Should bursitis/tendonitis

Yes. Had the same thing. Physical therapy was the key. My shoulder range of motion doesn't feel 100% but that is probably because the bursitis/tendonitis acted up due to scar tissue from an old skateboarding injury.

 

I had a similar injury as well. Partially torn rotator which I had surgery to repair.

With physical therapy it does get better, but don't expect a 100% recovery. I would guess it depends on your age too -- I had the surgery relatively young (21) and it still never fully recovered. At the time i was swimming 20+ hours a week in a D1 program so I'm sure that didnt help the injury.

 

Two years ago while training for an upcoming football season I herniated two discs in my neck, @ this time I hadn’t been surfing much, my time in the army kind of got me away from the ocean. The VA said I needed surgery or I could wind up being paralyzed among other complications. After seeking a second opinion I decided to not get the surgery but football or anything with contact was out of the question (huge blow to my life). So I decided to surf whenever there was a rideable wave to replace all my other hobbies, I figured if my neck was going to break I’d rather it be coming off a wave as opposed to a fender bender or a slip down the stairs. My neck got so strong from being in the paddle position that I now have no pain and my most recent mri showed the discs retracting back to their original position. So, surfing basically healed me, I know a shoulder is different but my point is that surfing or just being in the ocean might be the best form of physical therapy, it’s definitely the best mental therapy.

 

had/have same deal. winter surfing with thick suit and mitts hurt is worse than summer with nothing on. got a cortisone shot and stayed dry for 2 weeks got over the acute pain but it still always hurts a bit. dont over extend at bottom of pullups at gym btw. i now concentrate on warmup/stretch with rubber band on truck ride to beach rather than hoppin right in 40deg water and giving it hell. also RICE after surfing rest ice compression elevation. good luck man injuries suck

 

ive had a seperated shoulder this past october from surfing so much and surfing all the hurricane swells and taking a few good beatings that it seperated my shoulder and that wasnt fun. especially since i was in a sling for a week and couldnt use the hand especially with writing since it was my writing hand. but i was out for about 3 weeks when i was suppose to be out of the water for 6 weeks. but im also young(18) and my body conditioning coach had me doing my exercises every day we did upperbody so that helped alot. but just take the time and dont rush it what so ever.

 

I had a shoulder injury and found that the most critical issue was getting an accurate diagnosis. Tendonitis is an over use injury, bursitis is an inflammation issue - and they do sometimes go hand in hand. I also found that Drs sometimes just call something tendonitis if there was no trauma that caused a break/tear/seperation. Dr called mine bicep tendonitis

After turning down the offer of a cortisone shot and going to a PT with only a small amount of improvement, I finally got an accurate diagnosis from a very experienced massage therapist- it was the GH joint (gleno-humerous) she worked on it a few times and it improved immensely. Don't be afraid to get second opinions and question Drs .As Johnny Utah showed they can be off base. I once heard a Dr comment about a misdiagnosis "Thats why we call it PRACTICING medicine"

Get second opinions - shoulders are complex, lots of good info on the net about anatomy. A terrific book if you can find it is " The 7 minute rotator cuff solution"

Good luck
JTS

 

accupuncture. Had the same issue from surfin and vball and three sessions felt 80% and eight was good to go. I am over 50, dealt with it for many years and now feel 25 again. You have to find a good doc and I realize my doc is great.(No. Va. area)

 

I had a hard fall in a half pipe snowboarding about 15 years ago, in which I tore my rotator cuff. I requested surgery, but my doctor said it wasn't bad enough. He opted for a series of cortisone shots and PT. It helped a lot, but I have never been the same since. I'll feel perfectly fine, but after a long session, which for me is anything over about 2.5 hours, I'm HURTING. It totally gets inflamed (bursitis) and is very painful. Advil and/or Tylenol help, but it sucks. After a run of swell, surfing for 3 or 4 days in a row, my shoulder gets really "clunky"... I can hear and feel the tendons roping over each other, snapping and slapping into place, as my shoulder rotates.

Shoulda got the surgery...

 

My story is identical to yours. Diagnosed with bursitis from an impinged (not torn -yet) rotator cuff a few years ago. I struggled for about a year and have been pretty much pain free thanks to a few things.

1. Lots of stretching. You can find some good stretches on the web, (wall crawl, grab towel behind your back, etc. Research like crazy). Also light strengthe training (I use resistance bands at home) once the pain subsides.
2. Really identifiying - and refraining - from what irritates it. For me it was pushing forward, doing pushups, etc. The worst re-inury I got was last spring when I scrubbed my gas grill like crazy. I can't ever do bench presses again. No big deal.

