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What happened to my shoulder?

Hello,
Shoulder injury at age 15 still undiagnosed at age 47. HELP!
I am curious what type of injury I have? What can I expect to happen in the future?
32 years ago, at age 15, my aunt’s 35 year-old boyfriend physically accosted me. When I stood up from the ground, my right arm was non-responsive and hanging awkwardly. I did not dislocate my shoulder, it was in the socket. Over the next few minutes I was able to move my arm, but not without great pain. I was not able to put my arm above my head no matter how much I willed it.
Immediate symptoms were, unable to move my head to the left if my chin was pressed to my chest. This is different than pain stopped me from moving my head... I could take my hand and force my head to one side and an intense pain/burning sensation was felt in my upper back in my shoulder (think washing hair in sink) if attempting to do so, I could not turn my head to the left…it was impossible.
Once back from vacation I went to the family doctor who informed me that I may have strained something and he would have me take physical therapy. I do not remember why my parents did not allow it. Originally, I had hidden what my aunt’s boyfriend had done to me and hid the injury as well. Maybe, my parents did not believe that I was injured very badly.
Nonetheless, the injury persists. When lying on my back on a hard surface it feels as though there is no muscle covering the bone in my right upper back/shoulder. It has a strange sensation that is hard to describe other than it feels as though the muscle is completely missing and the bone is pushing into the fat/skin layer. If I bend over while facing a mirror and make the classic muscle flex, there is a noticeable amount of mass missing out of my right upper back. I am right handed…I’d think I would be more developed on that side.
Most recently, while lying on my back, working on a vehicle with my right arm bent over my head I attempted to lift a heavy starter into my truck. It scared me as my shoulder partially? Dislocated? The pain and horrible sucking sound made me worry that this is going to happen more frequently.
I currently have a history of going to the doctor for this injury.
To date; the original doctor suggested I need physical therapy for a possible strain, another doctor years later suggested something about a rotator cuff injury and suggested nothing more. A third instructed me sternly that there is nothing wrong with my shoulder and most recently, I had the strangest response of all.
It is important to remember that I have never received so much as an aspirin for this injury. As I am sitting there with my latest doctor (medical insurance constantly demands different doctors over the years so there is no consistency of healthcare). I relive the shoulder injury and he interrupts my story to inform me that I do not have an injury. This is strange as anyone who would take the time to care, would be able to see the injury with their eyes, yet I have never had so much as my shirt off for them to diagnose it while seated across from me is telling of something. Furthermore, anyone with ears can audibly hear the injury. To this day, my shoulder has a loud sucking/popping sound that has entertained the whole family over the years. It grosses my daughters out. Yet, slowly over the years, other doctors lean in this same direction. That I do not have an injury. When I pushed back and questioned my newest medical authority he immediately told me, I needed physical therapy. Odd, as moments earlier I had no injury. This time however, I went to therapy.
After a couple of visits to therapy, I started to complain about the pain they were causing with my shoulder. To me it was debilitating not therapeutic. This pain is different from sore muscles. I can bench a couple hundred pounds. I can lift several hundred pounds. The therapist and I then bantered back and forth about my shoulder. I informed them that my ultimate goal was surgery. In response, I was informed from the therapist that I do not actually have an injury and if I did, it healed years ago. What? I do not know how to respond to this ********. I put myself through a couple more visits and then stopped going as they migrated from my shoulder to my neck and had me in traction. WTF.
I have 32 years of methods to deal with the pain. Never sleep on my right shoulder. Never lift anything above shoulder height if my arm is out-stretched in front of my chest (straight out to the side like Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man is okay). Never reach from right to left across my chest. These are incredibly difficult self-imposed rules to adhere to, as I am very active. However, now that my arm is beginning to dislocate I am scared for lack of a better word.
I am getting older and the constant pain and injury has spread over the years (NOT HEALED). Sometimes the pain radiates all the way to my elbow. I now have a large patch on my outer arm that goes numb for days at a time or it will tingle, similar to I have something crawling on me. Two upper back vertebrae are perpetually sore now. I absolutely know they are all related, yet, my doctor last informed me; “You have a mental problem…like ptsd” and better yet, the shoulder injury “isn’t really there.” He retired a couple of years ago. I’m tired of the humiliation. In fact, I am completely ruined on Hoosier doctors. I’m rather ornery when describing them nowadays. I believe what has happened is that I have been stereotyped.
I understand that there is absolutely an opioid crisis in America. None of my doctors has mentioned this, yet I have not had so much as an X-ray of my shoulder. Nonetheless, I am proudly, not a part of that crisis. I am however, a 6’4” middle-aged man with a shoulder injury.
The ultimate questions are…How painful will this eventually become and what else will happen as I decline?
2 Responses
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363281 tn?1643235611
Hello~Wow, I can't believe that no doctor has wanted to do either an MRI or a CT scan of the area, this is crazy. I would see a chiropractor, you definitely have misplace vertebrae in that area and until they are fixed, you are going to hurt and it is going to get worse. It is NOT in your head, believe me. The chiropractor will start by asking you some questions, then, will take some x-rays of the area, after looking them over, he/she will determine if an MRI would be helpful. You will then begin the adjustments and you will be given some mild stretching and other exercises to help as well. It may take some time, but after awhile, you should start to feel better. Now, if the chiro sees some areas that are fractured or broken, they he/she will refer to someone who will be able to help with that, they will not just ignore you.

