UKC

Hi, looking for advice,

Been climbing lots this season (mainly trad), & after a good / not too hard session at Stanage (no issues at all) a week ago, I woke the next day (after a bad /fraught night - no idea why) with a *very* sore upper outer arm (near shoulder) & assumed I’d just slept on it funny.  It felt like someone had clobbered my upper outside arm with a baseball bat. No bruise.

Went for a walk later & pain had eased right off. But the pain returned in anger that evening, & that night was horrible.  Since then, no improvement, every night I wake in pain, can’t find a comfortable position, am on constant painkillers.

Pain can ease in day, esp. if I go for a walk. But in the evening, back it comes.

Obviously, I have not tried any climbing…  I’m supposed to be going to Kalymnos in 4 week’s time, but really is this a show stopper?

All advice gratefully received. I’ve seen a climbing-friendly physio in Sheffield who suspects I’ve got “Wry Neck”, but I’m not so sure now.  I’ve worsened since seeing him, & I think the rehab he gave me was too much, too soon (“shrugging” shoulders up with 2Kg weights in each hand….)

(I had a serious shoulder impingement syndrome over 10 years ago on the other side, which was very bad indeed, & resolved eventually: this isn’t that).

Thanks in advance… oh, and nothing “tore”, “pulled”, “popped”, or “strained”/cramped etc during any climbs I’ve done recently….

Sounds like a tendonitis-esque problem to me based on previous experience but I couldn't say for sure.

4 weeks time could well be enough time for you to recover so I wouldn't be too hasty with writing it off. 

Hope you recover soon

This may or may not be related to your issue but after too much climbing/training I get very sore shoulders, upper arms and elbows, this seems to be related to basically my trapezius getting very tight.  I sort this either by coughing up for some sports massage or rolling around the floor in agony with a lacrosse ball under my traps and stretching. 

I once had an apparently random pain on the outside of my shoulder which came on one morning and stopped me climbing. The physio I went to failed to get to the bottom of it. I went to an osteopath who completely fixed it in about five minutes by releasing a knot of muscle (trapezius) in my upper back just inside my shoulder blade.

that's awesome! I would love to get that result too.  

I felt my physio had sourced my issue, (as "Wry neck" - he said everything pointed to that) (should be c.10 days to resolve); but it's relapsed since then & I guess i have to be patient, then I may try a decent osteopath (having had success with them in Bristol for numerous back issues over the years).

If you're anywhere near Sheffield, can you recommend an osteo? Thanks.

If I get soreness on the outside of my upper arm (not biceps or triceps) then I do TRX exercises, IYT & ITW. That may not fix your issue but probably won’t hurt trying.

The soreness often disappears quite quickly for me. 

Sounds very much like my issue, a good physio, followed up by sports massage (including some acupuncture) sorted me out. 

Unfortunately I'm to lazy to keep up with my stretching and exercises so it re occurs from time to time.

The strong pattern seems to be the way you are sleeping. Have you tried changing mattress and pillow? Could help. Also, see another physio and get a second opinion.

Hope you find a solution, sounds unpleasant. Best wishes.

Ah, interesting. I've had no sore elbows, arms or shoulders all season, nothing until this one-side only upper arm acute pain. I think rolling around on a tennis-type ball is probably a good idea, tho, as Robert mentions trapezius too.... thanks! 

Thanks - yes I'm trying different sleeping positions, to get comfortable, and am hoping this will improve matters at some point, but so far not much joy! (weirdly, last night i found I could lie right ON TOP of it, & no pain.... well, reduced pain ...)

Generally, I've added 2 pillows & am dropping off (usually slightly doped up) "sitting" slightly "up" on my back, with painful arm lying loosely & out of the way.  Not 100% good tho.  

In reply to kaiser:

Here you go - hot off the press!  https://youtu.be/wdzgGu4hYGY?si=oN6ZD2bZgCnFg3Ls 

I deleted my earlier post as I'd mucked up the quotes

Having seen the video, IMV you've got a rotator cuff injury - a tear probably.    Had that movement been slightly (or increasingly) painful for a while?

No - i climbed the day before & (now I think about it), did do two roues with BIG left arm laybacks, but no pain at the time & no pain that evening. In the night, i had a "disturbed" one (thrashed around a lot, bad dreams) & in the morning - in a bad way, & no improvement since then, sadly.  

Any ideas on rotator cuff? I guess i need to get this looked at (again)

Specifically, this sounds like your injury

https://www.physio-pedia.com/Infraspinatus_Test

Good video - thanks! 

Hmm yeah close, but I can resist pressure on the external rotation - it's only when i get to a certain angle the pain kicks in.  

But it may yet be the infraspinatus.  I need to see another pro ..... 

You tell in your profile of a history of severe muscular skeletal issues.

So you will know how super-sensitised to pain regions can become without any obvious strain or overuse.

And also know how they can send you on goose chases for causes.

But without necessarily solving them permanently, usually you can get a lot of relief from good solid ( knowledgeable) massage. (As has been mentioned above.)

So maybe spend some of the £50+ you might spend on another physio (possibly with yet another pet theory), on a good back/neck massage. And see how it goes. 

It can't hurt. Well actually...but it could give you some relief and more ideas to think about.

A good massage pro should detect if you really do have an injury. But you will know best. And you suspect that you don't.

Bon courage!

Thank you Bruce - yeah, a really knowledgeable climber friend of mine (who climbs much harder & has a long history of shoulder injuries too....) has recommended a skilled massage therapist, so it's certainly something I would consider. 

I'll see what physio no 2 says tomorrow. It's not any old physio, I've known her (through elite orienteering) for decades, & she is very well regarded, and rang me last night on her time off to talk about this & promise to assess FULLY.