Dodgy shoulder

[Bryan]

I woke up due to pain in my right shoulder four nights ago, I can't recall any particular incident that might have caused it although I had been working in the garden during the day. Just wondering if this might be related to years of carrying heavy camera gear around. 

 

Applied some Ibruprofen cream and then read the NHS guidelines for a sprain which say not to apply Ibruprofen for the first 48 hours. Also read some discouraging stuff on the web suggesting that it could take several weeks to heal. Difficult to sleep the following night due to pain, and difficult to  dress as unable to lift my right arm. Visited pharmacist in search of an ice pack, but they didn't have one, but persuaded to splash £10 on a cooling, healing cream. That, or time, appeared to do the trick as the pain has gradually subsided. Not entirely recovered but we'll on the way.

 

Could be the time has come to buy an even smaller, lighter camera!

Edited October 16, 2019 by Bryan

[DDoug]

Have you tried Voltaren (diclofenac) gel? The Forte version (23.2MG/G) is fairly effective.

I think the same stuff is called Voltarol in Britain.

Edited October 16, 2019 by DDoug
add

[Harry Harrison]

27 minutes ago, Bryan said:

Visited pharmacist in search of an ice pack, but they didn't have one

Frozen peas work well in an emergency

[Marianne]

30 minutes ago, Harry Harrison said:

Frozen peas work well in an emergency

 

I use them when my dodgy shoulder acts up. I hate peas, so does my hubby, so no worries we'll mistakenly eat some previously defrosted veggies.  😎🤢

 

Acupuncture helps even more. And Arnica gel is great. I also find switching between heat and cold to help. Mirrorless cameras also help. 

 

Glad it's healing. Don't overdo it, though, shoulders are quite slow to heal and easy to re-injure. If it continues to act up, I'd see an orthopedist, just to be sure there isn't a tear. Sometimes they can heal with PT, avoiding the need for surgery (a long recovery, even more PT and some residual pain for ages).  Good luck - feel better!

Edited October 16, 2019 by Marianne
Embarrassing typos.

[Mr Standfast]

Sorry to hear that Brian. Tesco ibuprofen gel seems to work as well as the expensive stuff and changing to a rucksack helped me as well.  Tinned peas don't work.😀😀

[sb photos]

Good to hear the shoulder is starting to feel better. I mostly carry a fairly heavy shoulder bag, and across my left shoulder when walking, then over my right when photographing. I live in hope that the weight distribution will spare me from a bad shoulder. 

 

So far my only shoulder problem was around 18 years ago, a frozen shoulder, very painful and restrictive. A cortisone injection into the shoulder was ineffective. I used a backpack then, and wasn't flexible enough to get it onto my back. Then the other shoulder went a year later. After lots of shoulder exercises they cleared up and thankfully never returned.

[Bryan]

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I should have been thinking laterally and bought some sacrificial frozen peas, although I do like to eat them!

 

The cream I'm using is Voltarol, it does appear to be beneficial.

 

I'll gan canny these next few days, which is a problem as I much prefer to be active!

[Richard Baker]

Ice wrapped in a cloth to get the inflammation down then, as others have suggested, Ibuprofen gel overnight. Works wonders.

Dr Baker.

[Robert M Estall]

I can recall a few dodgy shoulders and it could well have been down to sleeping in an awkward position but it certainly moved me to attending to how  much and where to hang my camera gear. In those days there might be a 67 Pentax as well as a couple of Canon F1s and associated lenses. The best solution was in Morocco where I was assigned a lad to carry the lot!  Lowe used to make a formidable Bum Bag big enough to hold the big Pentax lenses. These days my little kit of a Pentax K-5 and a couple of lenses fit neatly into aa very modest backpack. I did give myself over to an osteopath once when I was in real pain which was a good move. Rest it is as good advice as any, shoulders don't come good quickly. But, as I recall, trecking is kind of your thing.

[DDoug]

I've had a problem with tendonitis in my right shoulder for decades, normally more or less under control if I don't stress it. The first time it struck, in the early 80s, a doctor told me that the biggest risk is the potential loss of movement. Because it hurts there's a tendency not to move it and before too long it freezes up and you can't move it (at least not through a full range of movements). So he had me walk up a door jamb with my fingers and other such exercises regardless of the associated pain. Of course I have no idea of that advice applies to everyone or every malady.

