks

[dec11]

Thanks for the replies. The injury has gotten much much better. Nearly have full ROM back in my arm and can do incline bench, deadlifts, rows, etc. Only exercises that I cant do are bench press (dumbells are far worse than barbells), any fly/cable crossover or dip type movements or pull ups.

Very frustrated, because as I said my arm has got much better, but its like it isnt improving anymore now. Ive been trying some very light bench exercises to avoid it becoming sedentary (benching just the bar, dumbell benching 8kg dumbells, which are too sore I to do I should add), but it isnt getting any easier or less strenuous. Nearly 5 weeks now, am I being way too impatient?? Also, in the injured area theres like a 'hard wire' going from my pec to my bicep along my armpit. Im certain its a tendon or something that is protruding. Anybody have any idea what this is or could be? Want to get an MRI, but as dec11 said, waiting lists are very long here

Thanks

i'd still be cautious mate, ive had false indications with this afew times. was reading in bed last night holding the book up with my left arm, dropped the arm down and boom, sharp pain running from my front delt to half way down my bicep, have had a dull ache all day now. did afew upright rows last thurs and had a sharp pain there so i guess thats what set it off again. back to square one AGAIN!!!

in all honesty best to avoid ALL exercises affecting that area, get to the doc and get some Difene etc. frustrating i know, but you'll only end up back and forward like me

[transform]

i'd still be cautious mate, ive had false indications with this afew times. was reading in bed last night holding the book up with my left arm, dropped the arm down and boom, sharp pain running from my front delt to half way down my bicep, have had a dull ache all day now. did afew upright rows last thurs and had a sharp pain there so i guess thats what set it off again. back to square one AGAIN!!!

in all honesty best to avoid ALL exercises affecting that area, get to the doc and get some Difene etc. frustrating i know, but you'll only end up back and forward like me

think ill have to take your advice dec, gonna just have to lay off the weights altogether. Thought it was getting better, was at the gym this afternoon trying a few chest exercises and its in bits again. Gonna try see a proper physio tomorrow and see about an MRI. Gonna cost hundreds to go privately and I dont have any bloody insurance. Reason Im so concerned is because I can see clearly and feel that something is definitely out of place around my pec/delt, so if it needs surgery to put it back in place it would cost a fortune to go private, or Id be waiting god knows how long going public not that big anyway, but weight and measurements are declining so much already, dont wanna think what Ill be like if I have to lay off em for months............so pissed off right now

[dec11]

think ill have to take your advice dec, gonna just have to lay off the weights altogether. Thought it was getting better, was at the gym this afternoon trying a few chest exercises and its in bits again. Gonna try see a proper physio tomorrow and see about an MRI. Gonna cost hundreds to go privately and I dont have any bloody insurance. Reason Im so concerned is because I can see clearly and feel that something is definitely out of place around my pec/delt, so if it needs surgery to put it back in place it would cost a fortune to go private, or Id be waiting god knows how long going public not that big anyway, but weight and measurements are declining so much already, dont wanna think what Ill be like if I have to lay off em for months............so pissed off right now

i wouldnt even waste the money on physio, just get the MRI and see whats going on

[transform]

i wouldnt even waste the money on physio, just get the MRI and see whats going on

Yea, gonna do that. Did you get an MRI done? Was there a long wait? Thanks