Pinching Shoulder Pain

Hi Guys

I’m looking for some advice on a shoulder that has been giving me trouble for a while but is really starting to get annoying now and possibly getting worse.

I’ve been getting a sharp pinching pain in my right shoulder joint. It seems to give me the most trouble when my arm is extended especially above my head but is also occasionally painful when it’s bearing weight.

Here’s some recent examples of when it hurts (generally reproducible)

*Swimming/Bodysurfing, especially bad when arm is extended while catching a wave and pressure is on the arm.

*Exercises such as pull ups, weighted dips, bench pressing.

*Sleeping, I often wake myself up especially if my right arm goes above my head causing it to pinch.

*Trying to scratch in between my shoulder bones stretching my right arm from either the bottom or top pinches.

*Finally in true boardworld fashion it even gave me trouble snowboarding when my right hand touched down on a toe side turn sending a pain straight into my shoulder bring tears to my eyes.

Hopefully I’ve given enough information, I know a lot of people have had some sort of shoulder problem in their life so any advice is appreciated.

Cheers

I have what seems to be similar and went to physio, mine is from constant computer/mouse use.

I have been told to walk/jog more and pump those arms!

Also was given some Strengthening exercises to do with the band thing you attach to a door. I find this really really helps (when i do it!)

Step 1: Go to a physio

Step 2: Go to a physio

Step 3: You get the idea

Sounds like it might be your AC joint to me.

Hey mate,

When did you start getting this pain? Was it due to a fall or injury? Did it just start coming on gradually? Where exactly in your shoulder are you feeling the pain?

Please give as much background information as you can and I will get Becky to look at this. In the meantime, I would suggest not doing any activities that aggravate the pain.

Thanks for the replies. I had lost this thread since the forum reboot (when all posts doubled) so glad Jez bumped it then.

I know the easy answer is see a physio but I really haven’t had much luck with various injuries in the past and have spent a small fortune. I made it all the way up to one of the highest doctors/sport scientist at the NSWIS for my back with very little improvement. In more recent times I had a knee problem and went to the local physio and other than a few massages no solution was offered (fortunately it miraculously seemed to sort itself out after pushing through the pain snowboarding early in the season)

Jez that would be great if Becky could give me some input. I’ve had the shoulder problem for a while and don’t believe it was caused by a fall/injury. It would tweak occasionally while lifting weights but it’s got substantially worse in the past 6 months and now even worse in the past month. I generally push through most aches and pains as I always have at least one problem.

This injury is just starting to really get in the way of doing basic things like swimming and especially bodysurfing which is extra painful. As silly as it sounds it’s also pretty annoying not being able to sleep properly with it or scratch my back.

I’m also having to ease back on certain exercises at the gym (couldn’t do pullups the other day and this was after a couple of weeks off from the gym but I had been for a swim the day before) I was planning on doing a chest/shoulder workout in the next couple of days interestingly when I bench my left shoulder clicks/grinds but doesn’t hurt, whereas my right shoulder is smooth but pinches (notably during weighted dips etc)

It’s definitely most noticeable when my arm is extended.

Please let me know if you need me to go into any more detail.

Cheers

Where is the pain exactly?

rider26 - 15 November 2012 12:15 AM

Where is the pain exactly?

It feels like it’s right in the middle of the joint. Doesn’t feel like any of the deltoids/muscular pain just a sharp pinch in the joint.

Thanks mate. Becky should be here soon.

Nice one jez- you know all the questions a physio would have asked!
With all of the above info sounds like you may have an impingement. Doesn’t sounds too much like AC joint.
I could usually give you exercises on here but my honest opinion in this situation is to go see a physio. Is there a way we can get an image of the ‘internal’ shoulder on here?- I’d like to explain impingent syndrome as it’s quite interesting and would make alot of sense with an image
Impingements are easily diagnosed with a physical assesent and with proper strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles and scapular stabilizers as well as other physio modalities, you should have a pain free functional shoulder.
If left untreated and continuing with aggravating movements rotator cuff tendons can become so inflamed and traumatized that they can actually tear! Trust me, you want to avoid this.
Let me know how you get on.

Becky - 15 November 2012 10:26 AM

Is there a way we can get an image of the ‘internal’ shoulder on here?- I’d like to explain impingent syndrome as it’s quite interesting and would make alot of sense with an image
Impingements are easily diagnosed with a physical assesent and with proper strengthening of the rotator cuff muscles and scapular stabilizers as well as other physio modalities, you should have a pain free functional shoulder.
If left untreated and continuing with aggravating movements rotator cuff tendons can become so inflamed and traumatized that they can actually tear! Trust me, you want to avoid this.
Let me know how you get on.

could we get an image showing impingement from somewhere else?... this would be really interesting!
And Becky is right, trust me, you don’t want the rotator cuff to tear, it REALLY hurts

Article here: http://www.orthogate.org/patient-education/shoulder/impingement-syndrome.html

Becky - 15 November 2012 10:26 AM

Is there a way we can get an image of the ‘internal’ shoulder on here?- I’d like to explain impingent syndrome as it’s quite interesting and would make alot of sense with an image

How’s this one?

Thanks for the advice!

Look like I might have to suck it up and head to yet another Physio. Hopefully I have more luck this time. Went for a gentle swim in the rock pools yesterday and did 10 laps with only a low level of pain but stopped at that point.

Did intend on heading to the gym today but I’m worn out after a big day at work. Probably lucky as I discovered my shoulder now pinches when carrying (in this case a customers computer) 

I’ll try doing this in the simplest of terms. Looking at the last image….
The shoulder is comprised of the arm bone, shoulder blade and collar bone. The major stabilizing muscles of the shoulder are the 4 rotator cuff (RC) muscles.
These muscles attach to the top of the arm bone via their tendons. In the image the muscles are red and the tendon is the white part at the end of it attaching to the bone. These RC tendons pass through a space. The space between the acromion and the arm bone. As you elevate your arm, this space narrows and the tendons become compressed/inpinged, as the hit the top of the shoulder (the acromion) They become swollen/damaged. The more trauma/irritation and more swelling of the tendons, causes less space once again and a vicious cycle begins.
Hope that makes sense in basic terms…?

Thanks Becky,

Would you recommend I arrange a scan of my shoulder before heading the physio or is it likely to be unnecessary?