Depending on where the bone spurs are located, you could be experiencing what is commonly referred to as impingement syndrome. Basically, those bone spurs may be pressing down into the biceps tendon and/or the rotator cuff tendons and causing them to become inflammed and irritated. One possible cure for this is anti-inflammatory medications. I recommend Celebrex which you will need a prescription for. Advil, Aleve, Motrin all work but the Celebrex works much better and faster. Another possibility could be a cortisone injection.
Both will help aleviate the inflammation in the tendons but if the bone spurs are fairly large it is only a matter of time before the tendons become irritated again. The remedy for bone spurs is arthroscopic (aka “a scope”) surgery where the Dr. goes into the shoulder under the AC joint and shaves the spurs off. Usually this is a quick rehab.
As for the initial radiology reading, you could have the Dr. ask for a second reading by another radiologist.
Give PT a try. At PT you could get several modalities–ultrasound, phonophoresis, iontophoresis–which could help in decreasing the inflammation. As well, it’s been my experience that if you are suffering from impingement syndrome PT techniques such as inferior and posterior shoulder joint mobilizations can help. Also, if you are already convinced that it won’t work, then it won’t work. When you go to PT, make sure you work w/ the PT or a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) not a PT-aid or some other slap dick who is familiar w/ the exercises at the clinic but has never recieved a formal education in therapy techniques. BELIEVE ME IT HAPPENS MORE THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE.
Is the “deep pain” a dull, achy or sharp, shooting, stabbing pain? Tendonitis is typically a dull, achy pain. Popping & clicking is a common symptom seen w/ biceps tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonitis, impingement syndrome and labral tears.
When you get to the top (hands above head) of a shoulder dislocate–basically you are grinding your biceps and rotator cuff tendons into the undersurface of the AC joint where you have the bone spurs. Avoid these for now.
FYI-a “high grade strain” is a partial tear. You had what would be a Grade 2 (out of 3) strain which is a partial tear of a muscle but not a complete tear. Think of a thick rope which you cut thru half-way. Some of the fibers of the rope are still intact but some of them are cut in half. Grade 1 = only stretching of the fibers. Grade 3 = a complete tear of the muscle into two separate pieces (ie. a “tear”).
The lack of pec fullness is a common deformity seen after a Grade 2 pec strain. The “divot” you see is where the muscle fibers were torn.
I have never seen a dislocating biceps tendon but you may have torn the transverse humeral ligament which holds the long head of the biceps tendon in it’s groove at the head of the humerus. If this ligament is torn, the biceps tendon is not being stabilized in it’s groove so when lifting or doing everyday chores the tendon may be moving excessively which will cause it to become inflammed.
obatiger11, I gave myself the O’Brien test and with my palm supinated, it hurts. Pronated not at all. I have a feeling a specialist is in my near future.
That’s a good thing. A positive o’brien test is when you have pain w/ the hand pronated but that pain is alleviated when the test is performed with the hand supinated. If the pain you feel w/ your hand supinated is located directly over the anterior shoulder, anterior delt, and biceps tendon then this could only be biceps tendonitis. You can Google “speeds shoulder test” and “hawkin’s impingement test” if you want to do some further self testing. Speed’s test will assess for biceps tendonitis and labrum tear. Hawkins will assess for impingement.
My opinion is you are more than likely dealing w/ impingement syndrome (inflammed rotator cuff and biceps tendons) which is being prolonged and/or even caused by the bone spurs.
If your pain has gotten significantly better, then that is a good sign. Labral tears don’t heal on their own and typically don’t feel better over time. Impingement syndrome, biceps tendonitis and rotator cuff tendonitis will get better over time although nothing ever heals as fast as we want it too.
