Was I just prescribed a course of MTFU?

Initialised

So this morning I proved that Snow Studs don't help when taking a corner at high speed when said corner is covered in oil/fuel (it's all over my trousers).

So I dusted myself off, waved an 'I'm OK' the the lady in the car behind me after she enquired, headed on my merry way, as I'm going pain builds up in my left shoulder. I try to shrug it off but end up just relaxing and putting all my weight on the right arm to relieve it. I got to work, not a bad time considering the off. But the pain lingers on, so I call it a day at lunch and got to A&E. The examine (not dislocated) then X-Ray (no fracture) my shoulder, make me wait three hours, then tell me it's just a soft tissue injury and to just take painkillers or ignore the pain and carry on but it'll probably hurt for a month.

Thing is moving the joint really hurts, to the point of almost fainting, but it's sort of OK if I get past the bit that hurts. Then start feeling woozy and seeing stars.

Am I just being a wuss?
Should I have not wasted their time with a mere soft-tissue injury?
Do I just need to suck it up?
Should I call my GP in a few days and demand a CT incase of a tear or deeper problem?

What do you think?

greg66_tri_v2.0

A few years ago I broke a rib. I went to A&E a and was told it wasn't broken. I just had a bruise.

Took 7 weeks to heal, and I now have a nice little lump on the impact point like you see on a formerly broken and now healed clavicle.

Bruised my arse.

A&E doesn't always diagnose correctly.

HOWEVER (now I think about it) a few years ago I had a high speed skiing crash. Airborne for about 40 feet, on landing hyperextended both knees, rammed my right shoulder and right side of my head into the ground. Genuinely had no movement in my arm for ten minutes. It was just hanging there like a spare dick (only smaller, obv). Physio said I was lucky that the force pushed into the shoulder joint and back towards the shoulder blade, because had the force pointed forwards it would have dislocated for sure.

Hurt. Like. A. Bastard. one ofmthe only times I've woken up not because I moved, but because the pain was enough to cut through painkillers while I was lying stock still.

Had to have Physio when I got home for a bit; still hurts occasionally, and it can be difficult sleeping on my right side. IIRC I had ligament damage and the joint is still a bit loose, so if it sits wrongly lying on it can be uncomfy.

The point? Shoulders can hurt like a bastard even without a fracture or a dislocation.


My advice: see how it settles down over the next few days. Soft tissue damage will generally start to feel better after a few days. Hard tissue damage won't. But get to a Physio at some point just in case there's a chance of loss of full range of movement.


ETA: you're in for a really uncomfortable night and it will hurt even more tomorrow. Break out the painkillers. Just sayin'.

cyclingprop

Acquire tennis ball. Put on the floor and lie on it, so it sits in the crevice made by your shoulder blade. Roll around to manipulate any muscle cramping. Take painkillers.

Oh yeah, dont forget that biiig mug of mtfu that's waiting for you. It's gonna hurt

optimisticbiker

If it is badly bruised internally its going to hurt - a lot - for a while. When I broke my collar bone most of the pain was the bruising to the shoulder joint. Anti-inflammatories (Ibrufen) and Icing the joint will help. you may find you'll need to sleep propped up which will be less painful than lying down. If its not easing in 3 or 4 days then a return visit is needed...

MarksMintness

a friend of mine had Similar style symptoms from a snowboarding accident. Could be damaged rotator cuff or related ligaments and tendons? Is say stay off it for a while if that's possible? If you don't and it is a bad injury it could take best part of 12 months to subside.

rolf_f

Greg66 wrote:

A few years ago I broke a rib. I went to A&E a and was told it wasn't broken. I just had a bruise.

Took 7 weeks to heal, and I now have a nice little lump on the impact point like you see on a formerly broken and now healed clavicle.