[MDM]

4 hours ago, Bryan said:

I woke up due to pain in my right shoulder four nights ago, I can't recall any particular incident that might have caused it although I had been working in the garden during the day. Just wondering if this might be related to years of carrying heavy camera gear around. 

 

Could be the time has come to buy an even smaller, lighter camera!

 

I get this occasionally and have had it moderately bad a few weeks ago but it is now getting a lot better so there is hope. I think in my case it is a combination of carrying heavy gear and spending much too long processing images on my computer. In fact I think the latter is the main cause as it is in my right shoulder,  the same as my mouse hand, and the pain tends to get worse the longer I am on the computer. I have a reasonably good set up as well where I rest my arm on my desk as much as possible and my screen is at a height where I don't have to bend my neck. So while the pain is exaccerbated by carrying heavy kit, I don't think that is the primary cause. Also my sleeping position can make it worse. I have been spending a lot less time on the computer the last two weeks while still carrying heavy kit so I think it is the post-processing but giving it a rest does really help. I do have a mountain of processing to look forward to though.

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by MDM

[spacecadet]

If it goes away, fine, but if it persists in certain circumstances and positions it could be incipient tendonitis (frozen shoulder) as Doug suggests. I had it some years ago and I went through cortisone injections, X-rays and even an MRI scan to eliminate the possibility of an actual injury. I was referred to a physio and given exercises to do as well. That fixed it but it took a while- the inability to lift was what did for my portrait business.

I'd be down the GP if it recurred or failed to go away. The range of movement is quite limited without pain.

If it's anything more than a temporary thing, creams and tablets make very little difference The doctor told me that the various gels penetrated barely any distance below the skin.

Edited October 16, 2019 by spacecadet

[spacecadet]

3 hours ago, Marianne said:

 

 

 

Glad it's healing. Don't overdo it, though, shoulders are quite slow to heal and easy to re-injure. If it continues to act up, I'd see an orthopedist, just to be sure there isn't a tear. Sometimes they can heal with PT, avoiding the need for surgery (a long recovery, even more PT and some residual pain for ages).  Good luck - feel better!

In the UK we go to the GP, who would then refer on to the various specialists. It's all free to us, of course.

Edited October 16, 2019 by spacecadet

[Broad Norfolk]

4 hours ago, Bryan said:

 

Could be the time has come to buy an even smaller, lighter camera!

 

It's this age stuff, Bryan! I have had problems with back and upper body and I made a conscious effort to lighten the load. I bought myself a light EOS M which I carry on longer treks and the tripod, lenses and all the other gear are locked in the car boot and only come out on the shorter runs. Needs a bit of planning but I found it helps.

Jim    

Edited October 16, 2019 by Broad Norfolk
Spelling!

[geogphotos]

I've been suffering the last weeks with dodgy foot and then knee. Recurrent. Didn't really think about the connection but I do hang my camera from right shoulder almost permanently.

 

Having just about got over that I now have Conjunctivitis.

 

Been looking at Conjunctivitis.com

 

That's a site for sore eyes.

Edited October 16, 2019 by geogphotos

[Doc]

No comment.

[Doc]

But TBH, all advice here is good - Most likely a strain of the muscles around the shoulder joint; Rest it; ice/frozen peas good; topical anti-inflammatory (ibuprofen, or, better but more expensive, diclofenac (voltarol)), and if not settling after a week to 10 days, see GP for possible injection or some physio. 

 

Frozen shoulders, where the range of movement is severely reduced in all directions by pain are more difficult and can take a long time to heal, though they will eventually.

 

Thats all I can remember

 

Kumar

[Ed Rooney]

Bryan, ouch!

 

The medical advice sounds mostly good, except for the green peas. Best to prepare those with a little salt and pepper and French butter. 

 

I have not been carrying my Domke with the Upstrap on one shoulder anymore, not since I left Seville. I bought a smaller bag that holds the a6000 with 10-18 and the 100-6 and I put the strap over my head as seen below in this Alamy image. I have wrist straps on both cameras. If I have the RX100-6 alone, it goes into a jacket pocket. 

 

When you are feeling fit -- and not until -- try doing some French curls with a 2-pound weight. 

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmRRAY19gBs

 

 

 

 

[Bill Kuta]

Is there a way to pin threads together? I'm thinking of this one and "Are Alamy photographers all ages?" 

