Shoulder problems

[Chadd 916]

First of all, I am going to the doctor when I get back from vacation, just looking for a little personal experience from people who have had shoulder problems.

I've been having dull pain off and on for years, usually after a hard game or sleeping on it the wrong way. Last couple weeks it has been pretty constant with short periods of intense pain. I'm planning on picking up a brace to get me through the next couple weeks but I'd love to hear from anyone who has had similar problems and what the eventual diagnosis had been.

I've been looking for something like this locally with no luck. I'll be ordering one online in the next couple days unless I come across something.

http://www.motorcycle-superstore.com/2/6/1...4&zmap=8959

[Roach 0]

I've had shoulders problems for years due to hockey. I have successfully dislocated both due to diving for the puck and landing shoulder first on the ice. Back then, I would sleep on my side and wake up screaming because I would move yet my shoulder would stay in place (and dislocate itself). Therapy and weightlifting helped by strengthening the muscles around the shoulder.

Then, a few years ago while in training for an Inline tournament, a team-mate of mine (much shorter than me) was back-checking and decided to hit me from behind via bending low and then lunging upwards with his shoulder ramming into my right armpit. This resulted in a permanent 5 degree angle upwards of my right shoulder. The doc said that we could do constructive surgery wherein he would open me up, wire my shoulder down, close me up, and I would have to go to 3-6 months of therapy to get everything back to normal. He was a doc that also had a lot of pro athlete clientele which is why he immediately told me, "I'm not going to ask you if you're going to continue playing because I know you are. Option B is for you to go to 3 weeks of intensive therapy. If your mobility improves then you can play with your shoulder. No need for surgery. If you don't improve after therapy, then we have to go in." Luck was on my side, I endured a lot of pain in therapy, but we were both satisfied with the mobility issue. In the end, I was able to fly off to the tourney, we didn't do that bad (not that good either), and I still play with my bad left shoulder and my very bad right shoulder as well as going to gym around 4-5 times a week.

I would recommend seeing a good doctor and taking it from there depending on the diagnosis and his recommendation for getting it better - whether therapy, or gym, or even simple exercises at home (as long as you do them regularly).

Good luck!

PS - I wish I had found a brace like this years ago! This looks like gold!

[Spreedizzle 1]

I am right handed shot, and had dislocated my right shoulder about 6 years ago in a hit in a game. The pain was intense, and the initial recovery was only about 2 weeks and I was back on the ice and playing again. However, I came to realize residual pain and stiffness after every game that I played, and even more after practices with an intensive amount of shooting being done. Came to realize that the muscles surrounding the shoulder had not gotten weaker, but more prone to minute injuries and strains. I had always played with a 100 flex stick cut down to 55" shaft to heel....I had broken my stick in a game and borrowed a teammates TPS whip and fell in love with it. At my size and power I should be using the 100 flex, but I came to find that the additional stiffness (maybe lack of vibration dampening from my shots) was hindering my shoulder from truly healing. I have been playing with a Whip flex now ever since I made this discovery. I would try going down a flex rating or two and try it out, as it helped my shoulder out immensely. I wouldn't say that it would be the end all, cure all.....but could be a relatively easy fix and some preventative maintenance as well. Good luck at the docs.

[chk hrd 164]

I had shoulder surgery 10 years ago and my shoulder has never been the same. They did a decompression (shaved off some bone that was pinching a nerve) and scraped a bunch of scar tissue out of the joint. It was orthoscopic so I don't have the big scars from being filleted. The rehab was painful and didn't take to long. I have almost full mobility but can't throw worth a damn anymore and it has popped out on the rare occasion. The shoulder joint is the most complex joint in your body. Just findind the actual problem can be a chore. They had to pump dye into my shoulder joint and stick me in an MRI for an hour to check it right.

Good luck

[lee92 2]

What I've noticed in myself is that the arm I always use to carry my bag has gone to shite. There's a lot of sag in that shoulder, and some clicking from time to time when I rotate it, which I believe is due to the constant depression placed on it from constantly carrying a hockey bag on that arm for 10+ years, multiple times a week. You don't notice it right away, but it adds up over time. It may not be the cause of your problem directly, but it could have made you more susceptible to injuring your shoulder. Get it checked out. It's probably inflammation of the joint from overuse.

[habookus 1]

You didn't mention any dislocations or seperations so that's a good start. Apart from seeing a doctor for a possible MRI if it's starting to affect your daily activities, one of the most important things you can do is get into a good stretching routine. As for the shoulder brace, I used to use that for about 2 years prior to my surgery last year, it works for slightly tightening your shoulder, but as my shoulder become more and more loose I had to keep adding straps to the brace, where it finally got to a point where it would take me about 20 minutes to assemble my brace before I could go onto the ice. I'm not sure if the brace will help you with shoulder pain, but the slight tightening action could make it feel a touch more solid.

[Chadd 916]

You didn't mention any dislocations or seperations so that's a good start.

Never had a major problem and I was thinking it was tendonitis at first. Then I had almost a month off between games and the problem actually got worse.

[flymonty3 0]

I have seperated both shoulders and now have arthritis in both joints, it is the same pain you describe. When it is cold out, or when I wake up after a long sleep (especially if I am drunk and fall asleep awkwardly) I have to wait a few minutes and kind of ease into moving my arms.

[Patrick67 1]

I hit a guy at pratice, but instead of hitting him with the side of the shoulder I connected with the top just between the shoulder an the colar bone..

It felt like someone stabbed me with a knife.

After 2½weeks off (and visiting my doctor plus som x-rays) the plain resided mostly, but I could still feel my shoulder when sleeping on the implicated side.

