Get professional advice.
I agree with what others have said here. You need to find out specifically what the problem is. That might involve getting an MRI.
I injured my shoulder trying to pitch fastballs to my Son’s little league team for batting practice. Guess I forgot that I’m too old for that sort of thing anymore. I went to my doctor and he said that the tendens in my shoulder had been pulled (he didn’t think that I had torn my rotator cuff, so no MRI prescribed), and it would take approx 6 months to heal. It’s been 4 months, and I still have pain. However I can tell it is healing as the pain is dimishing over time. The only advice given to me was to start lifting weights in order to stengthen my shoulder. Anyway, this is just one example of how long it might take for your shoulder to heal.
In any case, I wish you the best of luck and hope you heal up soon.
Shoulder woes
among paddlers (and other athletes) are pretty common, so if you live in a large community, you should be able to find a PT with lots of experience in this area. I go to a sports PT with whom I’ve cultivated a good relationship over the years and I trust her clinical diagnostic skills.
Find a good PT and keep him/her, because if you are athletic you will need to go back when other body parts break down!
I like PT’s because they cannot drug you or cut you.
One recommendation based on my own shoulder saga: tai chi is an excellent maintenance tool for the shoulder. The slow, circular movements maintain your range of motion and provide good self-diagnosis: you get to know every pop, click, and twinge in your joints and muscles. After a long paddle, particularly on a multi-day trip, I set aside time for tai chi. Great results so far.
shoulder problems
Wow how I can relate to that. Tore my rotor cuff and lost it because i did not get medical treatment just kept going. Finnally having so much pain I went to a very good orthopedic surgeon and found out my rotator cuff disinergrated and had to be replaced with a muscle graft also they had to replace the joint which was severely worn out. Yes the surgery worked but the pain is worse than before. But after numerous xrays show evertything is great. What to do?? Definatly get a really reputeable surgeon. Do all the therapy’s but get a good therapist found out mine rushed the therapy and messed up something ill let you know what after next friday how it turns out.
Even though, I still paddle too stuburn to give it up.
Different conditions
for each individual. Some of these sound like more serious injuries. But, I used to skim plaster and stucco and developed a really bad elbow problem. It was my first real joint injury and I thought it would heal in a week or two. Right? Think again. I really over worked it and it took about five years for it to heal back to maybe 90%. I could never skim like that again but over 5 years it kept healing. It used to flair up when I gave it a week or two work out but now it’s not bad.
My doctor was very conservitive and told me it can take that long.
I also injured my big toe when I was running and slammed it into a board that was sticking up out of the sand. It felt like it broke my toe and I really wanted surgery on that because it effected the my stride. Now, sevareal years later it keeps improving.
My shoulder is also starting to hurt “a little” from all this dirt I moved. 18 yards. So, now I’m making sure to give it time to heal. Even when I kayak I try not to push it for the next several months. You have to be real careful, because you don’t want to pass the point of no return for that joint, where it takes years to recover.
Lots of good advice above about supliments, exercise , and pillows! That’s funny, because I attributed some little shoulder pain from laying down.
Anyway, be careful when loading your kayak or anything else and try not to strain you injured shoulder.
Surgery worked for mine
Chronic annoying pain in my right shoulder. Paddling a few miles didn’t bother it. Did tylenol. Massage. Electric Muscle Stimulation. cold packs. Diathermy. They all helped for a bit. Finally got an MRI. Bone spurs in the joint. Got 'em whacked. Not back top paddling yet, but I only got whached two weeks ago.
Whacking was done arthrscopically. Not too bad on pain, swelling, etc. But everything that used to hurt has quit hurting.
Somowas, you convinced me to keep
my appointment.My shoulder sounds just like yours and I’m tired of it waking me up at night, not to mention ruining my overhand throw.
…
Extending the arm “out of the Box” = Bad technique!..give it rest, then start slowly but focus more on technique…then you can build up the power…but you really shouldn’t have to…
$.99
I heard bone spurs
are easily removed with minor surgery but there are a lot of other joint problems or injuries that dont’ have a quick fix. A good doctor will evaluate the exact injury and offer their best advice. You should try to be as honest as possible about the extent of the injury and the amount of pain. It’s nice to compare battle scars but go to a specialist.
I just hate to see someone learn the hard way when they could have fully rested their minor injury and made a full recovery. If it hurts stop let it heal.
There are a host of other injuries so best to see a specialist.
Unsure how to explain
2004 I discovered several tendons were torn in the left shoulder.
After reviewing the pros and cons of rotator cuff surgery I opted not to.
I had several qualified and seasoned paddlers look at my paddling style (kayak) and all noticed far to much reliance on the arms/shoulders to propell myself.
I went over to using far more torso twist and less of the pulling with the arms alone.
It’s worked (along with the hanging arm drawing circles style limbering exercise).I will NOT be leading the pack or keeping up with the fast crowd but I got the 27 miles around Grand Island here in the upper niagara last season and regularly did 15 mile workout paddles thruout the past season with no shoulder pains.
This is an area,imho,where deadening the pain medically could mask furthur stress and injury.
My doic is one of the best Ortho in
town and a jock.He says the bone spur and the bursa repair are simple surgery.Although I can paddle,I pay for it in the wee hours and I would like to be able to throw toys for the dawgs.