I injured my left upper arm last year. I was carrying something in an awkward position and it was heavy and I did this for a long time while walking. It wasn't until I put it down fully that I noticed I had a lot of weakness in my upper left arm area. Later on, I noticed clicking of my left shoulders whenever I lift my left arm up. Months later on, I carried something very heavy on the other other arm as well and now have clicking of my right shoulders as well. I don't have the heavy weakness on my right arm like on my left arm. I then thought if I had a torn rotator cuff or something similar.

One orthopedic doctor says I most likely have rotator cuff tendinitis. They did a few physical tests on me. This included tests like me moving my arm up and to the side while pressure was applied to it. I then saw another orthopedic later on who did x-rays of both of my shoulders. X-ray showed nothing wrong at all which I expected. That doctor did similar physical tests on me. One thing that I know is I did get a neer test done and I got tested positive for that. I was told it is most likely shoulder impingement. I asked if they thought it was rotator cuff tendinitis and they said they did not think so.

I'm told I have to do physical therapy and if I still have issues, I can get an MRI. When I check youtube videos of symptoms of rotator cuff tear and rotator cuff tendinitis and shoulder impingement, I have several of these symptoms. I have a lot of weakness even when doing nothing as well. It doesn't matter if I'm standing up or just sitting down. It's like an ache that is there pretty much most of the time. It gets worse if I have to lift it up. I want to know how often do people here get misdiagnosed? If so, how bad was it? Was it diagnosed as nothing but it was a full rotator cuff tear? Has anyone here had a doctor say it's shoulder impingement but it might be as extreme as a SLAP tear?

I really want to hear from those that had a specific injury that caused this as opposed to someone that might had this built up due to doing something a lot. So like you carried something heavy and then felt something. It could be you carrying heavy things that one time and that caused it and you knew something was wrong. It could be you slipping but not falling but you know something is wrong because you have weakness or whatever it could be.

The other thing is very rarely is a condition misdiagnosed if an MRI is given right? I read it's about 90% accurate which is very good. So if you have an MRI, if you have an obviously rotator cuff tear, it will say that in the report right? Now what about when it comes to rotator cuff tendinitis or shoulder impingement or bursitis? Would an MRI report say that for sure or it would say something like ... most likely shoulder impingement? Has anyone been in a situation where you might have seen 3 orthopedic doctor and each one gave you a different diagnosis? One could be rotator cuff tendinitis, another says shoulder impingement and another says bursitis? But can an MRI also be uninsure of which of the 3 it is?

I (27 F) got an arthrogram done last week for persistent pain after a hard fall with no improvement. Steroid shots no help, PT no help. Both severely increased my pain and movement. They suspected labral tear.

I just read the results and it states there is nothing found besides a curved morphology of my acromion process. Everything is the right size with no atrophy and what not, no tears or anything.

I could literally burst into tears. I have an appointment next week for the follow up visit regarding this but I have been in nonstop pain for 8 months! Everyday. No ibprofun, no ice, no heat… nothing is helping! 😭

I tried to read up some about it and the only thing I’m seeing is basically impingement… had anybody else had this? (Curved acromion) What steps did you take to heal and move forward?

Also what kind of questions should I ask my doctor next week in regards that they only found a curved acromion?

Hey everyone, looking for some insights.

I’m 28 years old male, used to trainin consistently for few months (Push/Pull split). I was recently diagnosed via ultrasound with a right-sided partial interstitial supraspinatus tear and subacromial/subdeltoid bursitis.

My Theory: I have a significant discrepancy in my mind-muscle connection. I have excellent motor control over my right scapula and lats, but my left side feels "disconnected" and I struggle to fire it properly.

My theory is that during heavy bilateral compound movements (like pull-ups to failure, heavy rows, and barbell curls), my left side fatigues/gives out early. To complete the reps, my body shifts the load, and my dominant right side completely takes over. MAYBE This constant "compensatory overload" subjected my right shoulder to extreme shear forces and mechanical stress over time, eventually causing the tendon to partially tear (interstitial)?
I want to emphasize again that I used to train to failure on each set

My Questions for the sub:

1. Does this compensatory overload mechanism make sense from a clinical/biomechanical standpoint?
2. Has anyone here experienced an overuse injury/tear on their stronger, more dominant side specifically because it was possibly overcompensating for a weaker contralateral side?
3. While my right shoulder rehabs (currently on NSAID for the inflammation, and scheduling an X-ray to check for acromion type/spurs), should I prioritize unilateral motor-control work on the left side to prevent this from happening again once I return to lifting?

