Very weird shoulder issue (pic attached).

I dont know why, but I can raise but left should bone/ muscle (what ever it is), i have full control over it, yet nothing on my right arm. My left shoulder also has problems with clicking I have only just noticed this, but had the clicking for a year.

It seems as though something is dislocating but totally painless, but yet I still have full ROM in my left arm while holding this position. It is totally impossible with my right side.

Normal/relaxed:
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/2479/dsc00059eb.jpg

Tensing this thing:
http://img837.imageshack.us/img837/5128/dsc00060bx.jpg

It looks even worse from side on but cant take a picture.
Help me out guys, seems like the shoulder blade but yet its soft, feels like muscle that isn't attached to anything. I have no idea.

edit: after looking at it from side on it seems as though the should blade is indeed protruding when tensed.

Hello- well I am not really sure what you are saying about the range of movement re left and right shoulders....

But I will tell you that I have the same lump on my left shoulder. For me I only discovered it about a month ago because normally my left shoulder drops back (behind) so it is normally not visible. But if I pull imy shoulder forward to where I think it should be (to make the 2 clavicles in line) and hold in my core, then this mound appears. I have looked in mirrors etc and the scalupa in back appears higher. The mound is attached to the scapula. I think this mound is the leavator scapulae but I am not a PT.

Do you talk a lot on a regular phone by cradling it in your shoulder?

I too would be interested in hearing what a PT has to say about this.

I am seeing a PT this week and if I have time I will ask here about it.

If I were you I would pursue this.

I might try posting a picture of mine in a few minutes- I'll see how complicated it is to do- ya forget it, my camera batteries just died.

But I wanted to add that I fell forward on a staright arm rollerblading a few years ago- maybe you sustained a similar injury at some point?

Guys back after 2 months, visited doctors who think its a lipoma(wrong!!!) and havent seen anything like it...
Ive got some more info for you guys.
1)it is winged scapula
2)only sticks out if I straighten my arm and tense peck, no other motion makes it poke out,
3)shoulder painlessly clicks (very noticable) when doing lateral raises, are they related?
4)Remember straining same should when I was 15 doing lateral raises in the wrong movement.

Any ideas?</pre>

For me it looks like it is the left one with the issue, which is probably a nerve palsy for some reason. Why not take a video and put it on youtube and link to it in the post. Get a friend to video you from the front and back whilst shoulder shrugging and also show us your back from a push up (shirt off) so we can see any winging.

PhysioBob,

I couldn't agree more. Video would help. I've had to sort out a couple of shoulder issues that were similar, but to try and figure it out from two still photos is not likely to happen. One client who's shoulder did that had and unstable SC joint and not a great AC joint. The "deformity" that occurred when he protracted and tensed his pects, was pretty much muscle and scapula (although out of its usual place with very abnormal muscle tone), not anything that couldn't be identified with palpation and joint play. This client could click his shoulder at will.

Hope it goes well for you Andy1992.

Braedan
Canuck Clinician from Total Outcomes Physio Surrey!

Hi, thanks for the replies, videos here:

Shrugging:



Press ups:



The videos not the best as its early morning so noones around.
I saw a doctor yesterday and he told me that it could well be a nerve or a tendon but it is best to leave it be as he told me that any correction would be surgical and not worth it (could make it worse), he told me. The other doctor who saw it thought it was a lipoma:eek: and ive got a scan at the hospital with them on friday.
To me it doesnt seem to wing from press ups (I can usually feel it as it tightens the skin) or the usual test of pushing against a wall and I dont seem to have the shoulder weakness (is there a test for that?).
Thanks in advance.

andy,

I looked at the videos and from what I could see from them, they looked pretty normal to me. Maybe a hint of dysfunction with your left scap. About your doc doing he scan, let him, its his job to rule out structural/ medical issues. As far as tests for the scapula, the ones that i would use would be manual (with my hands). A lot of the time it is easier to feel a problem than it is to see it.

Good luck.

Canuck Clinician from Total Outcomes Physio Surrey!

Thanks for the videos. Unfortunately someone needs to take the shrugging ones at should height horizontal to the shoulder blades. If you look very closely you can see perhaps something is wrong on the shrug but the angle makes it look almost normal

The Winging video needs to be in the centre of the spine from above the shoulder blades. Being off to the side we can't see what's happening on the left side and therefore it also appears normal. I'd suggest you get a friend to assist.

Also a video of you slowly lifting the arms forward above the head (from in front and behind) and any way to do a dip exercise and should us would also help us assess you scapular control in scapula depression.