Arm/Shoulder Pain?

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dancook

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Dan
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Photographed a "candlelit" orchestra last night with the Sony 400mm 2.8 handheld at 1/60th - on one hand, it works, on the other hand my shoulder/upper arm has been in pain for months. (and no a monopod is not the answer or a possibility)

Anyone else been through arm pain? I can't think what else I could be doing to it other than supporting the weight of my camera (frequently not with a 400mm).
 
Thanks, reading about the rotator cuff - acute or degenerative tear.

I remember that I fell down the stairs and that actually could be when the pain started.
 
dancook said:
Photographed a "candlelit" orchestra last night with the Sony 400mm 2.8 handheld at 1/60th - on one hand, it works, on the other hand my shoulder/upper arm has been in pain for months. (and no a monopod is not the answer or a possibility)

Anyone else been through arm pain? I can't think what else I could be doing to it other than supporting the weight of my camera (frequently not with a 400mm).
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As above by @benc98 you should get the issue diagnosed.

But in regard to support, what about a chestpod, that should relieve weight bearing strain on the shoulder and arm but not positional discomfort if that is part of your source of pain & discomfort.
 
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dancook said:
Thanks, reading about the rotator cuff - acute or degenerative tear.

I remember that I fell down the stairs and that actually could be when the pain started.
Click to expand...
I had a rotator cuff injury late last year - physio helped at first, but after a while stopped getting any improvement - ended up with an MRI which showed calcification in one of the tendons (apparently that something that just sometimes happens, and they don't really know why) so then had to have a steroid injection into the shoulder, which cleared it all up.
 
Could be a lot of things, Arthritis for one (you dont have to be old) But with any arm pains that last you should get it checked out properly.
 
Another one afflicted by rotator cuff strain - it was excrutiating.

Do you work and if so, does your employer provide health insurance? If so, make use of that. In my case I was referred very quickly and attended 5 sessions with a physio in Teddington. Cue gruelling stretches and plenty of daily exercises and I am now 99% pain free and able to hold my 500/4 for sustained periods without any issue.

If the help is available and free, make use of it. Hope you get it sorted, I know how it feels and it really does degrade quality of life (especially if you can't sleep on one side).
 
welshwizard645 said:
Another one afflicted by rotator cuff strain - it was excrutiating.

Do you work and if so, does your employer provide health insurance? If so, make use of that. In my case I was referred very quickly and attended 5 sessions with a physio in Teddington. Cue gruelling stretches and plenty of daily exercises and I am now 99% pain free and able to hold my 500/4 for sustained periods without any issue.

If the help is available and free, make use of it. Hope you get it sorted, I know how it feels and it really does degrade quality of life (especially if you can't sleep on one side).
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I'm a self-employed photographer, and no.

I normally sleep on my side, on the arm that hurts - so yes it is a pain in the.. arm.


Just tried 111 online and it said i'm basically fine and to apply an ice pack every few hours, tried calling the surgery and i have to wait until after 3pm to make non-urgent calls - will request an econsult.
 
icepack will only dampen the pain, which will get worse over time....good idea to start with an econsult and if you can get referred to a physiotherapist you will be on the way to getting fixed.

Hopefully they will start by giving you some simple exercises where you press against the doorframe trying to activate some muscles.. Plenty of gentle exercises online, but doorpress is a good start....

Fingers crossed it works out for you.
 
Thanks, hopefully I don't make it worse in the meantime! December is busy busy.
 
I would just go to a private physio - NHS physios, at least where I am, tend to have a very long waiting list. With my most recent knee injury, I went to the sports physio who looks after our local ice hockey team and they were able to see me quickly and got me back on my way with plenty of exercises to do.
 
I have not long got over a Rotator Cuff injury after a year of shoulder pain.
Anti-inflammatory tablets and physio certainly helped.
Not too sure what set it off but it could have been age, or even shooting hand held with my Sony 200-600 certainly aggravated it.
I managed to photograph our local Gannets but missed out on the Puffins this year.
In future, I'll be mounting the lens on a monopod
 
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I have recently, well I say recently its been a while had some health issues.

