I've been having shoulder/arm pain for a few months and during a general checkup my doctor said it was my rotator cuff. We agreed it was likely my rowing that caused the injury, and he gave me some anti-inflammatories and exercises to do. He said if it didn't get better, then PT and/or a trip to the orthopedic might be required. He also said I should lay off the rowing "for a while."
Well, two and a half weeks is a while, right? I'm sorry, but I just couldn't take it any longer. I was grumpy, tired and generally miserable not being able to row.
So, my question is this...am I just being plain stupid rowing with a rotator cuff injury? It doesn't hurt when I row, and my arm/shoulder both seem to be getting better with the exercises. I've cut back my rowing schedule some so as to not aggrevate it too much. I've got a follow-up appointment with my doctor at the end of next week.
Am I simply rationalizing my way to further injury?
Amy
Rotator cuff "issue"
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johnlvs2run
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As long as you have stopped doing what was causing the injury, then your improvement should continue.
bikeerg 75 5'8" 155# - 18.5 - 51.9 - 568 - 1:52.7 - 8:03.8 - 20:13.1 - 14620 - 40:58.7 - 28855 - 1:23:48.0
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
rowerg 56-58 5'8.5" 143# - 1:39.6 - 3:35.6 - 7:24.0 - 18:57.4 - 22:49.9 - 7793 - 38:44.7 - 1:22:48.9 - 2:58:46.2
Rotator Cuff
I am just recovering from the exact same thing. 2 weeks ago, I was just finishing my rest week, started back up on the erg with some short recovery-type pieces and woke up one morning and could barely move my arm over my head. It has been impossible to row since then and like you, I went to the doctor when it wasn't getting any better. He also prescribed anti-inflammatories.
Soon after taking the anti-inflammatories, I started getting pain in my neck as well. Not only did the anti-inflamatory work to relax the inflamation around my shoulder, it relaxed the other muscles too much also and I ended up putting other muscles out of place just bending over to pick something up.
Since then - I was barely getting any sleep (and no exercise to boot!!). Unconsciously rolling over in the middle of the night was waking me up quicker than any alarm clock ever built! So I went to a Physiotherapist yesterday. Turns out I had a twisted vertibae and after massaging the thing back in place, today the shoulder and neck pain is nearly gone. I still feel it in my neck a bit - but the sholder feels like its back to normal.
No rowing yet .... will wait another few days before attempting it.
Hope this helps.
- Troy
Soon after taking the anti-inflammatories, I started getting pain in my neck as well. Not only did the anti-inflamatory work to relax the inflamation around my shoulder, it relaxed the other muscles too much also and I ended up putting other muscles out of place just bending over to pick something up.
Since then - I was barely getting any sleep (and no exercise to boot!!). Unconsciously rolling over in the middle of the night was waking me up quicker than any alarm clock ever built! So I went to a Physiotherapist yesterday. Turns out I had a twisted vertibae and after massaging the thing back in place, today the shoulder and neck pain is nearly gone. I still feel it in my neck a bit - but the sholder feels like its back to normal.
No rowing yet .... will wait another few days before attempting it.
Hope this helps.
- Troy
I am not going to disagree with your doctor, and you should probably follow their advice. But, this is my story for what it is worth:
I had an impingement of a nerve in the shoulder/rotator cuff 2 years ago. The pain had developed over many months and was just never going away and got to the point were I was having trouble sleeping. I had my doctor refer me to physical therapy at a place that specialises in sports injuries and recovery.
Although they didn't row, those guys were pretty knowledgeable about sports and training, and they didn't think rowing had much to do with my shoulder injury, and didn't think rowing was that related to shoulder injuries generally or the cause of much shoulder problems. The motion is not sudden and the shoulder is not rotating. My pain was caused by a tightening and inbalance in the muscles and tendons of the joint. I think my injury was caused by a combination of 1) poor posture using the mouse at the computer at work, 2) playing competitive volleyball, with all those explosive (hitting) and repetitive (blocking) movements, not rowing.
