Shoulder that just won't heal!

I assume you went to a doctor and you don't have a separated shoulder.  I have had shoulder problems (tendinitis and rotator cuff impingement) for a while and I'm finally having surgery. But....I did every other conservative course of treatment first.

Are you icing your shoulder? Taking anti-inflamatories?  Are you still swimming? lifting? I too am sometimes bothered by my shoulder when I sleep, but it usually dies down after about a week.

 Good luck with you healing.

Hi Robin,

Thanks for writing.  I did see a doc right after the fall and he did xrays. That was fine. I saw an orthopaedic a bit later and they evaluated and dont' think it's rotator cuff because I have good range and strength. I have seen a PT and they did iontophoresis and then gave me a few strengthening exercises to do with bands.  I am icing 2 or 3 times most days. I took anti inflammatories for a while but no longer...can't keep goign forever on those right?  I have not swum since the crash (that KILLS me as I am a swimmer at heart...swam all my life competetively with NO problems and now a bike fall hurts me) and I am not lifting yet. The most I do with it is haul my 2 year old in and out of hte car seat etc. 

So you need surgery. I'm sorry to hear that.  I wish you luck and fast healing.  I am wondering if I should see someone who specializes in shoulders. Maybe it just takes a long time to heal these things. 

Angela

I had exactly the same thing, fell on the bike, next day could not move my shoulder and neck, pains down my right arm, to my hand.

Went to my osteopath, he said that my AC point had been knocked out of alignment, he ended up fixing it in one session.  Back swimming a week latter.

The thing was he thought my hip was out of alignment on the right side as well,  he fixed that.  Took two mintues off my 5 km time.  He thought that it was all from the fall and looking back at my logs my run times had slowed as well after the fall on the bike.

Cheers

Mike 

It can take longer then people expect to recover from an injury and sometimes surgery is the answer. However, in the mean time you can help yourself alot by iceing the shoulder everyday, more then once. Could be a malalingment problem. SO here in the states your best bet might be a chiropractor. I agree that the RTC is not likely the problem or the exercises would have helped. Sometimes some sort of trauma can result in an impinging of the RTC that does require surgery. I've seen many several patients that had nagging problems resolved only after surgery. I'd try to get an MRI before doctor shopping so you know what direction to go.

Angela,  I wish I could say I was a swimmer, I learned as an adult, when I decided I wanted to be a triathlete. Like you, I stopped with the anti-inflammatories, but my shoulder has been acting up for almost 2 years. 

I don't know where you are, but if there is an ART practioner near you, I would suggest it.  ART is active release therapy and it's sorta like deep tissue massage.  It gave me some relief from the shoulder pain. It also help me with some chronic hamstring problems.

When I was in physical therapy, my pt told me that the shoulder is notoriously slow to heal because of the limited blood supply to the area.

I have a GREAT neuromuscular therapist and she does deep tissue massage. That sounds like ART I think.  I have a call in to her and will see her in about a week I expect. She is great.  Maybe that'll help some. That is interesting to know about the shoulder's slow healing.  It just Aches when I run. Did htat happen to you?

so frustrating!