I've had problems with my left shoulder on and off for about 12 years now, initially as a swimmer now working as a medic (lifting heavy patients). At the end of February it started to get really tight. Woke up one morning and couldn't even move my arm for a couple hours. Finally went to my PCP when the pain was from my neck to my elbow, down my scapula area, wrapped around my rib cage and up my pectoris. On NSAIDS & muscle relaxer. Referred to awful orthopedic (spent less than 10 min with me btw 2 visits), have had Xrays that showed nothing and today got an "unremarkable rotator cuff MRI". In PT now, therapist calls it tendonitis and impingement syndrome. A month later now it's still hard to move, pops when I do arm circles, cramps up easily, muscle spasms and difficultly lifting heavy things. Are there injuries that don't show up on an MRI? Any advice? I'd like to go back to work in the near future, and swim! I am seeing an second ortho in a couple weeks. Impingement syndrome is a common diagnosis when no tear shows on the MRI for the rotator cuff. Make sure you take your MRI and regular film xrays to the second orthopaedic surgeon. Write a time line of symptoms and treatments for him/her and if it helped or not. I would imagine if you get a half way decent orthopod, you may at least be offered a cortisone injection for the shoulder. Another option might be a diagnostic and surgical arthroscopy of the shoulder. Most of the time, a RTC tear shows as a fluid leak on the MRI, but every once in a while it doesn't show and an arthroscopy is the best way to see exactly what is going on in there. With your medical background you have a good chance of asking pertinent questions and getting the answers you need.Good Luck. |