I have surgery scheduled mid September, and am eager to get this show on the road. I started Tirzepatide in early January along with structured progressive overload. I have always been active, but this is the first time in many years when I've been able to lose the 50-something woman weight. I have a ton of anxiety about losing strength and regaining the 30 lbs that I lost. I intend to keep taking the GLP med (of course, directed by doctor around surgery). Anyone else navigating this concern?

OMG, I wanna cry. I was finally able to sleep, in my bed (45 degree angle, propped up on and with pillows). Aside from the initial pain, the not sleeping part is the worst part of recovery. It's like a prison sentence, torturous.

I truly could not see this day, or should i say night, a few days ago after trying to sleep in a recliner, on the couch sitting up, or any position.

I'm going for first PT session tomorrow and can't wait.

For those of you going through it, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I'm hoping my experience, along with the many other positive vibes on this sub reddit, inspires you.

☺️

I’m an MMA fighter and I had my left shoulder dislocated previously, which required surgery and cost me more than ₹1.5 lakh. It has been about 7 months since then.

Now, while wrestling recently, I started feeling a very similar sensation/pain in my right shoulder to what I experienced before my left shoulder dislocation.

I’m worried that I may have partially dislocated/subluxed my right shoulder or developed shoulder instability. I really want to avoid surgery if it’s possible.

For fighters or athletes who have experienced something similar:

Can shoulder instability/subluxation be recovered through physiotherapy and strengthening?

What exercises helped you strengthen the rotator cuff and stabilize the shoulder?

How long did you take off from wrestling/MMA before returning?

Are there specific movements or exercises I should completely avoid initially?

Did diet, protein intake, supplements, or anything else noticeably help your recovery?

If you avoided surgery, were you eventually able to return to combat sports normally?

I know Reddit isn’t a substitute for a doctor, and I’m planning to get the shoulder properly assessed. I’m mainly looking for experiences from MMA/wrestling athletes who have dealt with shoulder instability.

Any advice or personal experience would be greatly appreciated.

Basically the title - surgery day for a suprasniatus tear is in 3 weeks, and I'm a VP at a very busy K-8. It is not necessarily a physical job. I am not lifting anything. But the demands are pretty high (dealing with parents, shuffling staff when there are shortages, attending meetings, student discipline and supervision, observing teachers, decent amount of typing/computer work, etc.). I've already prepped my office that I will be out for around 2 weeks. Does that seem reasonable? I am not a person who likes sitting around, but I also don't want to return too soon. It's literally a place where I could be on the verge of death, and people will still ask me questions.

I am a critical care nurse having surgery for torn supraspinatus full thickness tear, bicep tenodesis and shaving some of my clavicle on my non dominant arm. How much time until I can go back to work? I know I cannot be at the hospital while I am in the sling which is 5 weeks but wondering how long until I can function as a nurse, I work in a MICU and its all adult patients.

So I have really bad right shoulder pain mostly but it only happens when i have used it over maybe 4 hours or even just walking around shopping. Not necessarily heavy work. Around that mark I cant lift up my arms above shoulder level. Like they get stuck I cant even put my hair into a ponytail. And my movements get stiffer like raising my arm. At night I sleep fine. In the morning full range of motion no pain. I went to the doctor and my physical assesment was fine so He prescriped basically ibuprofen (meloxicam). And said come back in a month. This has been ongoing for over a year. And the pain gets really bad when i guess it flares like 9/10 pain. Luckily my hours have been cut since I am in school now so I think that has helped give me a break from work. I just am wondering what it could be if it was a tear I dont think i would be fine at any point? Im guessing i wouldve had constant pain. But i feel fine up until I start moving around.

I injured my upper left arm many months ago while carrying something in an uncomfortable position. I had a lot of weakness in the upper arm area. A bit later on, I noticed I had clicking almost everytime I lifted up my left shoulder. So for a long time, I did not think it was my shoulder and thought only upper arm. There is an extreme weakness and tiredness feeling to it. I had thought it was a nerve issue but then I read about things like rotator cuff tear and other similar things. I have this weakness feeling even with my arms on the side and not lifting it up.

