After 2 MRI's and 4 Months of PT is my shoulder pain really in my shoulder?

Bones, joints and muscles
1

Hello, if things are spelled incorrectly I'm very sorry for that I'm at work and trying to type this long post as fast as possible.

In July 2016 I was involved in a workers comp injury at my job. I had the patients legs cuped under my left arm as we were moving him from a Open Behavioral Unit to a Locked Behavioral Unit. He jerked his legs backward, the top of the right foot hit my shoulder and my arm went numb and i dropped his other leg after like a 2-4 sec delay.

I now can't move my left arm above shoulder height without assistance, trying to do it on my own is too painful right when it reaches shoulder level. my left shoulder is about also sitting (slumping) lower than my right shoulder BUT the Doc and the PT both said to me that that the left shoulder looks like it is resting normal and my right shoulder looks abnormal. I get pain sometimes that shots from my shoulder to my elbow. I get spasms in the shoulder blade and towards the trapz near my neck. My left hand swells up every now and then, It hasn't done that in about 2 month tho.    I've gone through 2 MRI's 4 months of PT and the MRIs both just show arthritis in the AC joint, nothing else. 

Passed History: on May9th 2015 I was involved by in a car wreck, tboned by a drunk driver. I suffered 4 fractured ribs, 2 liver lacerations 1 from seat belt and 1 from the metal part fo the seat belt jammed in my chunky tummy(didn't break skin), my left knee was hurting bad cou;dn't move my left arm for 3 days and terrible back spasms. I was told everything else from back to spine checked out fine.    Loma Linda University Medical Center was were I was at and they did a terrific job!!   later that year in October i also found out that I had a impingment of the left shoulder. A coritzone shot and 3 weeks of rest i've been pain free and full range of motion UNTIL my work accident.

I'm sorry I get off track alot, has anyone else had this happen as far as the MRI showing nothing, but your shoulder is continually in pain?   I have noticed that it hurts and burns alot more Standing or sitting, when I lay down for bed it only hurts with moving it to certin postions but it feels alot better then standing or sitting

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If the MRI shows nothing as you've said, based on your symptoms I'm thinking there may be something going on with the nerves in your shoulder area. I'd ask your doctor about this.

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Sucks, im currently waiting now for a MRI of my neck. the doc thinks thats where the problem is.It's strange cause i really don't have much pain in my neck, a little stiffness, but that only came on resently. 

I'll ask him about the nerves in my shoulder, next appointment. Which is like 40 days away. . . damn workers comp stuff takes forever. thanks for the response

4

I would also consider having your neck checked. And a nerve impingement could be possible. I think if it was your rotator cuff your pain would be virtually continuous and definately more night time pain. Good luck! Hope they come up with something to help!

5

As I was teading this, I thought, he got kicked in the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus innervates the arm and comes off of nerve roots C5-6-7-8.

The first 10 to maybe 15 degrees of arm abduction is by the supraspinatis muscle, then the deltoid muscle from 10-90 degrees, finishing with trapezius & serratus anterior for greater than 90 degrees.

Trapezius is C3-4

Serratus anterior is off the brachial plexus

So, the origin of your shoulder pain is more thsn likely somewhere between C3 to C8 but remember those are just the nerve roots...those nerve roots biforcate and become many, many different nerves.

Think of the 10. Now think of all of the exits from the 10. Next consider all of the secondary streets that join to the exit streets that join to the 10.

Perhaps you need to see a spinal specialist at Loma Linda University.