• Please be sure to read the rules and adhere to them. Some banned members have complained that they are not spammers. But they spammed us. Some even tried to redirect our members to other forums. Duh. Be smart. Read the rules and adhere to them and we will all get along just fine. Cheers. :beer: Link to the rules: https://www.forumsforums.com/threads/forum-rules-info.2974/

Torn rotator cuff? Muscle? Ouch!!!

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Oh the pitiful life of an aging fencing coach.

Yesterday started having pain. Last night was unbearable. Prescription pain meds did nothing. Bourbon did nothing. Sleep didn't happen.

Called my specialist today ... he's on vacation. Got his partner, he ran me thought a series of over-the-phone tests. Satisfied that it is not an infection, he figures I tore something. Scheduled an ultra-sound and told me to try heat, or ice, or an electronic tens unit, or ibuprofen, alcohol or some combination of all those, anything to make it through the day. Rest, don't use my arm.

Lots of visitors on the way, my brother is bringing an arm sling along with a pie and a side dish :sad:

This could be a loooong fencing season if I can't use my right arm.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
You have my sympathy. :ermm:

I fell off my trailer last year (which was odd since I was sober at the time) and tore my own left rotator cuff. Took a month before the symptoms began. Idiopathic pains in the elbow, arm, hand, wrist, and shoulder. General weakness of the limb. No sleep at nite.

The sling won't help. Get a brace (about $60 ) and take pain meds only at nite time. You need to feel the pain or you might re injure the cuff possibly making full recovery impossible.

I have had some friends do well with platelet therapy.

Recovery can take six months or more. Avoid surgery if you can. Sorry to hear the bad news.
 

road squawker

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
... Got his partner... told me to try heat, or ice, .....


Heat or Ice???????????????:doh:


Don't apply heat, Apply ice for 15-20-minute periods at least three times a day............ and REST, REST, REST.

most of these injuries can be treated via non surgical methods.


good luck
 

tiredretired

The Old Salt
SUPER Site Supporter
I'm no doctor so any medical advice i could offer is worthless.

However, the Bourbon my be your best short term solution if even prescription pain meds aren't touching it.

Maybe too old now to try keeping up with 16 year old fencers?
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
Road Squawker is right. Use Cold to keep inflammation down. Although a heat pad at bedtime will improve circulation and your ability to sleep.

Go easy on the pain Meds. Pain is Mother Nature's way of telling you that you are too old to do this sh!t.
 

NorthernRedneck

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
Oh the pitiful life of an aging fencing coach.

Yesterday started having pain. Last night was unbearable. Prescription pain meds did nothing. Bourbon did nothing. Sleep didn't happen.

Called my specialist today ... he's on vacation. Got his partner, he ran me thought a series of over-the-phone tests. Satisfied that it is not an infection, he figures I tore something. Scheduled an ultra-sound and told me to try heat, or ice, or an electronic tens unit, or ibuprofen, alcohol or some combination of all those, anything to make it through the day. Rest, don't use my arm.

Lots of visitors on the way, my brother is bringing an arm sling along with a pie and a side dish :sad:

This could be a loooong fencing season if I can't use my right arm.
Not to laugh at your pain but I immediately thought of this......

https://youtu.be/k7zvffHu_wo

.......when I read the last sentence. You might have to learn to use the other hand for a while. Hope it gets better soon.

living the dream
 

pirate_girl

legendary ⚓
GOLD Site Supporter
Road Squawker is right. Use Cold to keep inflammation down. Although a heat pad at bedtime will improve circulation and your ability to sleep.

Go easy on the pain Meds. Pain is Mother Nature's way of telling you that you are too old to do this sh!t.

What Dr. Franc said.:biggrin:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
...Pain is Mother Nature's way of telling you that you are too old to do this sh!t.
No way I can keep up with others who are my age or older, nor close to those who are not novices, my arthritis sees to that and leaves me with plenty of aches and pains. Its not age, its general pain from my Rheumatoid Arthritis that has its boot on my neck holding me down.

...Maybe too old now to try keeping up with 16 year old fencers?
I teach mostly novices and as long as their parents sign waivers allowing me to beat the kids about the head with a metal rod I'll be there to provide that desperately needed service :hammer:
 

MrLiberty

Bronze Member
Site Supporter
Mother Nature must have been in a really bad mood when she came up with RA. I have it too, and sometimes the pain is almost unbearable. :sad:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Doctor called me back to follow up.

Happy to report that my should is in less pain. Wore a sling all day yesterday. All day again today. Did my best not to lift anything, to do anything, and to, in anyway cause myself pain.

Infection is ruled out. Ultra-sound will confirm or refute a tear. I still think it is an acute flair up of my Rheumatoid Arthritis but we shall see.
 

zekeusa

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I am going through the same thing on my right shoulder. Almost in tears this morning.....
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I am going through the same thing on my right shoulder. Almost in tears this morning.....

That is the way I was Wednesday evening, night and into Thursday morning. Got quite a bit of pain relief from an Omron Pain Relief Pro unit (available at Walgreens, etc for about $35). Pain level dropped to about 30% of what it was. Today its back up, a little bit, maybe 50% of what it was but its manageable. I think I over did it a bit yesterday and am paying the price again today but I've got the little Omron 'shocking' my arm/shoulder now to get some relief.