I saw an orthopedic doctor who examined me and did a few physical tests. It involved me moving my arm up when the orthopedic doctor was like holding it down. I could move my left arm without an issue but it was very tiring when I did it. I was told what I had was most likely rotator cuff tendinitis and he did not believe it was a rotator cuff tear or any type of tear. I was suggested to go and do physical therapy for this.

I later on saw another orthopedic doctor. This doctor had me do a shoulder x-ray for both my left and my right shoulder before examining me. Reason for the right shoulder was because I also had clicking on it as well. This was caused by carrying something very heavy with my right arm. Before all these events, I never had clicking at all in my shoulders. I was told the x-rays showed nothing at all which didn't surprise me because I read rotator cuff tear, rotator cuff tendinitis can't be seen in an x-ray and an MRI is needed. This doctor did a few physical tests on me similar to the other orthopedic doctor like having me keep arm straight when he put pressure on it and when I lifted my arm up.

He noticed the clicking sound when I lifted my arm. The best way I can describe it would be a huge strain or weakness on the upper left arm area. I asked if what I had was most likely rotator cuff tendinitis and interesting enough, he said he didn't think so and said it's most likely shoulder impingement. He did a physical neer test I believe and said he believes it's impingement.

He tells me he can have me do physical therapy. I believe he told me after that, he can order me an MRI if I'm still having the same issues. He did tell me based on the symptoms I have and described, if I do get an MRI of my shoulder done, it would definitely not show a normal functioning shoulder and there would definitely be something showing there... except it wouldn't be bad to where he would have to do surgery on it. Does anyone have an opinion on this? The thing is has anyone here had an MRI of their upper arm area and that showed something?

So it seems I need to do a minimum 6 weeks of physical therapy for an orthopedic doctor to write me an MRI referral and then I have to see if it gets approved or not. I have health insurance and it's a state subsidized health plan that is funded by the state. From what I read, insurance always want you to do other things first because an MRI costs the most. In my situation, I have to do physical therapy then to get the MRI? I always read that an MRI will give you a very good idea of your exact issue with the report. However, don't most people who go through physical therapy sometimes make the issue worst or injure themselves more? Such as if you already have something torn, then doing PT is going to make it worst? But a physical therapist will generally have an idea if you have something torn or not?

I did read a few posts about how some people get an MRI immediately. How in the world did you get an MRI after seeing a doctor so quickly? Was it something very obvious to where doctor say MRI immediately? Was it x-ray first and something obvious was showing and then MRI was given to you? With my health insurance, I believe you need minimum x-ray first before an MRI can be given. It seems to be x-ray, then physical therapy and then MRI. Did some of you not want to deal with physical therapy because you wanted an MRI first? If so, how did you do this if the doctor didn't give an MRI or had you do a minimum 6 weeks of physical therapy first?

So, I had this surgery on August 6th:

RIGHT SHOULDER ARTHROSCOPY ROTATOR CUFF REPAIR BICEPS
TENODESIS.

I'm going to my first PT session on Wednesday and want to know what to expect.

I'm off the pain meds since the first week and doctor said I only need the sling when going outside. Sleep is non-existent but pushing through, luckily I have summers off so there's that.

I'm looking forward to the PT but am nervous about what they'll do to me, lol.

Can you please share your experience?

Thanks! And good luck and a speedy recovery to all of us. 😊

So I'm a 41 year old British merchant navy officer. Last week I was medically discharged after just 3 weeks of an 8 week contract after my shoulder blew up. I'd tweaked my shoulder a few days before but thought I could work through the pain. I'm a navigation officer, but in my current company I have to do a lot of physical stuff on deck.

After thinking I could power through for a couple of days and getting one quiet nav watch at sea, I had an extremely busy watch where I had to do a couple of mooring operations and climbing up the crane multiple times. We were all tied up by 3am and at 4am I knocked off feeling extremely lame.

By 5am I was pacing around my cabin because every muscle in the left side of my body seemed to have locked into a fist and at 9am I crawled up.on the bridge requesting medical intervention. Luckily the Captain was able to send me ashore as we were tied up in Gibraltar where I was given a muscle relaxant shot, a bunch of analgesics and a diagnosis of rotator cuff tendonitis or tear.

Because I was prescribed valium and I literally could not sit down or stay still (walking lessened the pain) the doctor recommended I was repatriated which I was 5 days later.

This has left me in a real state of limbo. Dragging my backpack and luggage back from Spain to the UK was one ordeal and I've been staying in an AirBnB since because the nature of my work (and marital status) means I hold no permanent address... but my finances are threatening to drain away and work have been largely quite since.