I've had this - probably about 8 years back. I could feel the lump when reading in bed (propped up on my elbow) for a couple of years at least - and then one day I became aware that the lump and the slight discomfort had gone! Stuff can take a long time to repair when you are a bit older!

mtb-idle

I had a similar off a year ago on black ice and went down heavily on my hip and my shoulder. It happened so fast i was still holding the bars when i hit the deck.

Felt like I'd been kicked really hard in the bollocks for about two weeks but also my shoulder really, really hurt in the way you describe.

Went to GP and x-ray confirmed it wasn't broken so I got a referral to a physio under my company health insurance.

3 visits and it was sorted.

Blacktemplar

Initialised wrote:

Am I just being a wuss? YES
Should I have not wasted their time with a mere soft-tissue injury? YES
Do I just need to suck it up? YES

What do you think?

MTFU

Seriously, you should keep an eye on it. As MarksMintness said it could be rotator cuff damage, or possibly your AC joint, particularly if the pain's at the front of your shoulder near the end of your collarbone. Ice and ibuprofen helps. I came down on an elbow in June, tweaking my ACJ and it's taken nearly seven months to heal.

il_principe

If it's really sore then I'd seek a second opinion. When I broke my clavicle A&E were awful - diagnosed a "break that will heal on its own". Invited to get dressed and told to leave, not even given painkillers or a sling - I couldn't physically get my top back on without assistance and plenty of hurt. Went to St. Thomas' the next day who grimaced at the X-ray quality, sorted me out with a sling and prescribed surgery...

il_principe

Greg66 wrote:

a few years ago I had a high speed skiing crash. Airborne for about 40 feet,

Fook. 40 ft must've give you plenty of thinking time!

tailwindhome

Greg66 wrote:

a few years ago I had a high speed skiing crash. Airborne for about 40 feet, on landing hyperextended both knees, rammed my right shoulder and right side of my head into the ground.

No one mention the H word.

mudcow007

OptimisticBiker wrote:

If it is badly bruised internally its going to hurt - a lot - for a while. When I broke my collar bone most of the pain was the bruising to the shoulder joint.

+1000000

i hit a car when i was 15

yes i was riding along the pavement but i didnt know better, crossed a small blind corner an smacked straight into the side of the car - after apologising to the car owner i tried to straight the wheel on my bike to be hit with a massive pain in my collar bone

i think it was 6 weeks til i was reet, i was riding the next day or so though

greg66_tri_v2.0

Il Principe wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

a few years ago I had a high speed skiing crash. Airborne for about 40 feet,

Fook. 40 ft must've give you plenty of thinking time!

Oh yeah. And they weren't happy thoughts either.

Initialised

Thanks for that, I broke my ring finger in the distant past (over the handle bars of a BMX) and got sent home only for my mum to get a call a couple of days later saying that there was actually a fracture. It doesn't bend right at the knuckle but at the time my hand swelled up pretty bad. Odd thing about the shoulder is there was no swelling at all.

Any way, I took her advice (I swear she emhasised soft every time she said soft tissue damage) and popped plenty of ibuprofen, codeine and paracetamol, put in a full day at work, only had to get help with the bigger PCs, swore a lot when it hurt and kept stretching. I rode home tonight, I'd left the bike at work, stuck to the cycle paths and avoided steeper climbs where I could, it wasn't too bad, unless I needed to yank at the bars, so held off the shoulder wrestling. Hurt like hell when I stopped though.

Pain is mostly toward the top of my arm especially as I lift or drop it through horizontal. I think I landed on my forearm and pulled it away from the shoulder. Body armour next winter I think.

Initialised

Greg66 wrote:

ETA: you're in for a really uncomfortable night and it will hurt even more tomorrow. Break out the painkillers. Just sayin'.

Half a bottle of liquid pain killer did the trick last night.

Blue Meanie

Fresh pineapple fruit has secret natural anti-swelling properties, good for soft tissue damage recovery.
Has to be fresh, but can be added to a liquid, homemade smoothie, add chilled vodka and crushed ice to taste.

