Rotator cuff - shoulder problems?

[Jenzo]

Does anyone else suffer? I'm going to the gym and this injury reappears and always only on my affected side. Anyone else suffer and is physio the only/best way to work through it? Is this a common Parkinson's injury for others? It's plaguing me.

[Enidah]

I have the shoulder pain, especially when my meds have worn off and also upper arm pain. I would like to do more exercises, upper body, but I have to be so careful of my arms and shoulders. My PD is non tremor but I certainly have a lot of pain with it. Do the meds help your pain?

[Jenzo in reply to Enidah]

Thank you. Meds do not help with the pain necessarily but do help with my overall ability to move.

[Jeansm]

Hi Jenzo, before I was diagnosed I was prepped for surgery for frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tear surgery, but under anaesthetic there was full movement and I was found to have neither. I was given a steroid injection which was enough to give me back some limited movement and on the advice of a physiotherapist made sure I kept moving it. However, after starting on Sinemet the pain disappeared and with exercise I now have full movement again. If I stop exercising the pain and stiffness worsens. When meds wear off pain in the top of my arm returns. I do exercise for general health (Pilates, BoXercise, NIA, etc), but do rowing and specific shoulder strengthening work in the gym. And this is also only on my affected side. I have occasionally overdone the shoulder exercising and needed massage to ease aching muscles so I also have to be careful.

[ddmagee1]

I had a rotator cuff injury a few years ago, that the doctor said was not bad enough for surgery. I have had my arm come out of socket on my most affected left side, several times, in addition to the rotator cuff injury on my left side. My PD started on my left side, and has progressed to include both sides, now, over the past several years ago. I did have range of motion physical therapy for my left arm. Remarkably, after starting on Sinemet the stiffness and discomfort isn't near as bad as it once was. Also, it seems like the Sinemet has helped with the awkward stiffness and slow movement with walking that I have had in my legs.

[etterus]

I'm a retired PT with PD diagnosed in 02. I have the non tremor type with dystonia. I think the best explanation of the shoulder dysfunction with PD is dystonia of the muscles (3) that comprise the common tendon known as the rotator cuff. This will produce pain, stiffness and weakness... it is a very complex structure that controls the the upper extremity. It is very vulnerable and degrades with age for most people.

The solution is to maintain it with regular stretching and strengthening exercises that are not too painful. Although once it is truly a frozen shoulder the stretching activity is likely to be " no pain no gain". You will likely need a good PT.

[Jenzo in reply to etterus]

Thanks, I appreciate the information and advice.

[Motal]

Jenzo,

Find a Physical Therapist who is versed in your particular Parkinsons symptoms.

Like a couple of others who've replied here, I have non-tremor dominant PD. Lately it's made itself felt as a sharp pain from the bony tip of my elbow to my wrist. A constant compulsion to press that elbow hard in to my left torso made things worse. The angle put my left shoulder joint even more out of whack. Ditto my posture. Standing, the left shoulder would rise higher than the right; and seated, I'd lean heavily to the right. To "compensate" I'd jab that left arm even tighter to my side. The vicious cycle was complete.

i mention all this bc it's my physical therapist who took the time to straighten me out - both physically - and by making my PD mind aware of all those things I was aiding and abetting.

To restore and help sustain my range of motion, my PT makes adjustments beyond the shoulder joint. She tends to my flared-out ribs, to the way i stand (getting me to put the left foot back to bear more weight). Those in-office adjustments along w/ focused exercises I do at home also work to free up my diaphragmatic breathing which in turn helps keep me aligned.

This particular physical therapy, with its focus on diaphragmatiuc breathing, is called Postural Restoration - and it's greatly helped relieve my arm pain this year. Given the respiratory challenges that come w/ later stage PD it also makes sense to strengthen my breathing now.

[etterus in reply to Motal]

Stick with this PT!

[Jenzo in reply to Motal]

Thank you kindly