They had me do lots of exercises, including rowing motions. They didn't have a problem with me rowing at home, although I took about 6 weeks off if I remember correctly. It took months but I do think I finally got rid of the problem and have been rowing since (I have had shoulder problems my entire adult life having started swimming at age 12 or so, and swimming is really hard on shoulders).
Good luck
I had an impingement of a nerve in the shoulder/rotator cuff 2 years ago. The pain had developed over many months and was just never going away and got to the point were I was having trouble sleeping. I had my doctor refer me to physical therapy at a place that specialises in sports injuries and recovery.
Although they didn't row, those guys were pretty knowledgeable about sports and training, and they didn't think rowing had much to do with my shoulder injury, and didn't think rowing was that related to shoulder injuries generally or the cause of much shoulder problems. The motion is not sudden and the shoulder is not rotating. My pain was caused by a tightening and inbalance in the muscles and tendons of the joint. I think my injury was caused by a combination of 1) poor posture using the mouse at the computer at work, 2) playing competitive volleyball, with all those explosive (hitting) and repetitive (blocking) movements, not rowing.
They had me do lots of exercises, including rowing motions. They didn't have a problem with me rowing at home, although I took about 6 weeks off if I remember correctly. It took months but I do think I finally got rid of the problem and have been rowing since (I have had shoulder problems my entire adult life having started swimming at age 12 or so, and swimming is really hard on shoulders).
Good luck
M 51 5'9'' (1.75m), a once and future lightweight
Old PBs 500m-1:33.9 1K-3:18.6 2K-6:55.4 5K-18:17.6 10K-38:10.5 HM-1:24:00.1 FM-3:07.13
Old PBs 500m-1:33.9 1K-3:18.6 2K-6:55.4 5K-18:17.6 10K-38:10.5 HM-1:24:00.1 FM-3:07.13
Well, I'll be hornswoggled as to how I may have injured my rotator cuff then. I don't participate in sports that would lead to such an injury. Hmmmm.... But I do know that sometimes even the simplest of things can cause weird injuries, so maybe it was something as simple as bad lifting form with my free weights? I don't know...
Anyway, it does sound like rowing isn't going to do any damage, and in fact may help, which is good, because I'm rowing against doctor's "orders."
More than anything, I'm just looking forward to a good night's sleep again. I hate this thing waking me up each night. It's getting better, but OMG, what a pain...(pun intended).
Thanks for the help guys.
Amy
Anyway, it does sound like rowing isn't going to do any damage, and in fact may help, which is good, because I'm rowing against doctor's "orders."
More than anything, I'm just looking forward to a good night's sleep again. I hate this thing waking me up each night. It's getting better, but OMG, what a pain...(pun intended).
Thanks for the help guys.
Amy
Not long after my last post on this (I was continuing to row), my shoulder/arm started to hurt much more. I began to think I really was doing some harm with my rowing. I returned to my doctor (internist) who referred me to an orthopedic. Well this being NY, it took about a month for me to get an appointment. I ceased all rowing in the interim (waaaahhhh...) because it was frankly just too painful.
As it turns out I don't have a rotator cuff problem. I have adhesive capsultis, aka frozen shoulder. So the reason my arm began to hurt more is because it was entering the second phase (the frozen phase) of the condition. (Or in my reading about the condition in relation to my own symptoms, that is what I infer anyway.) The doctor gave me a steroid shot and I begin PT on Monday. (btw...when a doctor gives you a shot and says, "your arm may hurt more for the next few days," why don't they just tell you the truth and say, "your arm will kill you for the next few days.") He told me not to row for two weeks, and then only to begin again lightly. (I guess I should have told him about my motorcycle rider course next weekend, huh?
)
Have any of you had frozen shoulder? If so, how long did it take you to get back some of your range of motion once you got a steroid shot? I can't imagine being able to row in a week and a half (although I pray I can) that's how painful it is and limited my mobility still is.