Or maybe a whole Senior section on the forum. 

[Ed Rooney]

 

Senior section? I want an over-80 section. I'll be the only one in it so I'll have to talk to myself. Hmmm. 

[Betty LaRue]

I had a shoulder problem years ago. It was frozen enough that in the shower, I had to bend my head to my hand to wash my hair. I joined a gym, and used the pull down bar with no extra weight on it. It also pulled my arms back up, and I controlled the speed. Slowly it gave my range of motion back. But it didn’t change the fact that something was wrong with it.

Some years later, it got really bad again. I did physical therapy, which only made it worse. More inflammation and a lot more pain. 
 

I had surgery. There were two tears in the cartilage, and two bones didn’t have enough space between them. There was also bone spurs. The bone spurs caused most of the pain, because upon movement, the muscles were raking over the sharp spurs. I have a video the doctor made showing the tool grinding off the spurs and the torn cartilage places.

My doctor ordered a therapy chair for 6 weeks after surgery. I sat in the chair, strapped my arm to an armrest and turned on the machine. It took my arm through a range of motion. I spent 6 hours a day in that chair, but could break it up on my timetable into sessions. Feed the birds, back in the chair. Cook dinner, back in the chair.
As time went on, I increased the range of motion the chair performed. That kept me from favoring the shoulder by not moving it enough and having it scar down through the healing process. When done with the chair, I had a month of physical therapy.
I have total range of motion and no pain.

Funny thing, I’m left-handed but it was my right shoulder. And it happened before photography. But I snow skied, water skied, threw a saddle on and rode horses. Played golf. I fell a fair share of times skiing. One time after fishing in the river, I fell off a boulder going back to the car in the dark. The boulder was about 7 feet off the ground. Why I didn’t break something...luck I guess. But I didn’t drop my pole, bait, folding stool or stringer of fish! 😁  If I think any of those things did it, it was probably golf. Or just an accumulation of everything.

One of the worst thing about having a really bad shoulder is if something startled me and I jerked, the pain nearly sent me to the floor.

Betty

Edited October 17, 2019 by Betty LaRue
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[Betty LaRue]

6 hours ago, geogphotos said:

I've been suffering the last weeks with dodgy foot and then knee. Recurrent. Didn't really think about the connection but I do hang my camera from right shoulder almost permanently.

 

Having just about got over that I now have Conjunctivitis.

 

Been looking at Conjunctivitis.com

 

That's a site for sore eyes.

 after revisiting my shoulder odyssey, I need that laugh!

[MizBrown]

Shoulder has been problematic for around three or four years, then I wrestled a refrigerator to put some coins under it to level it and slipped and hurt my knee but the pain was going away when I walked, until my dog pulled me around when I was walking her.  Ultrasound says problems with the ligaments.  I think my shoulder is an overuse from lying on my side reading tablets.  Now have a lighter tablet (iPad Mini).

 

The knee problem put a crimp on walking around taking photos.  I'm now off half crutches and using a cane.  Will photograph both the half crutches and the cane when I'm able to get up to the studio with the lights. 

 

Walking helps with the knee if I don't overdo it.  May go back for an ultrasound of the shoulder.

 

Old age is better than the alternative, though.

 

[John Mitchell]

Hope your dodgy shoulder is on the mend, Bryan.

 

I used to develop back and shoulder pain from carrying around a heavy bag with two SLR bodies, lenses, flash, etc. Switching to the lightweight mirrorless Sony's certainly has improved matters. Even so, my back still starts to bug me after doing a lot of walking with a camera bag slung over my shoulder. If your camera bag accepts a waist strap/belt, using one can make a big difference, at least that's what I've found. I have a fairly compact old Tamrac bag that has a built-in waist strap. Glad I held onto it.

[Bryan]

Sadly, with my shoulder thankfully on the mend, my wife has suffered a recurrence of back pain, so the Voltaren gel is seeing further use! She's normally a very active person so doesn't take kindly to having to take it easy. Probably down to excessive work in the garden. A glut of apples to be processed etc. and me out of action!

 

Some very sorry tales above, I appear to have escaped lightly in comparison with you guys. Puts things into perspective.

 

Getting back to matters photographic, this has been an incentive to resume my search for the holy grail, a lightweight multi purpose zoom for my Sony a6500 that is sharp across the frame.