Twostage

Initialised wrote:

Greg66 wrote:

ETA: you're in for a really uncomfortable night and it will hurt even more tomorrow. Break out the painkillers. Just sayin'.

Half a bottle of liquid pain killer did the trick last night.

I find that helps
Sub zero forecast for the morning so steady away. A second grounding would be a nightmare.

Initialised

No, worries, the Snow Stud's can handle ice, maybe not at 20mph but I'll be taking it slower for a while, might avoid that corner for a bit, don't fancy any more damage this Winter. Hopefully the first and last off of the year.

Initialised

Just a quick update, I got a letter this morning, the X-Ray was reviewed and there appears to be a slight abnormality.

I'll blag a copy for the topless injuries thread if I can as I was topless when the photo was taken.

PBo

Blue Meanie wrote:

Fresh pineapple fruit has secret natural anti-swelling properties, good for soft tissue damage recovery.
Has to be fresh, but can be added to a liquid, homemade smoothie, add chilled vodka and crushed ice to taste.

Mr Pin E. Apple wrote:

SHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Don't tell them! They'll all want one!

itboffin

Yeh a&e gave me 2 parrots eat em all and sent me on my way, 6 months and surgery later ....

@greg66 I didn't realise you could break a rib wanking

Initialised

itboffin wrote:

@greg66 I didn't realise you could break a rib wanking

Must have been a White Knuckle Shuffle[TM]

greg66_tri_v2.0

itboffin wrote:

Yeh a&e gave me 2 parrots eat em all and sent me on my way, 6 months and surgery later ....

@greg66 I didn't realise you could break a rib wanking

Oh no! Is this on top of your suspiciously busted shoulder?

At this rate you'll be getting a Gold loyalty card from Specsavers, me boy.

Twostage

Initialised wrote:

Just a quick update, I got a letter this morning, the X-Ray was reviewed and there appears to be a slight abnormality.

I think they enjoy leaving you dangling. When do they reveal what the slight abnormality is ?

Initialised

I'm going in on Monday.

Fancy propping me up along Scotswood Road?

fossyant

Shoulders aren't good in a crash.

Why were you trying to corner fast on snow studs ? Jesus. Got them on the MTB and the scrabbling they do on tarmac on corners...sheesh. Take it slow, even not icy !

Never mind diesel.

Initialised

Don't know really, I'd managed 17mph average the day before (not bad for rigid MTB on Snow Studs), perhaps I pushed too hard. Looking back at me endomondo stats I've taken that corner at 20 odd mph before, probably in dry conditions. I reckon I was only doing ~17-19 at the time.

The crud I slipped in hasn't washed out of my trousers.

The bugger hurts more since I read the letter!

Initialised

Greg66 wrote:

itboffin wrote:

Yeh a&e gave me 2 parrots eat em all and sent me on my way, 6 months and surgery later ....

@greg66 I didn't realise you could break a rib wanking

Oh no! Is this on top of your suspiciously busted shoulder?

At this rate you'll be getting a Gold loyalty card from Specsavers, me boy.

That's some XtremeMasturbation.com right there

Twostage

Initialised wrote:

I'm going in on Monday.

Fancy propping me up along Scotswood Road?

I will be heading along that way, probably around 8:45 ish so we could meet up.
The inscrutable comment in your letter about the anomaly reminds me of when I had an ECG and the doctor said my heart was 'normal for me'. When I asked what they meant they said my heart was vertical rather than being at an angle. I'm hoping that one day it's going to save my life like Dr No from James Bond.

veronese68

When I broke my ribs I overheard a nurse look at my Xrays and say "Wow, even I can see they're #ucked!" Does that count as an anomaly?

Initialised

I headed in a bit earlier so I guess we missed each other. Still managed to scalp a lycra'd up roadie (on the may to A&E with a broken shoulder on a Rigid MTB on snow studs. My FCN must be through the roof).

Anyway I was diagnosed as having a chip in my shoulder. There's a crack in the Humeral Great Tumeral apparently.