3. This is going to sound like a sales pitch, but I bought a posturpedic foam mattress and it really, really helped. I didn't realize how much sleeping on my shoulder aggravated the injury.

4. Patience, patience, patience. Don't rush into anything. I fight constantly the urge to push myself too much. That could ruin all my progress.


Anyway, I never missed any surfing and recently have been able to even do pushups again for the first time in 3 years. (I'm 40 years old, by the way - age factors into everything here, too). Good luck.

 

I have been having terrible shoulder problems the past year, even had surgery for my labrum, but I still was hurting. I was getting nervous because I am in Brazil for four months. So before I left I got an mri which said my bursa in my shoulder was inflamed, I got a cortizone shot, and I am PAIN FREE. I highly suggest it, although it does not work for everyone, but it has worked miracles for me. Now I'm surfing pain free in nice warm waves

 

i had some shoulder problems last year around this time. i dislocated it snowboarding in december and just tried to disregard it which led to about 7 more dislocations by february. i have/had a torn labrum which is the cartilage that holds your shoulder ball in the socket which explains how easily it would pop out.

the doctor said i would need surgery but sent me to PT for 4 weeks first. i felt much better after the PT and it was definitely improving. we decided to not have surgery since PT was helping and just go with that for another 4 weeks. the doc told me the tear would never heal but i could build up the rest of the shoulder muscles enough to support it.

it still bothers me every once in a while but you just have to take time off and really stick with the PT. even after youre done with the PT do the exercises on your own once or twice a week and it will make a huge difference.

it sucks having to spend time out of the water but thats the only way it will heal. i had booked a trip to PR and couldnt surf while i was there due to the injury. i still had some fun though on a bodyboard, better than sitting on the beach haha

 

Thosee G##amn Snowboard Injuries

As many have posted, about 10 years back I too had a shoulder dislocation from snowboarding. Ski patrol helped pop it back into place, but I had severe bursitis from the incident. I did some PT for 6 weeks but I don't think that was enough. Next summer I took a tumble over the falls on a large wave and the sheer force of the wave yanked my arm hard enough for a second dislocation. This time I had to get the surgery, there were too many tears. After 6 weeks of a water type cast and 4 months of PT, I was good to go and for the next two years of surfing and snowboarding with the aid of a killer shoulder harness . Then in summer I was paddling trying to catch a big wave and perhaps I paddled a little too hard as reaching my arm forward caused another dislocation. And those who have had them know they are very painful and to swim with one is that much tougher. Anyways, this began a string of shoulder injuries, chronic dislocations and me popping it back in myself for the next year or so. Doctors said I could get another surgery but results were only 50/50. Bottom line though was I thought I was gonna have to give up surfing and riding all together.

Eff that! I started my own PT regimen and really committed to take the time to working out the shoulder shoulder and arm muscles and developing strength in my back. The key is that your shoulder muscles have to be strong enough to hold the ball of the arm in the socket. If your muscles aren't strong enough (or weakened due to bursitis), there is a higher chance for an injury like a dislocation to occur. Five years later, there have been times when I have felt a partial dislocation, but nothing major (knock on wood). So I would do a lot of PT to develop strength and that could go a long way to prevent further injury down the road. Once you have that first dislocation the chance for repeated dislocation goes way up. Also ice after a long session or any other shoulder activity can really be your friend

 

^ exactly what he said. just strengthen all of the other muscles to pick up for the weak muscle and just be carefuly when paddling. cuz i know for me my shoulder still gives me problems when im out surfing on the gnarly days. plus it doesnt help that im a lifeguard and have to do all the trainning for that, especially since i just did my recertification that really bothered it somewhat. but just R.I.C.E it and you will be fine with exercising.

 

I had all kinds of problems with my elbows, and one of my shoulders so I started visiting a chiropractor regularly about a year ago (now I'm down to twice a month). My pain is completely gone, and my balance and strength has increased - not to mention I use to have severe headaches and those are gone too. I feel very strongly about chiropractic care after my positive experience (it's not super cheap, but you could argue that it's less expensive than pills/doctor visits, and maybe better for you)... I guess at the very least it could be a supplement to other therapy! I agree with not rushing though, that might be the most important thing

 

what bothers me is pulling the wetsuit off and on - it actually hurts my lower back and the joints in my fingers
i have to do it real slow even when it is freezing...

 

I have tendinitis in my right shoulder. I don't have time for PT and I have to be careful at the gym. I'm able to paddle without issues by taking lots of fish oil and MSM and also stretching it out. Those supplements are lubrication for joints and remember caffeine has the opposite effect. Good luck!