[korrobe]

This may have been discussed already, but anyone out there have any shoulder injuries or chronic shoulder problems? A few weeks ago, my ramp out of my house was icy. I slid down and tumbled out of my chair. I stopped myself with my hands. Didn't think much of it until a coupld weeks later when the pain started. Last week I couild barely move due to the pain. Went to the doc and he said I damaged my rotator capsule. Seems that the shoulders are pretty complicated with many moving and static parts. The pain went away with rest and meds. Just hoping it stays away. Anyone else have any experience similar to this?

[Avocado Baby]

Hiya,

I'm really sorry to hear about your accident. I hope your pain stays away!

I have rubbish right shoulder...due to scoliosis, which goes off to the right so my right side gets too much pressure. Oh...and too much typing while sitting in a rubbish posture!

I'm contemplating going to the dr about it but feel bad cos it's partly self inflicted!

[twisted_ophelia]

Yeah, I sometimes have issues with my left shoulder. I fell off a horse when I was in my early teens and shattered that shoulder. Before my SCI, that old injury would ache and give me some issues but now, over the years, I'm finding it's getting more painful. Shoulders are indeed very complicated. My ex husband tore his rotator cuff when he was in his late teens, ending his baseball career (he was a pitcher). A family member slipped and fell on the ice earlier this winter and tore something in his shoulder (can't remember what) and he couldn't even lift anything for close to two months and was in constant pain. Have you considered physio therapy for it? I make sure that I keep myself in good shape and my upper body is strong because, other than just being toned in the arms/shoulders from constant chair propulsion, I am active. Did you get x-rays or an MRI for your shoulder? What did the doctor tell you to do?

[Travelling Blackbird]

Both of my shoulders are in bad shape. I ride too fast and too hard at times, I don't do transfers quite the way I should, I don't use crutches and walkers quite the way I should... the shoulder isn't designed to move the body, nor is it meant to be in constant motion, so I think most manual wheelchair users have some kind of shoulder pain from that alone. On top of that, they're prone to small injuries from sudden stops, from overextension...

I go to an osteopath regularly, and I use very good pillows and a very good mattress so at least they get a good rest at night. I also promise myself I'll start taking better care of my shoulders, but somehow, that never happens.

[Santa Cruz Soul Surfer (LRO)]

.My shoulders have held up well on me thus far...I do alot of swimming, surfing and paddleboarding though... I also take supplements that promote good joint health (glucosamine, chondroitin, MSN). If your not already taking these, I would highly consider it! Being that we push so much everyday already, it would really be of help to you over the long run!

[twisted_ophelia]

Good point about the glucosamine or MSM supplements! I used to take MSM (also has lots of other good benefits) but for no reason in particular stopped taking it in the last couple years. I think I might start up again because it certainly can't hurt. I think also having your chair (for us manual chair users) set up and customized for you and your center of gravity is a good idea too. If something is somehow not positioned for optimal propulsion, it can definitely cause extra strain for your body. As Blackbird said, our shoulders and arms are not meant to be supporting our weights all the time with transfers either or constant motion with pushing our chairs but we've got no other choice, we rely on our arms and shoulders. Best we can all do is just keep in shape and take care of ourselves.

[wheeliebear75]

My left one has issues sometimes......it got dislocated a few years ago.

Our shoulders take over the work that most people have their legs doing. We do therefore tend to get more injuries and strains as they're used so much more than what was intended by the original manufacturing guidelines. AKA our shoulders were not built to take over but we make due till they give out.

[Bagpuss-wheels]

korrobe, on Feb 27 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

This may have been discussed already, but anyone out there have any shoulder injuries or chronic shoulder problems? A few weeks ago, my ramp out of my house was icy. I slid down and tumbled out of my chair. I stopped myself with my hands. Didn't think much of it until a coupld weeks later when the pain started. Last week I couild barely move due to the pain. Went to the doc and he said I damaged my rotator capsule. Seems that the shoulders are pretty complicated with many moving and static parts. The pain went away with rest and meds. Just hoping it stays away. Anyone else have any experience similar to this?

Hi,

Sorry to hear about your spill and your shoulder injury/problems. Hope your shoulder is settled down now.

