rotator cuff

[Flint]

Is this a repetitive use drumming injury?

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.

you've had the mri? sure it's not tendinitis?

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."

my left shoulder has been hurting for quite some time, too. I just suck it up and deal with the pain, mary.

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.

From my research on the webs it seems most RC injuries come down to one of four options (assuming you have the $ or insurance) ranging from best case to worst case:
a) Physical therapy and you are good to go
b) Steroid injections, up to three of them and you are good to go. More than three usually means they are not gonna work, so
c) Debridement, bankhart procedure, or some other sugical stuff, possibly a bursectomy all of this depends on what is wrong with you, have a surgeon who does shoulder surgery all the time look at you and work on you. get referrals and research.
d) you're gonna die, can we have your stereo?

I'm using the cold one wrap, bombay saphire taken orally 2-3x per evening, hiring a couple of minions to help finish the house, and sucking it up, mary.

Good luck

ShoulderSolutions - Shoulder surgery options for a torn rotator cuff repair.

Shoulder Wrap - Large (160-220 lbs.): Cold One

Shoulder Injuries and Conditions - HSS.edu

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.

[lookout123]

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.