Any insights would be helpful.
Amy
As it turns out I don't have a rotator cuff problem. I have adhesive capsultis, aka frozen shoulder. So the reason my arm began to hurt more is because it was entering the second phase (the frozen phase) of the condition. (Or in my reading about the condition in relation to my own symptoms, that is what I infer anyway.) The doctor gave me a steroid shot and I begin PT on Monday. (btw...when a doctor gives you a shot and says, "your arm may hurt more for the next few days," why don't they just tell you the truth and say, "your arm will kill you for the next few days.") He told me not to row for two weeks, and then only to begin again lightly. (I guess I should have told him about my motorcycle rider course next weekend, huh?
)Have any of you had frozen shoulder? If so, how long did it take you to get back some of your range of motion once you got a steroid shot? I can't imagine being able to row in a week and a half (although I pray I can) that's how painful it is and limited my mobility still is.
Any insights would be helpful.
Amy
Amy:
Have a look at this:
Shoulder Impingement http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_repo ... y=Shoulder
and this:
Shoulder exercises http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/booklet/view_ ... y=Shoulder
This is not medical advice.
Hope this helps.
Jim
Have a look at this:
Shoulder Impingement http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/fact/thr_repo ... y=Shoulder
and this:
Shoulder exercises http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/booklet/view_ ... y=Shoulder
This is not medical advice.
Hope this helps.
Jim
Jim
[url=http://67.199.38.245/c2coastal/]Eh!Team ROWING THE COAST of the WORLD[/url] <--- click here
[url=http://67.199.38.245/c2coastal/]Eh!Team ROWING THE COAST of the WORLD[/url] <--- click here
i've had chronic shoulder problems for about 20 years now - too much rock climbing and too many one arm pullups spell bad news. I've had the early stages of frozen shoulder and have torn my rotator cuff - the best advice i ever rec'd was to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder - the problem with doing one thing that you love to the exclusion of lots of others is that you tend to overdevelop the muscles that support the joint in one direction - in my case i was very good at pulling down, but not so strong in other directions. the doc/pt folks gave me a series of excercise done with elastic bands that provide very light resistance while you stress the shoulder throughout its range of motion - i found these to be useful. for years now i've been saying that shoulders and knees are resources - conserve and use them wisely...
good luck with your rehab - and stick with it.
bill
good luck with your rehab - and stick with it.
bill
Thanks guys. Ironically enough, I spoke with my sister today and it turns out she has this too. We never mentioned it to each other before (we live in different cities). She's about a month ahead of me in rehab and beginning to see signs of improvement. I begin PT tomorrow and should hopefully be rowing again in about a week. I'll be prudent about it, and definitely do all of the other exercises prescribed to strengthen the shoulder area.
What a pain...literally.
Amy
What a pain...literally.
Amy
Ice pack for pain relief
Amy,
My two cents, for whatever it is worth, is to go light on the cortizone injections and work with the Phyical Therapist first. I had injections as a teenager for a sports injury, they didn't help (and hurt like hell), and now my understanding is that repeated injections can weaken the joint. (Perhaps there is a medical person around that can verify that?)
In my experience, good PTs are worth their weight in gold. It takes a lot of work, but they do work wonders. Hang in there!
Also, ice works wonders for pain. Put one of those gel packs in the freezer, then put it on your shoulder. Your PT can tell you how to use it. For me, the area feels cold, then painfully hot, then it numbs out. Of course, the PT will tell you to keep the pack on for a limited amount of time. I've had a gel pack on my knee for up to 30 minutes without any sign of skin damage (frost bite), but you should be careful, it might depend on the kind of ice pack you are using.
I worked on a unit for people with chronic pain, and we used ice as a pain relief modality. The interesting thing, the ice packs seemed to work better for them the more times they used it! So, if it seems painful and useless the first time you use it, try a few more times.