I hope you get some help soon, the way you have been treated is inexcusable.
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8 Comments
Hello,
Thanks for responding.

I do not mean to offend you, but personally, I always viewed a chiropractor as a bit of a quack. Why would they give me an MRI when 30 years of doctors will not! Makes no sense. Better yet, why would my insurance step up and help pay for such an expensive procedure when half a dozen doctors refuse to believe I have the injury?

Please don't misinterpret my aggravation as a lack of respect for you responding. I appreciate that you responded back. I will talk to my wife about it, but I just don't see how a chiropractor will fix the problem.
That is a long story, but much of it is irrelevant at this point as far as I can tell. You saw a few doctors who didn't find anything wrong.
You only saw one physio person and just a few times, who told you there was no injury. It is difficult to understand this part - you claim mobility issues, noises, pain but didn't state what the physio person said about these self-diagnosed observations. Cracking noises in joints are not a problem per my physio person, and I have had them for 40 years. For some reason you told the physio person that you wanted surgery - that is a surprising request since you didn't have a diagnosis so I can't follow that part.
You could try another physio and if they say the same thing, accept that there likely is no injury.
I have had pains over the years that physiotherapists, chiros or massage people have assessed then worked out. Sometimes it doesn't work out quickly and sometimes they can't work it out but later it resolves itself, so they aren't perfect.
So I would give it another chance with another person.
No offense taken, but hey, what do you have to loose but your pain. Seeing a chiro or having the MRI etc, could just give you the answer and help you need. No one else has certainly been able to help or even offer suggestions.
Hello Sassy,

As far as I know, a Chiropractor in this part of America does not have an MRI machine. The X-ray they will use is not going to indicate the soft tissue damage that occurred.

Nonetheless, I suppose I could find one and tell them my tale.

Anxious, I responded back to your abrasive statement and it appears they removed my response. I am sorry...thanks for your candid assessment anyway.  
I have had many physio and massage sessions over the years and can tell you that what the layman thinks is wrong is not a professional assessment. My nurse friend thought she had sciatica for decades but went to the ART guy I used and one session cured her. Years later she has never had a relapse.
Many years she suffered in pain avoiding treatment and I remember her telling me often that she knew that it was sciatica and nothing could be done about it.
I am sorry, I know that chiropractors don't have an MRI machine, but they can set you up an appointment for one and then read the results. As to the soft tissues, there are now some x-ray machines that can actually see more than the "standard" x-ray machine, they are done digitally and the doctor can actually see them as they are being taken, it shows on the computer screen, they are very advanced, my chiropractor over here in New Zealand has one. When I lived back home in the states, my chiropractor was the one that prescribed and read the MRI, I had to go to the x-ray department in our hospital.
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MedHelp or Med? Help!
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