Shoulder pain

[Ben F.]

I saw HighElf's post on Achilles tendon pain and I wanted to know if anyone else out there has had chronic pain in the shoulders due to kendo. I train/teach four nights a week in addition to my aikido study and have been getting a lot of pain on the outside of the shoulder. Is that a rotator cuff problem? Raising my hands above my shoulders, a la jodan, and keeping them there is also quite painful.

Thoughts?

[Neil Gendzwill]

Pain on the outside of the shoulder could be a rotator cuff injury. I base this on the statistically insignificant sample of one (namely me). I have some pain there and according to my doctor it is tendonitis in the rotator cuff.

Having said that, see a doctor! Asking for medical advice in a discussion forum is like asking for legal advice in a bar.

[Old Warrior]

"Having said that, see a doctor! Asking for medical advice in a discussion forum is like asking for legal advice in a bar."

Hey, I give some of my best legal advice in bars. And it's ALWAYS worth what's being paid for it.

[kendomushi]

And how much is a beer in Korea these days OW?

A pint of guinness here is 890 Yen (@$7.70 US) and its not even a real pint.

Shoulder pain of the type you describe Ben could very likely be a rotator cuff problem. But the time to find out by going to a doctor is now! Not when it gets worse and you can't even lift your arms to jodan.

[Old Warrior]

"And how much is a beer in Korea these days OW?"

I don't know, but in Norwood, New Jersey I can buy a six pack of Bass Ale for $7.

[kendomushi]

Just not fair.

[Ben F.]

Thanks for the information. I have been doing some reading on webmd.com and have made an appt. with my doc.

Better not be anything serious... (he says greedily clutching his shinai.)

[kendomushi]

Ganbatte Ben!

[mark]

Hi Ben,
While you are waiting for your doctor to diagnose your injury, you should also rest, ice, stretch, and strenghthen the shoulder. Elastic bands can be used in a soft stretching and strenghthening workout to maximize your range of motion. If a movement or stretch hurts, stop immediately. We always do that don't we!
Don't be surprised if you have to visit several doctors. Try to find one that specializes in shoulder sports injuries. I went through half a dozen doctors before a specialist discovered that a few of the tendons attached to my acromion had started to calcify as a result of compensating for a small tear in my rotator cuff.
If the pain persists and your doctors don't seem to help, you might also have to start reading up on your own to give them a hand. I found a book by Nicholas & Hershman The Upper Extremity in Sports Medecine, Mosby publications to be extremely useful. Unfortunately, it runs some 900 pages, cost 300$, is hard to find, and is written for doctors.

Good luck
Mark

[Ben F.]

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions. I did see my doc and he said there was no tear at this time. Just overuse and probably some tendonitis. He gave me 6 weeks of physical therapy and told me to take ibuprofen 3x per day.

I will go through the PT and see what happens. A little bit of rest seems to have helped too as it has not been as painful lately.

Thanks again for the advice, humor and sympathy. Nice place this forum...

[roc_kendo]

Good luck Ben!

I had rotator cuff injury when I practice Kirikaeshi in Winter...
It took me 5 months to recover and a lot of money paid to Chiro. Dr... :p

The problem was that I didn't warm(or strech) my body before practice..

Hope all is well with you. ;)


Enjoy Kendo!

[Ben F.]

Thanks to all for the kind support.

I have been not doing the Kumdo equivalent of kirakaeshi (sp) called Sam Dan Jak, Ie Dan Jak, Il Dan Jak with my own students. Not doing that 150 cut sequence 4-6 times per week has made a significant difference.

I have also been sitting out of backward rolls during aikido training so I am not slamming my shoulder into the mat and then pushing my (all too large) bulk over it, grinding my shoulder into the mat.

Taking my ibuprofen, scheduling my PT, stretching more than usual and taking it a bit easier.

All is well for now...

[kendomushi]

Glad to hear you are doing better Ben. Just remember when you want to get back into everything, don't do it. Step things up slowly, a little at a time. That way you hopefully will avoid a repeat.
Good luck.