I've got chronic shoulder problems - my left shoulder is permanently dislocated (but dislocates further frequently) and my right also dislocates frequently. (The problem being that the more they dislocate, the more they will dislocate!) The difficult thing is to be careful with joints when they are damaged and to avoid putting them under more strain (easier said than done!) I frequently dislocate the other shoulder when the first one is healing because I'm putting the other shoulder under more strain by protecting the shoulder I injured first. My shoulders are giving me increasing pain and I have shoulder braces which I am supposed to wear (but can't because I don't have anyone to put them on me). I am a full-time manual wheelchair user and it is becoming increasingly difficult to push myself. The scoliosis which mainly affects my lumber spine is affecting my thoracic spine where my spine is twisting back as my head is trying to centralise itself over my hips again. (I'm banana shaped sideways and I'm becoming 'S' shaped. It's really causing problems with my shoulders which is really frustrating as my shoulders are bad enough to start with!) One physio practically 'insisted' that I "must have a joystick controlled powerchair". Other consultants and health professionals say I should be pushing myself whenever I can. I have decided to get a new wheelchair with Yamaha JW-II add-on, power-assist wheels to reduce the strain on my shoulders but also to enable me to push myself.

It's difficult to avoid injuries but the thing is that, when an injury happens, rest, but keep gently mobile. If an injury persists beyond a couple of days, it's important to seek advice and, if necessary ask (and ask and sometimes pressure) for physio to learn to protect the joint/muscles and work them back up to full strength. If you are already in pain, sometimes it can be difficult to recognise that you have injured somewhere enough to cause significant injury which will need rehab. The other thing is when you injure somewhere you have reduced or no sensation, it may only be a long while later that you realise that you injured yourself when you look back and realise that you are physically weaker.) Many people won't be able to get access to physio but, if an injury is causing problems, keep on until you get the physio if possible. It's important after an injury to work back to full range of movement without straining or re-damaging joints/muscles etc. (For some people, an osteopath or chiropractor may be as helpful or even more so than a physio - it all depends on whether the person is clued up enough on the particular joint(s) involved and the stresses and strains which we wheelers put our bodies through.)

I caught my front castors in a small gully when trying to get into a building on Monday to get to a meeting. I didn't realise until Tuesday that I had dislocated my left shoulder further when I jerked into the gully as my shoulders were hurting from pushing. My feet had gone flying off my footplate and landed on the ground. Had they not, I would have landed face first on the slabs. (I forgot and did the same on the way out! I then turned round and had to back over it again as I had to do to get in. I had also strained my shoulders having to push all the way round the building (up a fairly steep slope). Annoyingly, I could have been dropped off there instead of the inaccessible front door (which you have to go in, have the door shut behind you and then push round the door! There wasn't enough space for my chair! What was really annoying was that the receptionist was telling me that they had accessibility certificates and that a chap had got in through the door in his 'big chair'! The chap had a powerchair which, whilst it was longer than my chair, was much narrower! I didn't fancy getting stuck and having people manhandle me and dislocate my shoulders (as has happened before!))

Hey Pink Ali,
I do the same with my shoulders (and the scoliosis - it's a case of getting in a position which doesn't aggravate the pain from the scoliosis (where I'm twisting back) but doesn't put too much pressure in the wrong place for my shoulders and dislocate them! )
I'd say do get on to your doctor about it - you may need physio or a shoulder brace or something (perhaps a you need a specialised cushion which gives you the support you need). If you keep putting it off, it won't get any better. Even if you call it "self inflicted", we can't help the strange (and 'wonderful'/weird) things our bodies do so it's not really entirely "self inflicted"!

I know that my pushing technique is not helping my shoulders but, as I've never been taught how to push properly, I just have to get on with it!

Best wishes,

Cat

>v,,^<

[ziggy]

I'm going to the doctor on friday because my left shoulder constantly has been burning for a few months now. I take Oxycodone for my feet and it helps mask the pain in my shoulder, but i'm worried if i put off getting my shoulder looked at that it could get so bad that maybe surgery could get needed and then i'd be f*@ked given my arms are my legs now.

[JT80]

shoulders seem to be common complaints. i dislocated both shoulders a few times pre sci, so they were in pretty bad shape already. pushing a wheelchair has done nothing to improve the situation and my left is worse than the right as left side has less working muscle from sci.
i try to get regular massage/stretching on my shoulders. i also use therabands which are those colour coded resistance bands - its low impact strengthening. both help but pain still there.