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Conflicted

4K views 24 replies 9 participants last post by  jjz 
#1 ·
On my first day out for the season around 2 weeks ago now i tore my rotator cuff on a really light fall when i put my arm out, it was weird and it wasnt even a hard fall.

As of yesterday it still hurt when i did certain things, but not so bad and now tonight theyre calling for 10 cm of snow overnight at my local hill.

10 cm is basically the most snow we ever really get here in southern ontario, so do i go tmrw even though my shoulder probably isnt 100% healed.

One point of view is that i shouldnt miss the 10cm but if i hurt it worse who knows how long ill be out for.
 
#2 ·
If you tore your rotator cuff, it is going to stay that way until you have surgery. I've got a slight tear in my left rotator cuff. It is not going to get better unless I choose to go under the knife. So basically it's up to you if you can deal with the pain or not. Of course you could make it worse too, but that will probably just motivate you to go see the doc sooner.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Well it does depend on if you have a type I, II, or III tear. A type I (minor tear) can heal on it's own by reducing swelling and limited use. Type II or above will not heal on their own and will require surgery to repair, though there are always different cases.

Edit: Ice the shit out of it, take aleve (naproxin is the OTC name), then ice it more and take more naproxin. When it feels better, continue to ice the shit out of and take naproxin, after that repeat again. Ice for 15 min at a clip and 20-30 min off and repeat several times each night. If you still feel some pain after a couple weeks, you probably need surgery. Best bet, see a doctor to check it out. Do all of the above though either way.
 
#3 ·
I hurt mine on the early trip last year, think it was just damaged. Was considering riding in a sling on the second trip but it had pretty much healed. You don't want to make it worse, I passed out one night from the pain after a hard day at work fitting ceiling speakers.
 
#5 ·
Yeah it's more likely a pulled muscle in the rotator cuff than a full on tear.

I've had several of these injuries and they hurt like hell. I remember going to grab a burger out of a bag a month later and I just about keeled over when my shoulder popped...

I now ride with upper body armour to help prevent some of the injuries. Oh and I would say go enjoy it. Good snow days in Ontarible are few and far between, so take advantage of them! :yahoo:
 
#7 ·
i went to a chiro/doctor what ever they called.
He said i had a minor tear, most likely in the supraspinatus (part of rotator cuff).
This was 2 weeks ago and 3 days, the last time i felt bad pain was yesterday petting my dog i just felt it really sharp. Its weird how you can carry stuff, no pain, do a lot of stuff but one wrong movement and holy shit.

However its looking good as today i havent felt pain once, so if we get the full 10 cm im goin tmrw.

BTW: Sorry to the mods, i totally forgot about the slam section.
 
#11 · (Edited)
i went to a chiro/doctor what ever they called.
He said i had a minor tear, most likely in the supraspinatus (part of rotator cuff).
This was 2 weeks ago and 3 days, the last time i felt bad pain was yesterday petting my dog i just felt it really sharp. Its weird how you can carry stuff, no pain, do a lot of stuff but one wrong movement and holy shit.

However its looking good as today i havent felt pain once, so if we get the full 10 cm im goin tmrw.

BTW: Sorry to the mods, i totally forgot about the slam section.
Supraspinatus is a muscle. It's deep to the deltoid and has the action of raising your arm away from your body - which is why you felt a sharp pain when petting your dog. Don't attempt any jumping jacks.

A minor tear in (non-weight bearing) muscle is FAR better than a tear in other soft tissues like ligaments or tendons. Unless the chiro/doc was referring to the tendon of the supraspinatus?

Either way, rest it by avoiding its action. If it's a muscle tear, it'll heal faster. If tendon, take it easy and don't push it.

Topicals like BioFreeze and Arnica will help it along. Ice and heat, also, especially since it's been over 2 wks.

Edit: What I mean by take it easy and don't push it if it's the tendon - not saying you can't get out tomorrow. Just be cautious about it and careful not to push its action (like in a fall).

Oh. And I'm not a doctor but I do know a bit about this stuff.
 
#13 ·
He asked me the popping and clicking question, i wouldnt call it a click but there was a scrunching noise when i moved it.

