I injured my shoulder last week when I fell and put my arm out to cushion the fall. It was really painful. No injury to my wrist, forearm or elbow but the pain is all in my shoulder. I had an x-ray which showed no fractures but I can't lift my arm up. If I try to lift it up, I get bad pain in the shoulder and it feels like someone has gripped my shoulder very tight. My fear is that I have damaged the tendons/ligaments. I understand that they can take longer to heal than broken bones. I've applied for an appointment for physio. I've got to call back in three days for confirmation. The doc said this injury is common in skiers trying to prevent themselves from falling over. Has anyone had a similar injury and how long did it take to clear up? Thanks.
No I haven't had this injury.
This sounds very much like frozen shoulder which man occur following injury to the shoulder.
Onw also needs to rule out diabetes and under active thyroid both of which predispose to frozen shoulder (Capsulitis of the shoulder)
Now the bad news....despite treatment it will take at least 6months to return to normal and maybe more........good luck.
For treatments, Google ..Frozen Shoulder.
I had this type of injury when I put my arm out when falling on the stairs. I was in agony for 3 months - diagnosed as rotor cuff injury - tried painkillers, tens, physio and nothing really helped until GP finally let me have a cortisone injection which was a bit of a miracle cure. However at the time I was told shoulder injuries take a long time to heal and even 5 years down the road the affected arm doesn't quite have the mobility it should.