Hope you feel better soon!
CM
My two cents, for whatever it is worth, is to go light on the cortizone injections and work with the Phyical Therapist first. I had injections as a teenager for a sports injury, they didn't help (and hurt like hell), and now my understanding is that repeated injections can weaken the joint. (Perhaps there is a medical person around that can verify that?)
In my experience, good PTs are worth their weight in gold. It takes a lot of work, but they do work wonders. Hang in there!
Also, ice works wonders for pain. Put one of those gel packs in the freezer, then put it on your shoulder. Your PT can tell you how to use it. For me, the area feels cold, then painfully hot, then it numbs out. Of course, the PT will tell you to keep the pack on for a limited amount of time. I've had a gel pack on my knee for up to 30 minutes without any sign of skin damage (frost bite), but you should be careful, it might depend on the kind of ice pack you are using.
I worked on a unit for people with chronic pain, and we used ice as a pain relief modality. The interesting thing, the ice packs seemed to work better for them the more times they used it! So, if it seems painful and useless the first time you use it, try a few more times.
Hope you feel better soon!
CM
A rotator cuff exercise I did not see
Another rotator cuff exercise is done with you upper arm level with the floor and extended out from your side, forearm hanging down. Rotate the upper arm, so your hand moves up and then down. You can also do this lying down. Ask your PT about it, if you like before trying it.
Do your warm-ups, and cooldown, its not for you, its for your heart ! Live long, and row forever !
( C2 model A 1986 )
( C2 model A 1986 )
Frozen Shoulder
If you do have a frozen shoulder, you will not do any damage or make it any worse by rowing. There is an inflammatory/painful phase during the process where anything that you will do with your arm will hurt. This can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Once the inflammatory phase is over, then you are usually left with a shoulder that is stiffer than before but not as painful. With stretching and further use you can eventually regain your full motion. Therapy and exercises in all phases are focused on maintaining as much motion as possible and working within comfortable limits for your shoulder. Try rowing without reaching forward as much and ice your shoulder down for 20 minutes afterward. This represents general advice and information for people with a frozen shoulder that you may follow at your discretion. I would always follow the advice of your local orthopaedic doctor who has the advantage of being able to examine your shoulder. Good luck and have patience, it takes months to fully recover from adhesive capsulitis.
-Joseph Alhadeff, MD
-Joseph Alhadeff, MD
Joe
Joe,
Thanks for your advice. I've been in PT three times a week for about a month now and the good news is my range of motion has increased quite a bit. I'm about 85-90% on many motions, with the exception of behind the back. (This is usually the last to come back from what I hear.) The pain is still there, albeit not quite as bad (I'm at least not waking up every night now from it), and it has travelled downwards to my biceps and triceps. I am doing some light rowing, but am certainly not in full form.
Frozen shoulder is definitely one of those conditions where you have to take a very aggressive role in making sure you get into PT and do your exercises. As noted before, my sister was diagnosed with the same condition at almost the same time, but work and other issues have kept her from keeping on top of her PT. Her range of motion is nowhere near mine, so her recovery is going to be much longer. And, I hope she doesn't permanently sacrifice some range of motion because of it.
Amy
Thanks for your advice. I've been in PT three times a week for about a month now and the good news is my range of motion has increased quite a bit. I'm about 85-90% on many motions, with the exception of behind the back. (This is usually the last to come back from what I hear.) The pain is still there, albeit not quite as bad (I'm at least not waking up every night now from it), and it has travelled downwards to my biceps and triceps. I am doing some light rowing, but am certainly not in full form.
Frozen shoulder is definitely one of those conditions where you have to take a very aggressive role in making sure you get into PT and do your exercises. As noted before, my sister was diagnosed with the same condition at almost the same time, but work and other issues have kept her from keeping on top of her PT. Her range of motion is nowhere near mine, so her recovery is going to be much longer. And, I hope she doesn't permanently sacrifice some range of motion because of it.
Amy