After surfing all day yesterday, I got home and had stabbing throbbing pain in both shoulders, mainly my right shoulder. The pain lasted all night. There was also a weird numbness and tingling sensation running down my arm into my hands like the top of my forearm and fingers were falling asleep. This morning, the pain is mostly gone but I have weakness and limited movement in my right arm. I can't lift my arm above my head without assistance. I've been trying to schedule an appointment with an orthopedic to take a look, MRI, etc. I was curious if anyone else had a similar injury and if it sounded like a rotator cuff tear?
Probably 2/3 of the replies on here will tell you that pt will fix all your problems. I tore my right cuff about 3 years ago. I would describe the pain as an electric shock in that area when I moved wrong or lifted anything over a couple lbs. trying to surf like this was brutal! After an MRI my doc said a tear like mine wouldn't heal by itself. The pain after surgery was atleast 4x worse than before, but with pt, gradually got better. I wanna say I was able to paddle like 3 months after surg, and it's only gotten stronger since. No regrets.
i've torn both my rotator cuffs, one I've had surgery on twice.(skateboarding since i was a kid) The symptoms you describe do sound like a tear. I finally went ahead with the surgery, when the numbness in my arm would not go away and my hand started to involuntarily contort when relaxed. I'm a chef and i was losing my ability to work. As Radder stated, the pain after surgery is pretty intense, and rehab is slow and not very fun. I reinjured the shoulder by surfing before I was supposed to, and had to have it done again. This was my left shoulder. Rehab was like six months. My right is torn as well, not as severely as the left and I will need surgery one day, daily pain, but i just really do not want to go through it again. My paddling time is limited, and I've adjusted by riding boards with more volume and spending a lot of time on my longboards. Flame away, but when it's big and hollow I pull out the fins and bodyboard. I just do not have the shoulders to last very long when a lot of paddling is required. I've busted myself up over the years, but recovering from two rotator surgeries was pretty tough. MRI is really the only way to be sure, best of luck to you.
I've had rotator issues over the years and time (usually) heals all wounds. Been to the doctor a couple times for it. Same thing each time. Give it six months and you'll feel better... and I have. I've had the pain and numbness. After a year if it still hurts then it's time for surgery. Don't let them cut you unless it's absolutely necessary. I had a bad knee for two years that eventually healed on it's own too. The older you get the more time it takes.
Thanks for the comments folks. Definitely not going to let anyone cut me open without a few opinions but I just want to get it taken care of so that it won't haunt me in the future. It's going to suck to have to take it easy and be out of the water for so long.
I have never torn a rotator cuff, but strained my right one about 25 years ago and it was years before it was completely pain free, mainly because I just never really spent the time doing proper PT, and kept stressing it and re-injuring it getting back into the water too soon. Eventually it healed. Last year I strained the same shoulder, had an MRI (it was so clear to see on the image by the way) and the diagnosis was once again strained rotator cuff. This time I stayed out of the water for two months, really made an effort to do proper rehab, and was back surfing pain free. you HAVE to give it time and therapy, that's all there is to it.
My right shoulder is more than likely strained if not torn happened in a tropical swell last year I struggle to go out two days back to back. It did semi heal itself over winter but keeps getting re injured oh well not gonna stop me just slows me sometimes...
Your surfing life is NOT over. And you are not alone! It's even called surfer's shoulder, if that makes you feel any better. I finally made the connection between my own shoulder pain and surfing last week, I am kind of slow on the uptake I guess...I scoured the internet but almost every article is somebody trying to sound knowledgeable by using Grays Anatomy terminology. So here is what I learned in plain English: (Also called swimmer's shoulder.) SYMPTOMS - soreness after paddling, pain when lifting arm above shoulder. CAUSE: - basic overuse; paddling muscles in front of body become disproportionately strong as compared to shoulder stabilizing muscles in back; keyboard jockeys and commuters develop a slouched forward posture; poor technique in paddling (hands should go straight toward ocean floor, _not_ come in toward the body's centerline). "PREHAB" 1) strengthen the muscles that oppose your paddle muscles - with chest on an exercise ball, do reverse flies with light weights , hands at 10:00 and 2:00, then at 9 and 3, then at 8 and 4. Go to burn. 2) Lying on your side, with elbow glued to your top hip and bent at 90 deg, rotate a light weight from floor to vertical. 3) doorway stretch: before every session and a couple of times a day (this helped me more than anything) - brace your upper arms into a doorway and lean forward. Try to hit at least 3 different angles just like you did with reverse flies. 4) daily posture - make conscious effort to pull shoulders back 5) paddling form - hand straight down when paddling, not inward across your body. I had a mild case I guess, it is actually improving. I only surf 1-2 times a week for 1-2 hours each - working dad - but I am just psyched that I am making progress without taking a layoff. Yours sounds worse than mine, but maybe with a little RICE , a little time off, begin your "pre-hab" above and hopefully you can be ready for hurricane season. Good luck!
That's what I have pain more when lifting anything higher than shoulder spot on post there bro thanks
Every person and injury is different. I really knew I fugged mine up when I was doing dumbbell shoulder press at the gym one day and the weight went backwards/ behind me. I don't know, fatigued, too much herb? I felt it immediately and knew I fugged up. I had surgery like 4 mos after it happened because it didn't seem to get better. I've rolled my left ankle a few times and it's always healed on its own. When it's bad, you'll know it. I'm sure a lot of injuries are treatable without surgery. Question is, how close do you want to be to 100%?
Sorry to hear that bro. I had a RC tear happen this past fall and It sounds like thats what happened to you. For me it was a sudden bolt of pain after popping up on my board followed by weakness and pain when extending my arm to reach--try adjusting your volume on the car radio for a test. You are on point by getting a MRI and would recommend that you go to the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC--plain and simple, they are No 1 in the country. Some advice, watch getting put through the PT pit-especially if you are over 35 years-I put in 5 months into PT, got stronger but then re tweaked it when lifting a case and went back to zero. Seems like middle aged guys don't heal from this so get the sergery and we'll see you back in the water around thanksgiving.
I contacted the Hostital for Special Surgery and have and appointment with Dr. Samuel Taylor in Conneticut on Monday. The kicker is that I'm going to Barbados on Tuesday for a week with family. I didn't plan it as a surf trip but was going to bring a board just in case swell showed up. I'm 33 so recovery is prolly gonna suck. Getting old sucks but I do feel lucky that this is the 1st time I've felt seriously sidelined.
I feel your pain.If it is your rotator it's gonna take awhile. Buddies took almost a year to heal completely. Sprains and tears are usually worse than breaks in my experience. GWood is right on with his advise 'cause it don't get easier with age. Stretch and strengthen your core and injuries are less likely. This past year was my worst ever for injury due to lack of following my own advise.lol Best advise I was given when I was young was don't get soft to begin with. Good luck.
