Shoulder impingement (MRI, pain, surgery, arm)

[NJDevil]

Anyone ever been diagnosed with this? I feel it's a vague diagnosis that covers something they can't figure out. My MRI showed nothing. Acupuncture hasn't helped. My left arm is fine except for moving it in one direction, basically up and back. The pain goes down my upper arm which makes me think it's like a pinched nerve. I don't think it's frozen shoulder because I have no problem moving my arm. I've had this pain for 2 years now, it started suddenly with no apparent cause. I had 2 cortisone shots in the shoulder and that worked, but I don't want to get any more of those. I don't plan on getting surgery.
Thanks for any input.

[REtoday]

Perhaps Physical Therapy may help. What is your Physician saying?
Sometimes conservative treatment is the best long term.

[Michael Way]

Originally Posted by NJDevil

Anyone ever been diagnosed with this? I feel it's a vague diagnosis that covers something they can't figure out. My MRI showed nothing. Acupuncture hasn't helped. My left arm is fine except for moving it in one direction, basically up and back. The pain goes down my upper arm which makes me think it's like a pinched nerve. I don't think it's frozen shoulder because I have no problem moving my arm. I've had this pain for 2 years now, it started suddenly with no apparent cause. I had 2 cortisone shots in the shoulder and that worked, but I don't want to get any more of those. I don't plan on getting surgery.
Thanks for any input.

I'm suffering from it right now in my right shoulder. It resulted from overuse. I was doing to much by way of pullups and dips among other things. At the age of 57, my tendons and ligaments just can't recover as quickly as they could when I was younger.

I didn't go to a doctor, but I figure that it is either tendonitis or bursitis. Whatever it is, my range of motion is restricted (frozen shoulder) and if I move the wrong way, I will exerience a sharp shooting pain in the outside or sometimes rear of the upper arm.

I had a similar problem in my left shoulder several years ago, and it took over a year to get my range of motion back.

I'm taking aspirin which is an anti-inflamatory, as well as ice to try to get the inflamation down, but may have to try something stronger than aspirin.

You might try a chiropractor to see if there is a pinched nerve. Do whatever stretching movements you can, especially for the rotator cuff, without pain. Maybe try alternating ice and heat. Sorry I can't offer any more help then this, but I'm not even helping myself very much at this point.

[NJDevil]

I have been advised of certain exercises to do, and I try to do them a few times a week, but I forget sometimes. I really though acu would work. PT takes F O R E V E R and is expensive (even with insurance). My chiropractor hasn't been able to help either, but she doesn't adjust the shoulder area, just neck and spine. I am starting stretching and strengthening exercises again, hoping that may help.