my sister was goosed in canada on 911, etc etc you insensitve bastards.

:lol2:

Don't think so. I'm very concerned with proper mechanics on the drums.

The most likely culprit...I've narrowed down to the rowing machine at the gym. Now there's a repetitive shoulder movement, and the biggest thing I've done "different" lately.

I'm not sure of anything; I haven't had it diagnosed. But I've got a sharp pain at the head of the humerus, distinctly brought on by raising the arm laterally. Lowering the arm, laterally, is much worse and it actually "drops" a little. It isn't the pain that bothers me it's that by body is telling me "STOP DOING THAT!"

Running through some "rotator cuff exercises" by memory caused me to exclaim, "That's it! THAT is the exact thing I should NOT do."

It's not the "hurting" that bothers me. It's the total loss of the lateral range-of-motion.

It's not like I can just jump on the smith machine and crank out a strip set of military presses and pop a few advil.

I've known people who just "toughed it out" when they tore their RC, and consequently NEVER regained a normal range-of-motion.

Thanks for the info. I'm leaning towards laying off of lateral use of that arm for a few weeks until I can see my osteopath, and at that point determine whether it seems to be clearing itself up.

And I'll let you have my back-up garage stereo for cheap.

how long has it been since you lost your range of motion, mary, I mean Flint? I have, more than once, done minor soft tissue damage that severely limited my range of motion, but it usually returns within 10-14 days at the most. In each case it felt like something major early on, but turned out to be fairly minor.

The only case of more than minor damage was my knee and that wasn't about loss of range as much as "look how much my range of motion has grown!" and that's not good.

Sharp "stop doing that!" pains came on last Friday, continued unabated over the weekend. Actually, feeling a little better for the first time today.

It doesn't hurt at all until I move it wrong, and I'm getting better about avoiding the specific movements that aggravate it.

My plan is to restrict upper-body workouts to the sissiest of maintenance work, on machines. And my legs are about to get a brutal punishment, as I channel my workout frustration into them. Calves, you get you own day!

hit the anti inflammatories hard, Mary. Advil + appropriate cream (if you don't have anything prescription strenth, try biofreeze) for at least a week with careful stretching.

I've got some biofreeze (I always keep some in my gig bag) but the thing is, it hurts on the inside, and it's not the kind of hurt that I want to mask or ignore. I think it's supposed to hurt so I won't move it that way.

And the ibuprofen (also always keep in my gig bag)...I didn't have any with me when I went to the country over the weekend, so I never started taking them.

I always tell people that 4 otc (200 mg) ibuprofens equals one prescription stregth anti-inflammatory.

True about the IB. i would say the biofreeze would be ok to use though because you aren't using it to cover pain so you can keep doing the harmful activity. you are using it to reduce the inflammation. If it is just run of the mill soft tissue damage you should feel a big difference within a week or two with that treatment. if it still is wrong then that is a huge flashing sign saying "get thee to a specialist".

Dude, get that cold one thingy. Ice and aleve or IB.

hon, I bugger up my RC on a regular basis. get yourself some physical therapy. really. there are so many ways you can fuck it up, and so many exercises to fix it. It's not a one size fits all injury. I've found. A PT will really help. if you can't afford regular visits, just go the once for an evaluation and a list of exercises