I went at the end of the day (i continued snowboarding after fall) but went at around 5 oclock to the doctor.
He couldnt of asked about sleeping on it.

He did the external/ internal rotation strength test. Arm raising to front and above head. Pain was only felt raising arms above head.

Your right that the science is not yet definitive, and their are still some things that doctors just dont know what to do about.

I know a bodybuilder (IM a dedicated lifter), whose right shoulder gives out just outta the blue, Its not a joint but a nerve problem. Literally his brain just stops sending messages to his shoulder, and the doctors dont have any solution.
 
#15 ·
This 10cm at Blue or Moonstone most likely right? So 10 in the middle of Christmas break and after they run the groomers over it. I don't think the risk of hurting it more is worth the 1cm of compacted "machine groomed packed powder" you'll be riding. On the hand it is a chance to ride a snowboard so nut up and do it. Just keep it mellow and you should be fine.
 
#16 ·
Ok first of all cuff tear is a very very very very general term as there are 4 cuff muscles.
The supraspinatus is not deep to the deltoid... I guess saying the tendon is deep might be better but its' not realyl something anyone ever says cause of where it goes.

Second, topicals only reduce pain, they do not change physiology by any means, and when they do it's very superficial. Also, the body needs inflammation for the area to heal. Anti-inflammatories longer term will impede this process from happening, they should only used for pain and acute situations.

Was there any pain in any of the muscle tests and did he do a bunch of them?
When you lift your arm your arm out to the side all the way up does it hurt?
Does it hurt lifting it forward? and where
Try this one, lift your arm up point your thumb down and then move it across your body, does that hurt and where?

My main point is that, pain in the shoulder can be caused by the neck, impingement, labrum, cuff, muscle strains ligament strains, scapula... ETC.....
Most docs are very terrible at differentiating one from the other, because they've never learned or haven't kept up to date on it. Saying cuff tear is a real half ass answer.
 
#18 ·
Sorry, deep to the deltoid in action, meaning supportive. It's palpable so not deep in terms of depth.

I have to disagree about topicals not having physiological benefit. What about transdermals? The skin absorbs.

I agree with you about shoulder pain being secondary to other things like the cervical issues, impingements, issues of the scapula, etc.

And you are SO right about most MDs not being good at musculoskeletal injuries and the reasons for that.
 
#21 ·
just to clarify the doctor i went to wasnt a regular MD, he was a some sort of specialist. I was able to get this without an appt cus hes a friend of my dads friend (IM 15).

Thanks for all the recommendation, i remember him saying something before a test saying he was testing for impingment and he really seemed pretty knowleagable, did a bunch of tests.

7 cm has fallen already but the snow stopped, If it gets groomed over (likely) ill wait till the weeekend to go up.

Thanks for all the help guys, i apreciate it.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Good luck if you are going to go for it, keep the ice up. Check out some rotator exercises while your at it, can do a great deal to minimize the pain (though it may hurt more initially it will go away) but will also help to prevent something like this from happening again. Inner rotation and outer rotations are a great way to start.

Good luck man, and if the pain remains, go see the doc again, or another doc. Some are morons though they made it through med school :).

Edit: Did he recommend any PT?
 
#23 ·
Orthopedic surgeon missed my AC sprain and he was the shoulder guy to goto in the country.
He cut me up without trying any type of conservative care and completely missed my AC sprain. Pretty f'ing easy thing to mix.
Trust no one, get second opinions when possible, but do not tell them what the previous person says til after. Previous opinions will always skew the new person's opinion, best not to chance it.

Ice is always good for acute things, Out with the bad in with the good.

Yeah but when i mean physiological changes i mean an increase/decrease in blood flow and how the cells are working. Most transdermals are for pain.
 
#25 ·
I went to dagmar, left this morning as its only 45 minutes away so my mom didnt mind driving me and my brother.

Had a good time, conditions were nice, no pow, it seems as if whereas in toronto we got 15 cm, they only got 5 (their website claimed 10), but it was good conditions anyway.

Didnt fall on my shoulder or arm once, had one semi hard fall on my tailbone off an awkward box but thats just the usual soreness.

Overall i was very happy with my shoulders response, as it only bothered me once but not too bad.
 
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