Hi folks,
Don't know if this is an appropriate place to post; if it's not, please give me a shove in the right
direction.
I am right-handed and I have a problem with my right arm/shoulder. I can extend my arm fully forward
or laterally, but if I try to raise it upward while extended to the front, I get pain in the
shoulder; ditto if I try to extend it directly upward. I also get pain with an abrupt extenison in
any direction, as in throwing a ball or a punch. If I try to hang from a horizontal chin-up bar,
OUCH!! The pain is so intense that I can't move my arm at all for a minute or so. It also aches if I
lie on that side. The pain itself is not chronic, but it occurs faithfully when I perform the
indicated actions. It feels like the most obviously affected muscle is the quadriceps, but I feel
discomfort all around the shoulder joint.
I'm 53 years old, fairly active, I run and do calisthentics and have trained in martial arts. Before
this pain developed, pushups and pullups were part of my daily routine, although that routine was
sometimes interrupted for weeks or months at a time due to an intermittent lack of motivation. I
have had extensive massage therapy, including a full course of Rolfing about fifteen years ago, as
treatment for various aches and pains (back, neck, hips, and legs). Since I have been traveling and
living outside of the U.S. for the past ten years or so, I have been unable to find a competent, all-
around therapist, and so I do a kind of self-Rolfing massage using doorjambs and various implements
when I feel the need. I have been able to manage my body pretty well on my own until this incident.
I think that what brought this on was a vigorous session of chopping wood back around August or
September. Since then I have been experimenting with various combinations of exercise, including no
exercise for a couple of weeks. I did work myself up to a point where I could do seven or eight
pullups with no immediate pain, but there was a continued discomfort that made me think that I
should lay off for a while.
I have also tried applying heat, using aspirin, using a topical anaesthetic, and getting massaged by
a big Bulgarian grandma. As I said, the pain is not chronic, but there seems to be an underlying
injury that is. Relying on a doctor or masseur here is probably not a great idea, as I don't think
that the state of the art is the same here as it is in the States. I don't think there are any
chiropractors. I'm hoping someone can give me some practical suggestions that I can either implement
myself or take with me to a doctor.
Any thoughts?
Thanks!