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Frequent Contributor
Posts: 133
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I have the same diagnosis.  I go to a great physical therapist who administered ultrasound for a few weeks until the pain went away, and now he has me on exercises to strengthen the shoulder.  Good luck!!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,310
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

I had frozen shoulder that I got surgery on after all the p/t and shots didn't work---was one of the most painful ones for me but after intense p/t at home, the surgery ended up being very successful-- but it took nearly a year to get back about 95%. 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@jagk 

 

Hi Sooty,

 

Yes, I did have an impingement.

 

One day on my way to work, before I backed the car out of the garage, I took my Dooney purse in my right hand, turned right, brought the purse through and almost to the back seat, when I had this excruciating pain in my right shoulder.  I cannot tell you how painful it was.  It only occurred when I was weight bearing on my right extremity and tried to move my right arm to the rear.

 

Finally went to my ortho who said, after giving me a thorough exam, "Seems to be an impingement."  Further, he said, "The protocol for impingements is basically to do nothing for 6 months to see if it will get better on its own.  It not, then we'll do an MRI."  Well, I was back right at the 6 month anniversary, because my right shoulder wasn't any better.  Had an MRI in 3 days.  He had me come back in.  Then he said, "You have a proportionately large CA ligament in your right shoulder, which is causing impingement."

 

Basically, there are 3 ligaments in the shoulder that go from front to back.  The CA ligament is in the middle and is, more or less, redundant.  My ortho doc told me that mine was way too wide and so was pinching one of the other ligaments, when I performed that loaded movement from front seat to back seat.  He said the best thing would be to remove it.  Again, the CA ligament is redundant, so my shoulder could get along quite well without it.

 

I had the surgery, which was easy enough.  The rehab for shoulder surgeries is always the hardest part.  However, I've never had another issue with that shoulder and am so glad my doc caught this.  I do believe other docs may not have, but mine was one of the previous year's U.S. Olympic Orthopaedic Physicians who traveled with all of the athletes to Barcelona.

 

I feel very fortunate that he didn't give me the impingement run-around or, worse, still, "Well, we just don't know - so sad, too bad."  In the end, I think what occurred was that I inherited some of my tall dad's anatomy and some of my short mom's anatomy.  At least that's where I truly believe that large CA ligament came from - my Dad.

 

Good luck to you!