Last summer my arm and shoulder started botherng me so much that I had to give up canning. It got progressively worse until last month when stubborn-old-me went to the doctor. I saw a nurse practicioner (sp?) who diagnosed it as an injured rotator cuff. I received anti-inflammatory drugs and was told to use Tylonol. Since then, for the past three weeks, I have been going to physical therapy three times a week. I'm also been told to ice it. Today, I cancelled any more therapy as yesterdays was excruciating. I will be seeing a doctor on the 23rd of this month.

For some background,this is my left arm, I am left handed and use a cane with that arm. I've blamed this trouble on 50 years of over-use. I had polio and have used my arms to compensate for any weakness in my lower extremities.

My question is, in your opinion, would it be a bad idea to apply heat and cold alternatively? Any heat feels so soothing, but I know that heat isn't suppoesed to be used on an inflammation. The ice packs do seem to help but they don't give any long lasting relief. Any comments would be appreciated.

-- Ardie /WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002

Answers

Ardie-What the Doctor told me today was that the heat FEELS better but the coldness is actually what relieves the swelling and pain. She recommended using heat and cold alternativly-fifteen minunts each, three times a day. I certainly don't think it would hurt anything to at least give it a try. I truly hope it helps you.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), January 15, 2002.

OH Ardie, I fel so badly for you! My husband had this and it took a year to get over it. He couldn't raise his arm even level with his shoulder. He used lots of ice, and Aleve seemed to help when he couldn;t stand the pain. He doesn't normally take any medications.

I think it took so long to heal becasue he kept working, couldn't afford to take any time off. So hopefully it won't take that long for yours to heal. He was dragging around those huge concrete saws, some with 40 inch blades when he injured his.

-- Melissa (me@home.net), January 15, 2002.

Ardie

The therapist should be able to give you a sheet with exercises to do to strengthen you muscles. Problem is it might hurt so much right now that it would hurt to do them. They are things like laying down and moving your arm from your waist to out in the air, and back.

Hope it gets better.

-- Rick (Rick_122@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

Rick, yes, I have exercises to do at home and I have been very good about doing them. I may mutter under my breath, but I do them! LOL!

-- Ardie /WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), January 15, 2002.

Forgive me for posting without first introducing myself, but this was a timely post as I had a MRI of my left shoulder today. I fell at work on a slippery floor on my left side, and my left shoulder and arm have gotten continually worse. The DR. gave me an injection a month after my injury, but it is hurting again, so he sent me for an MRI. The rotator cuff is not torn, he said it is probably bruised, and physical therapy is in store for me. Is your rotator cuff torn? If it is, the only thing to fix it eventually is surgery, and even then it takes six months or so to restore to full function. Ice does help more than heat, but you are right, it is only temporary. Keeping the muscles strong is essential, so strengthening excercises should help. Please be careful about combining ibuprofen and tylenol over an extensive time, it could cause kidney and liver damage. I work in a surgery center, and have to be really careful about lifting anything or anyone heavy, or reaching overhead, it seems to exacerbate the pain. The pain for me gets worse at night, I finally started taking ibuprofen right before bed to get some sleep. The injection (bupivicaine and depo-medrol) helped for about six weeks, and only three lifetime injections are recommended as it actually thins and weakens the tissues surrounding the bone. If it helps, I know what you are going through!

-- Gina NM (inhock@pvtnetworks.net), January 15, 2002.