In the middle of the night I had a hard time getting our generator started. It took a change of the spark plug, starting fluid and many pulls on the 30 year old ten horse Briggs & Stratton before I had the lights back on.
The next day my shoulder was sore but not debilitating. I did some repair work on our house and one of the neighbors roof without any difficulty. The next day my shoulder was still stiff but working OK. I broke out my two old Stihl chainsaws to cut up the large tree that was still on my other neighbors back deck and had done a lot of damage.
The tree was over 100 feet tall and over 3 feet in diameter at the base of the trunk. I hadn't started my chainsaws up for about a year, so they needed starting fluid and a lot of pulls to get them going. The cord on the one with the 30 inch bar kicked back hard on several occasions. But I was able to section the tree into many small pieces over several hours and a few chain sharpening's.
That night I started having severe right shoulder pain. By the next morning I couldn't lift my right hand above my head or take a T-shirt off and on without assistance. It wasn't just the pain which limited my motion, I literally had to lift my right arm with my left arm. My right arm had become almost completely useless. I would not have believed it if it had not happened to me. It turns out that you are more likely to tear things up in your shoulder if it is inflamed from previous activities.
Now several days and a lot of Tylenol later; things seem like they are starting to heal up, but it gave me quite a wake up.
Join the club.
I had rotator cuff surgery about 4 months ago. As good as new now, after about 10 saga-filled months after the injury (a hard fall on the ice).
I suggest an orthopedic doctor or surgeon. The problem may be rather simple compared to the intense pain. Coincidentally I got my shoulder cortisone injection this AM. It took 10 minutes. In and out.
Push ups are your friend.
My advice
I am 68. I now do stretching before I start even simple yard chores. The more I age, the more I stretch before. It seems to minimize especially those shoulder problems like yours.
Or you go to Home Depot and hire a bunch of low cost Mexicans off the parking lot (wink)
Simply FYI: From October, 2017 to January, 2018 I underwent radiation therapy and chemotherapy for lung cancer. The cancer got zapped but one of the side-effects of the chemo is that both of my shoulders now suffer from the same thing you have described. It is known by medical professionals at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center that this is an ongoing problem. Sometimes the symptoms go away. Other times one is stuck with the shoulder problems forever. In my case it seems that I am stuck with the problem forever.
About ten years ago I was walking my dog on Harstine Island and slipped on wet steps, dislocating my shoulder and fracturing the socket. Had to wear a sling while it healed up but it’s never going to be the same. At 66, I realize the Mariners likely won’t be calling me up.
“I literally had to lift my right arm with my left arm.”
Most likely it’s a repetitive-use injury, but I did want to mention that maybe you should see a rheumatologist to rule out rheumatoid arthritis.
I have had RA for years, and your description of how things progressed with your pain sounds like my experience after long hours of anything repetitive, such as typing or painting, etc. - right down to having to lift your injured arm with the other.
Read up on anti-inflammatory foods (stop eating wheat too)
Also eat JELLO.
I had a similar problem- it’s gone 100% by doing what I told you
Oh, my. I hope it heals up on its own, but expect some medical treatment might be needed down the line.
Sorry to hear about the storm issues and now this!
This may really help a lot:
A daily dose of tumeric/curcumin, mixed with black pepper.
You make it like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXhZuootPQs
take 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon every morning ( bigger you are the more you take) After a week your shoulder pain may gradually disappear.Mine did. And I use my shoulders they way I always have ( zen archery).
This tumeric remedy works for me.
Taking skullcap at night will keep it from stiffening up like that. There’s also TENS units available for around $35, they help a LOT with the pain!
I have around 70% use of my left shoulder, and about 10% use of my right. Better than it used to be, but still. I have to get creative sometimes when I have to lift something.
Years ago, I had an older sister who over a short time developed excruciating shoulder pains. Her doctor was mystified and they couldn’t find anything wrong. Fortunately, she got talking to her dentist who told her it was her wisdom teeth. She had them removed and the pain went away instantly....
"...shoulder injuries, discomfort, and inflammation..."
Two whiplashes. It’s really hard to find a good chiropractor or physical therapist. I use homeopathic remedies for recurring pain. Arnica gel or cream on the site, dissolve a couple of arnica tabs under your tongue.
I always prefer trying the simplest solution first.
Beware frozen shoulder syndrome... Had problems for a couple of months right shoulder...if I held my arm straight out to my side,I could not raise my arm....if I held it straight out in front of me..no problem. Don’t wait it will always get worst. Go for physical therapy
6 years ago, my much abused right rotator cuff went bonkers re the pain.
Turned out, at age 74 I didn’t have a right rotator cuff any after a MRI and an Xray series was done on that shoulder.
My option was a steroid shot into where my former rotator cuff used to live or a complex surgery.
I opted for the steroid shot and PT.
The shot lasts about 12 months and now at age 80, I have a little more common sense re what not to do and what to do with that shoulder and how to use PT.
We know a lot of people in their late 50’s or early 60’s who have had successful rotator cuff restorative surgery. Make sure that your surgeon has a record of over 50 operations and does them on a regular basis with a regular surgery team and PT followup.
If he t was a torn rotator cuff you wouldn’t be healing this quickly.! I had one and it took weeks to get pain free.
Get to the doctor ASAP, and favor it in the meantime. He should refer you to an orthopedic doctor who will treat you by non-surgical means, IF POSSIBLE, and/or a physical therapist, or an orthopedic surgeon who will treat you by surgical means. At some point along the way at least one of the above, probably the first orthopedic guy/lady you see, will want an MRI of your shoulder so be prepared for that.
Doing push-ups, etc, will only serve to aggravate torn shoulder muscles.
BTW until you get in to see your doctor, I've been told that Tylenol is the best OTC anti-inflammatory and pain relief for this type of injury.
Again, I'm not a medical professional but from what I hear you saying it's almost exactly the same experience as mine.
Good luck with it.
Bkmrk
Lift weights. Especially upper body. You don’t have to power lift; just do a lot of reps with 10 pounders.
Your traps, pecs, biceps and deltoid muscles hold all of your upper body joints together. If those muscles are not tight and toned, your joints are free to travel, particularly in a fall or with occasional stress like cleaning the garage or shoveling snow. This results in damage to connective tissue and a whopping bill from the surgeon.
So grab some small weights and work up to a couple hundred reps per muscle group. Your shirts will fit differently too, which is nice.