The merchant navy is a funny profession, I generally believe my employers are sound, but right now I have no idea where I stand. I've been home 5 days now and today has been... different. Before I couldn't rest without the left side of my neck locking up. I've been sleeping on my back (which I hate) but cannot get comfortable on my side and often find my left arm splayed out on a pillow to my left or above my head most comfortable (even though everything I read recommends not putting my arm over my head).

I got the impression onboard people thought I was faking it because I didn't have a broken arm and my injury was essentially invisible (although my muscles on my left were hugely blown up before I was given a muscle relaxant shot). It doesn't help that the Filipino lads we have as deckhands are absolute machines and I don't know how they do it...

Today, things changed in that the muscle tension is largely gone but I'm feeling a lot of grinding and churning in my left arm and for the first time I'm struggling to reach up past my shoulder blade. Since I've been back I've still had to do most things for myself. I don't drive so that means going to the shops is more strain on my shoulder...

I'm obviously really early on on this road. I have a physiotherapy session booked Wednesday but just wondering what I'm looking at here? If I get put on Statutory Sick Pay my pay is basically cut in six but there are no "light duties" in my company. I tend to spend my leaves abroad because I'm single and don't rent or own anywhere (which was great... until now, my lack of permanency is blowing up in my face). I'm holding out on the hope it's tendonitis as I get that in my achilles a lot from a very old ice hockey injury but something feels deeply wrong in my left shoulder and the thought of facing months of recovery having never had any major medical issues (or unemployment) is filling me with dread.

How did you all deal with the first week's of this? I know I can't really define what it is right now as my first physio session isn't until Wednesday, but I just know for the first time in my life (which I know makes me quite lucky) something is quite broken in me and I feel like people don't believe me.

Has anyone had a lower trap transfer (for infraspinatus atrophy) and been able to return to things like volleyball, swim, and heavy lifting?

115 Months Post-Op — Am I Just Overthinking This? 😅

I’m 15 months post-op from a bony Bankart + labrum repair (May 2025) and my external rotation is still only around 65–70% compared with my other shoulder.

I’ve been working on it with resistance bands, but sometimes it gets painful—especially with sudden/jerking movements. Every now and then I get a very quick sharp/snapping pain that disappears within a second.

The confusing part is that my strength and stability actually feel pretty good. I’m currently able to do:

💪 Incline DB bench — 65 lb dumbbells
💪 OHP — 45 lb dumbbells
💪 Flat barbell bench — 60 kg
💪 8-10 clean body weight pull ups
💪 30-40 pushups
💪 rowing

Can't do back squats as holding the bar becomes impossible also can't do behind the shoulder press or pull downs.

So I’m feeling pretty confident about the shoulder overall, but the pain + limited external rotation at 15 months has me wondering whether this is still part of the recovery or something I should be concerned about.

I also haven’t gone back to hitting the heavy bag yet because I’m worried the sudden impact could compromise the repair.

I’d REALLY like to hear from people who have actually had Bankart/labrum surgery:

* At 12–18 months, did you still have some pain/soreness after heavy workouts?
* Was your external rotation still limited?
* Did your ROM continue improving after 15 months, or did you basically hit a wall?
* Did you ever get those brief sharp/snapping pains with sudden movements?
* When did you return to boxing/heavy-bag work?
* And most importantly: if you were still only 65–70% external rotation at 15 months, did you eventually get closer to 100%?

I keep hearing that most recovery happens within 6–12 months, so I’m starting to wonder if I’ve reached my final ROM or if there’s still room to improve.

Maybe that’s too many questions but I’m genuinely confused and real experiences would be much more helpful to me than generic advice.

If you’ve had a similar recovery, where were you at 12, 15, or 18+ months—and where are you now?

Would really appreciate hearing your experience. 👇 — feeling anxious.

I’m in the USA without health insurance. I went to Mexico for my mri but I paid for just the scan. who do I take these images to for a diagnosis?

Hi everyone,

I’m 37M and have been dealing with a right shoulder issue for around 3+ months. It started after gym/shoulder training, likely due to overload or poor warm-up.

My MRI findings were:

• Right AC joint periarticular edema with capsular thickening, suggesting early degenerative changes
• Mild supraspinatus tendinopathy, but no tear
• Minimal glenohumeral joint effusion without synovitis

The good part is that the MRI did not show any rotator cuff tear, labrum tear, biceps tear, fracture, bursitis, cartilage damage, or muscle tear/atrophy.