Doctor told me to take a combination of 2 Aleve 3 times a day (8 hour intervals) plus Tylenol (not to exceed 3000mg in 24 hours). He did caution not to take Tylenol if I have alcohol or any liver issues so I was not having an bourbon!
 

zekeusa

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
I'm going to get one of those at Wallgreens. I can barely stand it this morning. Thanks a bunch!!
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'm going to get one of those at Wallgreens. I can barely stand it this morning. Thanks a bunch!!

They work for some people, not for others. But when they work they work well :wink:
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Going to the doctor late this afternoon for the ultra-sound tests.

My shoulder is in far less pain than when this adventure started. Two points of pain. One in the shoulder blade area of my back. The other in the biceps area of my arm. Lifting the arm is the worst thing I can do. Today I can actually do that.

But I've done my best to do as little as possible for the past 4 days. It was impossible to lift my arm on Wednesday or Thursday. Friday the pain was dramatically reduced, ditto on Saturday. I helped a bit with the Christmas tree on Saturday. Sunday my shoulder pain came back but was manageable, mostly rested again Sunday but I did change a couple light bulbs and help again with the Christmas tree. Manageable pain this morning.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
Going to the doctor late this afternoon for the ultra-sound tests.

My shoulder is in far less pain than when this adventure started. Two points of pain. One in the shoulder blade area of my back. The other in the biceps area of my arm. Lifting the arm is the worst thing I can do. Today I can actually do that.

But I've done my best to do as little as possible for the past 4 days. It was impossible to lift my arm on Wednesday or Thursday. Friday the pain was dramatically reduced, ditto on Saturday. I helped a bit with the Christmas tree on Saturday. Sunday my shoulder pain came back but was manageable, mostly rested again Sunday but I did change a couple light bulbs and help again with the Christmas tree. Manageable pain this morning.

A torn rotator cuff will not heal itself. Use of the muscles may promote further injury.


Until you get a diagnosis,,,,,, STOP USING THE ARM!

Sling it and wrap it to you body or get a brace.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Got the results back.

I did not tear/injure my rotator cuff. I just tore a muscle.

Good news is that the doctor said it will heal if I give it enough rest.

I explained that I teach saber fencing and beating children with a steel rod is part of my daily routing. Sadly I cannot do that for the next few weeks. He wants me to give my arm a rest. Weeks worth of rest. We have 3 weeks of practices until Christmas break, then 2 weeks of break before the next practice. My arm gets 5 weeks of break from fencing practice, 3 weeks of break until I do household chores.

He said surgery is NOT even an option, which is wonderful news.

He offered cortisone shots, which I vetoed. Had those before for my arthritis and wanted to kill my doctor. He said they are better at it now. I don't much care. It hurt like hell. But the reality is the cortisone will mask the pain, which will allow me to continue to injure the problem area, so embracing the pain is actually a better option as that will allow me to avoid it ... because it hurts like hell.
 

MrLiberty

Bronze Member
Site Supporter
Got the results back.

I did not tear/injure my rotator cuff. I just tore a muscle.

Good news is that the doctor said it will heal if I give it enough rest.

I explained that I teach saber fencing and beating children with a steel rod is part of my daily routing. Sadly I cannot do that for the next few weeks. He wants me to give my arm a rest. Weeks worth of rest. We have 3 weeks of practices until Christmas break, then 2 weeks of break before the next practice. My arm gets 5 weeks of break from fencing practice, 3 weeks of break until I do household chores.

He said surgery is NOT even an option, which is wonderful news.

He offered cortisone shots, which I vetoed. Had those before for my arthritis and wanted to kill my doctor. He said they are better at it now. I don't much care. It hurt like hell. But the reality is the cortisone will mask the pain, which will allow me to continue to injure the problem area, so embracing the pain is actually a better option as that will allow me to avoid it ... because it hurts like hell.


When I was having a never ending attacks of gout I was glad to get the cortisone shot. Gout is the most painful thing I have ever had and the shots stopped the pain in as little as a day and a half. Now I am on allopurinol and that helps prevent the build up of uric acid levels.

I understand that your situation is different, masking the pain of a torn muscle is something you don't want to hide. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and ice on the affected area is the best treatment that I know of, and rest the affected area as much as possible.
 

zekeusa

Bronze Member
SUPER Site Supporter
Well that's good news you didn't tear your cuff! Can you fence with the other arm?
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Well that's good news you didn't tear your cuff! Can you fence with the other arm?

NOPE. Not coordinated enough to fence lefty.

But I already warned one of my fencers that she will be demonstrating/helping me with the others on the team.

And in the mean time I get to hang out at the cigar lounge and rest my arm for a few weeks :clap:





When I was having a never ending attacks of gout I was glad to get the cortisone shot. Gout is the most painful thing I have ever had and the shots stopped the pain in as little as a day and a half. Now I am on allopurinol and that helps prevent the build up of uric acid levels.

I understand that your situation is different, masking the pain of a torn muscle is something you don't want to hide. Aspirin, ibuprofen, and ice on the affected area is the best treatment that I know of, and rest the affected area as much as possible.

They told me a combination of Tylenol + Aleve. Ice. Rest.
 

FrancSevin

Proudly Deplorable
GOLD Site Supporter
:clap: After suffering six months of pain, with at least three more to go, and very limited use of my left arm,,,,; let me say with all due respect and authority, I'm very glad to hear it is not a Torn Rotator Cuff.
 
Top