It started with pain in my in my right foot and then pain in my hip, back, shoulder and upper arm, all on my right hand side. I put it down to constantly lugging gear about at weddings and stupidly ignored it. I did contact the docs about 18 months ago as it had become much more severe but with having to wait 3/4 weeks for just a telephone appointment I just ignored it as best as I could and tried to manage with pain killers.

It is difficult when you are self employed to take the time to sort stuff like this. Things escalated over the last year or so to the point were I couldn't sleep due to the pain. Even the weight of a duvet would cause extreme discomfort. I also started getting occasional pains in my chest. At one wedding in particular, I felt very ill, was having problems breathing and was very sore. Was waiting for the first dance and realised that I was completely numb down my right hand side, was very scary couldn't move my arm etc. Managed to come round and was determined to try and get to speak to a doctor but in the middle of that, was right in the middle of a busy period and my wife became ill and wasn't able to work for a period of time. We shoot weddings together so I just had to suck it up and get on with it.

For a good while I had noticed that my eye sight was deteriorating so a couple of months ago I went to the opticians and had an eye test done, Turns out I needed glasses for reading, after the scans etc. they referred me to the docs as there was some shadows behind my eyes. Thanks to the letter from the opticians I was able to get a telephone appointment with the docs and they asked for some blood tests etc. After the blood tests they diagnosed that I have a small heart issue, an issue with my kidneys and diabetes. Since then I have been to the docs for various tests etc. every few days. They are now telling me that I also have fibromyalgia.

I now have a bucket full of tablets to take every day which have their own side effects. Some of the issues are my own fault basically for not doing anything about it sooner. It is very likely that the diabetes has caused the problem with my foot which means that part of my foot will always be numb and the rest of it will always be painful, it also caused issues with my eyesight and contributed towards the issues with my heart and kidneys. They have told me that the issues with my heart and kidneys can be managed by the medication.

It has meant a huge change in lifestyle and to work as well. I simply can no longer do 3-4 weddings in a row so will have to book less work.

Obviously not saying that you are having similar issues but I wouldn't just ignore it even if the docs it seems don't want to see you, insist on getting an appointment and getting some tests done.
 
I suffer acute pain in my right shoulder and, to a lesser degree, the upper arm. Physio says it is linked to arthritis in my neck. I also have arthritis in my right wrist and sometimes suffer pain when I grip (an X-T2 ended up in the river Stour because of this). Exercises on the neck really help the shoulder, a support helps the wrist.
 
f/2.8 said:
I have recently, well I say recently its been a while had some health issues.

It started with pain in my in my right foot and then pain in my hip, back, shoulder and upper arm, all on my right hand side. I put it down to constantly lugging gear about at weddings and stupidly ignored it. I did contact the docs about 18 months ago as it had become much more severe but with having to wait 3/4 weeks for just a telephone appointment I just ignored it as best as I could and tried to manage with pain killers.

It is difficult when you are self employed to take the time to sort stuff like this. Things escalated over the last year or so to the point were I couldn't sleep due to the pain. Even the weight of a duvet would cause extreme discomfort. I also started getting occasional pains in my chest. At one wedding in particular, I felt very ill, was having problems breathing and was very sore. Was waiting for the first dance and realised that I was completely numb down my right hand side, was very scary couldn't move my arm etc. Managed to come round and was determined to try and get to speak to a doctor but in the middle of that, was right in the middle of a busy period and my wife became ill and wasn't able to work for a period of time. We shoot weddings together so I just had to suck it up and get on with it.

For a good while I had noticed that my eye sight was deteriorating so a couple of months ago I went to the opticians and had an eye test done, Turns out I needed glasses for reading, after the scans etc. they referred me to the docs as there was some shadows behind my eyes. Thanks to the letter from the opticians I was able to get a telephone appointment with the docs and they asked for some blood tests etc. After the blood tests they diagnosed that I have a small heart issue, an issue with my kidneys and diabetes. Since then I have been to the docs for various tests etc. every few days. They are now telling me that I also have fibromyalgia.