Flash forward 3 months...

After 1month off (2months playoffs 1 month off-season) my shoulder stopped hurting while sleeping.

Flash forward 1month...

I paint my room, day after my should is pinching when I make certain moves, and I'm unable to lift anything remotely heavy...

It's been like that for 3 weeks now... My specialist appointment is on march 17...

[hockeynick1234 0]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

[habookus 1]

Try the Sully shoulder stabilizer. That's what i used for about 2 years. There are a bunch of different straps to hold your shoulder, and restrict it from certain positions. I was able to get one at a physiotherapy center, but I'm sure that you can order online, if you can't find one.

[Chadd 916]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

Actually, I haven't been playing much lately. My problems are with my rotator cuffs and there isn't much other than anti-inflamatories or surgery that will solve it long term. I just won a pair of shoulder pads on ebay that I'm hoping will help somewhat.

I have found that wearing a very tight shirt, like my scuba rashguard, does seem to help a bit.

[habookus 1]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

Actually, I haven't been playing much lately. My problems are with my rotator cuffs and there isn't much other than anti-inflamatories or surgery that will solve it long term. I just won a pair of shoulder pads on ebay that I'm hoping will help somewhat.

I have found that wearing a very tight shirt, like my scuba rashguard, does seem to help a bit.

Chadd, does your shoulder dislocate often? Or is it just pain that you're experiencing. Before I had surgery to repair a torn labrum, my shoulder would literally come out every game, hurt for a couple of days afterwards and then went back to being pain-free. I then used the Sully, not just with the brace itself, but with one of the straps basically pulling my arm into my side, unabling my shoulder to swing back. Surprisingly I was able to play, with it coming out on the rare occasion. If dislocations are your problem, this is pretty much the only thing that will allow you to play hockey without it coming out as often.

[Fletch 219]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

Actually, I haven't been playing much lately. My problems are with my rotator cuffs and there isn't much other than anti-inflamatories or surgery that will solve it long term. I just won a pair of shoulder pads on ebay that I'm hoping will help somewhat.

I have found that wearing a very tight shirt, like my scuba rashguard, does seem to help a bit.

Chadd, does your shoulder dislocate often? Or is it just pain that you're experiencing. Before I had surgery to repair a torn labrum, my shoulder would literally come out every game, hurt for a couple of days afterwards and then went back to being pain-free. I then used the Sully, not just with the brace itself, but with one of the straps basically pulling my arm into my side, unabling my shoulder to swing back. Surprisingly I was able to play, with it coming out on the rare occasion. If dislocations are your problem, this is pretty much the only thing that will allow you to play hockey without it coming out as often.

Can I ask how your shoulder healed after the surgery? I had surgery a couple months ago (SLAP repair, Bankart's lesion) and I'm still rehabbing it.

[Chadd 916]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

Actually, I haven't been playing much lately. My problems are with my rotator cuffs and there isn't much other than anti-inflamatories or surgery that will solve it long term. I just won a pair of shoulder pads on ebay that I'm hoping will help somewhat.

I have found that wearing a very tight shirt, like my scuba rashguard, does seem to help a bit.

Chadd, does your shoulder dislocate often? Or is it just pain that you're experiencing. Before I had surgery to repair a torn labrum, my shoulder would literally come out every game, hurt for a couple of days afterwards and then went back to being pain-free. I then used the Sully, not just with the brace itself, but with one of the straps basically pulling my arm into my side, unabling my shoulder to swing back. Surprisingly I was able to play, with it coming out on the rare occasion. If dislocations are your problem, this is pretty much the only thing that will allow you to play hockey without it coming out as often.

My problems were never with dislocations, just pain that is pretty intense from time to time. The X-rays and MRIs show it's a partially torn rotator cuff. I have to wait for it to get worse before the insurance company will pay for it. I could also use a little more sick time in the bank before I go under the knife.

[habookus 1]

hey sorry for bringing up and old topic, but i recently separated my shoulder (hit from behind) and im looking into getting a brace for it. I was wondering if anyone could recommend one? Chadd did you end up getting that one from online, and if you did how did it work out for you?

Actually, I haven't been playing much lately. My problems are with my rotator cuffs and there isn't much other than anti-inflamatories or surgery that will solve it long term. I just won a pair of shoulder pads on ebay that I'm hoping will help somewhat.

I have found that wearing a very tight shirt, like my scuba rashguard, does seem to help a bit.

Chadd, does your shoulder dislocate often? Or is it just pain that you're experiencing. Before I had surgery to repair a torn labrum, my shoulder would literally come out every game, hurt for a couple of days afterwards and then went back to being pain-free. I then used the Sully, not just with the brace itself, but with one of the straps basically pulling my arm into my side, unabling my shoulder to swing back. Surprisingly I was able to play, with it coming out on the rare occasion. If dislocations are your problem, this is pretty much the only thing that will allow you to play hockey without it coming out as often.

Can I ask how your shoulder healed after the surgery? I had surgery a couple months ago (SLAP repair, Bankart's lesion) and I'm still rehabbing it.

It healed very well, I still don't have 100% range of motion, maybe 90%, but nothing that affects me whatsoever on the ice. Just make sure that you're on a good rehab/physio program, stick to it, slowly build up muscle all around your shoulder and you should be fine. It is a long process and can be frustrating at times. I was on the ice at around 4 months, and was playing contact hockey at 5 1/2 to 6 months. Oh ya, make sure to do lots of stretching too! (something that I slowly stopped doing, but shouldn't have.)