Anatomy

[Region3]

Sorry about the weird title but I couldn't think of anything better.

What I want to do is identify a muscle that hurts in my arm.
It hurts when I stretch it above my head and particularly when I have to reach behind me for something.

The pain feels muscular and is at the top of my arm and to the outside and slightly behind. If it were a clock face with 12 facing forward, it's about 8 o'clock, and about 2 or 3" below the shoulder joint.

It doesn't bother me much and I'm not trying to fix anything, but if I knew what the muscle was called I could look up some gentle stretching exercises for it.

Thanks.

 

[AmandaJR]

One of the rotator cuff muscles perhaps?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotator_cuff

 

[Yerman]

Probably the supraspinatus.

 

[JustOne]

Probably one of the two answers above..... did mine a year ago now and it's still bad. Can't do the dance for 'The Birdie song' any more... which is a good thing judging by these two testosterone challenged knobs!

[video=youtube;VMSWEBaHG74]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMSWEBaHG74[/video]






Reaching up into a cupboard above my head with my right arm is a big no-no, even have to be careful putting the sun visor down in the car Can't pick up my golf bag with that arm any more either... well not without great care.

 

[One Planer]

Sounds like one of the rotor cuff muscle (Any one of the Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor or Subscapularis muscles).

A simple way to check is to stand up with your elbow tight to your side and your hand out stretched, like you want to shake a hand with your thumb point up (pointing to 12 on a clock face). From there, without moving your elbow or your body, try and point your hand to 2 o'Clock. You should feel a slight pulling in the back of your shoulder.

A simple exercise is to repeat the above standing in a door way, facing the frame, with the rear of your hand resting against the inside of the door frame (Architrave). Then repeat, again without moving yourself or the elbow.

Obviously pushing against the frame, there will be minimal movement but the pressing against a solid surface engages the muscle, the idea being to work the muscle without overload.

If you have any pain doing the above, stop straight away and book an appointment with a physio or GP.

Rotor cuff injuries are nasty. I had one (Minor tear) when I was studying for my qualifications (PT) and it was touch and go whether I needed surgery, luckily I didn't, but it did take a while to heal.

Hope this helps Gary :thup:

 

[Region3]

Thanks for all the replies.

Gareth, none of the exercises/tests you mention hurt at all. It's really weird how it only hurts doing certain things.

I've been playing pool tonight and it hurts during that so I made a mental note of when I felt it.
If I play properly with my chin down to the cue, it hurts when I have my left arm outstretched in front of me with my weight on it.
Kneeling down getting the balls out of the end of the table, if I forget about my arm for a sec and lift balls up to the table with my left arm.

Also remembered:
When I have a drink in the centre console while I'm driving and I have to reach back slightly for it.
Putting a shirt or jacket on that's not quite big enough and you have to reach back to get the second arm in. That hurts more when I have my hand towards the sky and elbow down, almost like I'm trying to touch my shoulder. When my arm is like that and I try to reach backwards that is when it is at it's worst.

Also, it's exactly the same pain in the same place that I used to get playing cricket if I tried to throw the ball too hard, or really went after an overhead shot playing badminton.

Definitely not bad enough to affect my day to day life, but it would be nice to be able to loosen it up before our 451yd par 4 2nd

It doesn't hurt playing golf btw. It just restricts my backswing a touch until it gets warm.

 

[Slime]

Sorry to pick up on this so late.
It's almost definitely your rotator cuff, as the guys have been suggesting.
I've had an operation on my right shoulder, after suffering for 14 months, and am awaiting an MRI scan on my left shoulder which has been bad for about three months now. I've had cortisone injections, but that only eased the pain for a few days.
GO TO YOUR DOCTOR & GET IT SORTED.
Mine has got to the point where it wakes me several times a night & is gradually wearing me down, I left it too long!
The strange thing is that golf is not too painful at all, once I've got it moving about a bit.
All the best,

Slime.

 

[PhilTheFragger]

You need to change hands Gary

Hope it gets better quick
Fragger