I now have a bucket full of tablets to take every day which have their own side effects. Some of the issues are my own fault basically for not doing anything about it sooner. It is very likely that the diabetes has caused the problem with my foot which means that part of my foot will always be numb and the rest of it will always be painful, it also caused issues with my eyesight and contributed towards the issues with my heart and kidneys. They have told me that the issues with my heart and kidneys can be managed by the medication.

It has meant a huge change in lifestyle and to work as well. I simply can no longer do 3-4 weddings in a row so will have to book less work.

Obviously not saying that you are having similar issues but I wouldn't just ignore it even if the docs it seems don't want to see you, insist on getting an appointment and getting some tests done.
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Sorry to hear that, doesn't sound good.

I'll also look into costs of a physio, I'm pretty tight with money unless it's on cameras :D
 
One tip, based on my own experience, is to look into the Alexander Technique for dealing with muscular / skeletal problems.

www.nhs.uk

Alexander technique

The Alexander technique teaches improved posture and movement, which is believed to help reduce and prevent problems caused by unhelpful habits.
www.nhs.uk www.nhs.uk

In my thirties, I suffered from chronic pain in my my back and legs. My GP advised me to give this a try. I booked myself onto a local course (which turned out to be intended for users who wished to teach the subject - but that's a whole different story) and practiced the simple rules until they became second nature.

In the decades since, I've had few of the symptoms that afflicted me previously and when they do come, a little extra concentration on practicing the rules soon dismisses them.
 
welshwizard645 said:
icepack will only dampen the pain, which will get worse over time....good idea to start with an econsult and if you can get referred to a physiotherapist you will be on the way to getting fixed.

Hopefully they will start by giving you some simple exercises where you press against the doorframe trying to activate some muscles.. Plenty of gentle exercises online, but doorpress is a good start....

Fingers crossed it works out for you.
Click to expand...

After 40 or so years of having a dodgy shoulder (dislocated while playing rugby - dislocation reduced and I went back on...), a physio friend of Mrs Nod's suggested the door frame press and it sorted the problem almost completely in a week! I still do it a few times a week and, touch wood, haven't had a recurrence of the problem.
 
I know you said a monopod was not an option BUT at the track over the past couple of years I have seen Pro Sport Shooters using what looks like a monopod but the bottom was connected/resting/held up by a belt.

It allows lot more mobility than a pure monopod, wonder if it is worth looking into as it could held with the arm pain?
 
Knikki said:
I know you said a monopod was not an option BUT at the track over the past couple of years I have seen Pro Sport Shooters using what looks like a monopod but the bottom was connected/resting/held up by a belt.

It allows lot more mobility than a pure monopod, wonder if it is worth looking into as it could held with the arm pain?
Click to expand...

I don't know what those are called to google search it correctly, I have to be able to run with it, up and down stairs, and switch between the 400mm 2.8 and 70-200mm without making a scene as it's a serious event and there's an audience. Currently I can just place the 400mm 2.8 lens down on the floor very gently whilst I switch to my shoulder strapped camera with 70-200. I then also switch out the 400mm for the 24-70 for a few wider shots.

I don't think it's the lens which has caused the problem, I think it was the falling down the stairs - and it only just means that something like this will stop it healing as quickly as it could. But from mid-december I will have a good month without work to rest my arm a little..

I did an econsult and the response was to phone the surgery for a pre-physio appointment, i phoned after 3pm like it says to do on the answer phone and there were 12 in the queue - I didn't wait on the phone and I haven't gone yet.
 
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Patience should have its reward, so wait in the phone queue. You'll never get anything done (on the NHS) unless you put some effort in.
 
dancook said:
I don't know what those are called to google search it correctly,
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They were called Chestpods and there are versions still available. This is from the !965-66 Wallace Heaton catalogue...

