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Don't Just Throw Through The Pain
Category: Shoulder Pain
Jun 26, 2006
Q: I am a Little League coach who has been throwing a lot of batting practice. Recently my shoulder has begun to hurt, I'm having trouble raising my arm over my head and it's been waking me up at night. Could I have torn my rotator cuff?
A: Possibly, but you are more likely suffering from some tendonitis of your cuff. Your rotator cuff is a common tendon of four of the smaller muscles in your shoulder. The tendon passes through a small bony tunnel made up of your shoulder blade and collarbone. As you get a little older, your tunnel can start to narrow due to bone spurs and, as you overuse your shoulder, the tendon can rub on the bony tunnel. This causes the tendon and overlying bursa to become irritated, inflamed and swollen, which of course is known as tendonitis and bursitis.
With the tendon inflamed and with bony spurs rubbing on it, things get a little tight in the tunnel and, when you try to raise your arm, the tendon gets pinched, leading to pain. Often we will call this "impingement syndrome." Untreated, the inflamed tendon continues to rub in the tunnel and can wear a hole through the tendon, a rotator cuff tear.
Tendonitis and impingement syndrome often can be treated non-surgically with medications, physical therapy and with a steroid or cortisone-type injection of your shoulder. If this had been going on for a longer period of time or your exam suggested a tear of your cuff, an MRI may be obtained to get some additional information about your internal shoulder anatomy.
If it just started, stop pitching, try an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, ice and stretch the muscles through your shoulder. This should calm it down. After a few weeks, if you are still having pain, get it checked out. Don't just try and throw through it. The longer it hangs around, the more difficult it is to get rid of it.
Read the complete article here