shoulder impact

Hi,
Five weeks ago I fell and guess I put my arm out to stop the fall, I ended up on my back. The resultant agony in my shoulder is ongoing. I am 59 and have some arthritis problem in the same shoulder. I read with interest posts about treatment,scans and sports therapists and am surprised there is little advice on self help.

I try pushing the hanging arm against a door both to the front and the side. This has totally improved movement, however if the elbow points out I cannot move at all.

Anything pushing my shoulder forward, for example lying on my back or lounging!! results in increasing discomfort. A lot of movement is restricted for example I cannot lift a shirt over my head.

I am trying movements to loosen the joint but have no idea of an exercise routine; all I achieve is agony as often it clicks painfully as though its dislocating. It seems some movement/exercise is actually counter productive. Sometimes I get to a point where it feels as if the joint has dislocated, jammed a nerve and is sending electric shocks running up and down my arm. This can all be resolved by sitting straight or standing relaxed and allowing everything to fall into a natural position.

A doctor said rest it. Xray is clear.

Please can someone advise me if there is a sequence of exercise routines I can adopt to progressively improve without being counterproductive?

Hi

The reason you cannot find much about self-help is that many people do not advocate this due to the possiblility of making things worse and advising you should have professional help.

I do generally agree with this view, however if it is just not possible to see a physiotherapist or similar professional then there may be a few things you can do yourself.

Have a look at these pages to learn more...
shoulder Pain

Wow Heidi, shoulder injuries carry a lot of jargon. I guess I have to go back to my osteopath. He is a surgeon but not great on the communication. He asked me what the problem was then later turned to my wife for clarification...

meanwhile I continue pushing at the door frame forwards and sideways...
Thanks for your time...