Chestpod picture Wallace Heaton catalogue 1965-66 TZ70 P1040037.jpg

Chestpod description Wallace Heaton catalogue 1965-66 TZ70 P1040038.JPG
 
Umm .. yes.. I think my arm will probably be better by the time I next photograph an orchestra with the 400mm, spring concert probably
 
Could be a trapped nerve or bursitis, well worth seeing a physio, I've had several shoulder issues and a good physio has always sorted it. Bursitis needs a steroid injection
 
My last few jobs of the year are next week, by then I should be over my cold then I try NHS again
 
As someone still active in sports and exercise more than a 49 year old reasonably should, I’m a regular at my local sports physio. I never use the NHS for physio simply because - at least round here - it takes months to get a referral, at which point things are invariably worse. When my daughter ended up using them they completely messed up the treatment and wasted 9 months of appointments and the associated opportunity to resolve the problem.

A competent physio will be assess the issue based on mobility, pain, circumstance, etc and give a proper diagnosis and treatment / exercise program.

I’ve had rotator cuff problems in my shoulders brought on by years of impacts and lifting heavy things, and I initially saw the physio at work who told me that ‘sleeping on your side should be banned’, as while it’s rarely the cause of problems it can aggravate problems caused by something else. Shoulders are hard to treat with massage etc, and respond best to rest and stretching exercises (which you should really keep on doing thereafter).
 
people should exercise and or do some sport .. endnote .. living comfortable life without using body leads to ending up with doctors and physiotherapists ... and it's shame .. it's never late to start .. I am from family with strong Sokol and Scouting tradition ... so yeah, I had kind of "unfair" advantage in my life because I've been led to these principles and philosophy all my life .. but it works magically and as I wrote above - it's never late to start, even from square one ..

I don't want to bore anybody with some personal stories but in short - I've witnessed on other people and experienced myself multiple times, that recovering-through-exercise is something that ultimately works in all scenarios ..
 
In the past I've had a few 'frozen shoulders' that were very painful that required physio to clear up. I could hardly get one arm through the straps of a backpack, same holding a camera up high or reaching up to a shelf. Also if I jared myself it was very painful. The first time I had a cortisone injection at my surgery, but that was ineffective. Am glad it hasn't returned for a long time.
 
ilikebowens said:
Gabapentin in the shortish term might help. Talk to your doctor.
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I’d almost forgot about this until I Managed to make the rotary cuff tear much worse, last week, with a bit of Rasputin, and was in a lot of pain.

I talked to the dr surgery, they gave me a first contact physio appointment then an actual physio appointment booked for three weeks later, feb 1st.

I pointed out I could not sleep due to the pain so a GP called me later and prescribed 100 painkiller tablets. They barely took the edge off and It took about 5 days before I could sleep through the night.

Fortunately the pain has settled enough that I won’t need to cancel any work bookings.
 
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I have had both shoulders “done”. A few years ago I had an impingement in my right shoulder. Surgery cured that. Then last year I was diagnosed with a frozen shoulder on the left. Very limited movement. Had hydrodistension, which immediately restored full movement but needed physio for a few months and co-codamol for several months to resolve the pain. Now just need to sort the knees out!
 
Roto cuff huh. I tore a roto cuff putting a set of tire chains on a class truck years ago. Hurt so bad I couldn't even turn the ignition key to start the truck. They sewed it up but seems it was quite a while before I could use that arm again. Seems I couldn't even lift my hand to my face! Long time ago!
 
Knikki said:
I know you said a monopod was not an option BUT at the track over the past couple of years I have seen Pro Sport Shooters using what looks like a monopod but the bottom was connected/resting/held up by a belt.

It allows lot more mobility than a pure monopod, wonder if it is worth looking into as it could held with the arm pain?
Click to expand...
I've seen those, you can get a belt rod rest for fishing, and theres a similar gadget for flag carriers.
 
dancook said:
Photographed a "candlelit" orchestra last night with the Sony 400mm 2.8 handheld at 1/60th - on one hand, it works, on the other hand my shoulder/upper arm has been in pain for months. (and no a monopod is not the answer or a possibility)

Anyone else been through arm pain? I can't think what else I could be doing to it other than supporting the weight of my camera (frequently not with a 400mm).
Click to expand...
Have an MRI scan asap to rule out anything serious. Then a visit to a chiropractor would be my choice as I've always found modern day physios pathetic. After that continue with a balanced upper body exercise plan.
 
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