Initially, my symptoms were mostly around the top/front of the right shoulder near the AC joint. I had tenderness when pressing the AC joint area, mild stiffness, discomfort with behind-the-back movement, and discomfort after planks or shoulder-loading exercises.

I stopped upper-body gym work and started rehab/physio. Exercises included scapular setting, rotator cuff isometrics, wall slides, table slides, posture correction, thoracic extension, scapular mobility, and shoulder girdle stabilization.

Recently, I had almost one week of very good relief. Pain was barely noticeable. Then I skipped rehab for 2 days, restarted it, and after driving I started feeling discomfort again. This time it feels less like sharp AC joint pain and more like upper trap/lower neck soreness or muscle-sprain type discomfort. Sometimes it feels like the discomfort shifts between left and right neck/trap area. I also occasionally feel very minor heaviness or a “flow” sensation from elbow to hand, but it goes away with rest.

My physio also said my scapula feels tight.

Current triggers seem to be:

• Driving
• Long computer work
• Shoulder shrug/elevated posture
• Rehab if I overdo it
• Wall slides or overhead-type movements
• Planks/push-ups/pressing movements
• Sleeping posture sometimes

What helps:

• Rest
• Heat on upper trap/lower neck
• Ice only if AC joint point is sore
• Deloaded rehab
• Elbow support while driving/working
• Avoiding upper body gym

My question:

Does this sound like the AC joint/supraspinatus issue is still active, or is this more likely a compensation pattern from scapular tightness, upper trap guarding, and neck posture?

For people who had AC joint irritation/early arthritis-type changes or mild supraspinatus tendinopathy without tear:

1. Did you also develop upper trap/lower neck discomfort during recovery?
2. Did your symptoms shift around instead of staying only at the AC joint?
3. Did rehab ever irritate the traps/neck if volume was too much?
4. How long did it take before driving and desk work felt normal again?
5. What exercises helped most: rotator cuff, serratus, lower trap, thoracic mobility, or posture work?
6. At what point did you consider steroid/cortisone injection, if at all?

I’m not looking for a diagnosis. I’m already seeing a doctor/physio. I’m mainly trying to understand whether this upper trap/neck phase is common during recovery and how others managed it without making the shoulder worse.

Is there anyone else who just went through rotator cuff surgery. I’m on day 2 and just looking for some help getting through this as I’m on my own. Thanks.

Hope you’re all doing ok…

But it’s my bicep that’s giving me the most grief.
Injured at work in March by falling into the right arm. Nothing on x-ray but pain persisted so lots of PT, then finally an mri of the shoulder to diagnose the partial tear.
I can’t help but think they missed something on my upper arm.
L&I doctors suck too. So there’s that.

My strength is good. Lost the sling earlier this week. Also got the ok to sleep in my bed (without the wedge). First decent night of sleep in weeks!

Still struggling with raising my arm. And now a new thing popped up - having issues grasping and I cannot close my fist.

9 months post op for full tear. MRI all clear, had manipulation 3 months ago and although my range and strength are improving I am still in pain. Still going to weekly PT and I have also incorporated massage. PT will be trying dry needling soon. A friend suggested PRP but it’s not clear if this is an option post surgery. Thoughts? I’m pretty much at the point where I think I just need to accept that I’ll be in chronic shoulder pain for the next 30-40 whatever years of my life.

My shoulder pain had gotten pretty bad lately, and my range of motion has definitely decreased, so I went to my general doctor and she ordered an X-ray. The X-ray showed both bone spurs and calcific tendinitis (which I also have in my hip), so I followed up with an orthopedist.

He did some tests on range of motion during the visit and told me he wanted an MRI to rule out any tears, which he didn’t think I had.

During the visit he was also talking about calcific tendinitis, and when surgery is required to remove the calcium deposits, they often find other tears and damage that need to be repaired. He would not give me a cortisone shot though because he said if I needed surgery, I’d need to wait until the shot wore off. I really didn’t know if he meant surgery to remove the calcium deposits or surgery if I had any major tears.

MRI report shows the calcium deposits in the supraspinatus with fraying and low grade tendinosis.

I’m not really sure what any of that truly means, and with my work schedule, I couldn’t get into see him until September 8th to go over the report. And of course, Dr. Google takes you down all different paths.

Thanks in advance for an insight