bpi/winged scapula

[admin]

Hello Everyone! I'm a newbie, to the thread and to Winging. I've had the injury for almost 2 months. I do not have BPI, but have resorted to this message board, because it seems like the only place to go to find fellow "wingers".

I actually woke up one Sunday morning with severe pain to my neck, right side of my back and right arm. I have seen three Orthopaedic Surgeons and they are all telling me to wait the 12-18 months, to allow the nerve to heal on it's own.

An EMG was done a month ago and confirms LTN palsy, with no response from the nerve at all.

Two of the Ortho's and the neurologist stated, no lifting or major use of the right arm. I am a racecar driver ~ they are telling me not to race or work on the car either. They also highly recommend Physical Therapy.

Then I see this other Ortho today and he's telling me to do whatever I want with it.Recommends no Physical Therapy, just no weight lifting. I'm ready to pull my hair out.

I really don't have pain anymore unless I do use it to lift something heavy. The winging is severe and I certainly don't feel like I have upper strength at all in the right arm.

I understand the whole "frozen shoulder" while bracing, and I figured maybe that's why it is so hard to find one.

I was wondering have any of your doctors given limitation of use? Do they or you recommend PT?

I'm in Chicago, if any of you have found a pro-active doctor in the area, please let me know. I do have an appointment with another Doc, just starting to lose hope.

Any help is appreciated.

Congratulations Mike!! Hope you are well underway to the road of recovery!

[admin]

Hello all. I'm new here to the board, I've been lurking around for the past few weeks, since my diagnosis. I too, have a winging scapula, however, not BPI. An EMG performed about a month ago confirmed, LTN palsy, with no response from the entire nerve.

I've been to 3 Orthopaedic surgeons, 2 telling me not to do any strenuous activity with the arm (including the nuerologist who performed the EMG), I qam a racecar driver and I also work on the cars ~ they've told not to do either of these. And 1 today telling me I can do whatever I want.

It's so aggravating, I don't know who to believe.

I'm in Chicago, and if anyone has insight on who to see in the area I would greatly appreciate it.

The cause to my injury is unknown. I actually woke up one Sunday morning with severe neck, back and arm pain on the right side with very little upper arm strength.

I wish everyone the best of luck and thank you for all the posts, education is key.

Congrats to those who have opted for the surgery and I wish you all a speedy recovery!

[admin]

Hi, I'm new to the board, but have read many of the messages posted over the past week. I recently found out that I have WS. We (the therapist and I) believe that it may have started in November of 04 but was only recently noticed when I made a doctors appointment for complaints of shoulder pain. The doctor didn't notice it but sent me to a therapist for some therapy. It was only then when the PT was examining me and doing measurements that WS was noticed, BTW, he had never come across a WS case in the 20 years he has practiced.

I am a 33 year old woman when a 10 month old daughter. I dont have much pain in that area, just acking nagging muscle pain. Sometimes I have pain in other parts of my shoulder due to compensating the use of the muscles. My biggest complaint is that I can't hold my daughter for very long or roughhouse with her very much (which she loves) due to the limitations I have in raising my arm.

I went to a neurologist this past Tuesday, I don't think he had a clue what he was talking about, everything he told me contradicts everything I have read about WS. Needless to say I wont be back to see him, but he has schedule me for an EMG which I will be having done today.

I live in West Virginia, moved here from Baltimore, MD 2 years ago. I have not been too pleased with the doctors or hospitials that I have had deal with so far in this part of the world. Seems like no one has a clue around here. Luckly my PT has done some research on WS since the diagnosis, I am pleased with him, to spite the fact that he has never had a patient with this problem, he is doing everything in his power to help me. I need to see a doctor so that my therapist and I can get an idea on what type of treatment we should be doing and what exercises will benefit me. If anyone knows of a doctor in the Pennsylvania or North Eastern part of WV, please let me know. I want to be able to throw my daugher in the air and put her on my shoulders and play with her, she's my life and I need to do what I can to get back to normal.

[admin]

Roughhousing with a 10 month old baby?? Sounds dangerous to me...for the wee one that is.
Perhaps you could start a new thread with regard to the doctor in your area issue...messages tend to get lost in very long threads.
All the best!

[jennyb]

Have you tried looking in the medical resources section of the website? It's reachable from the home page.
I have to disagree with null about the roughousing with your 10 month old-I look after a baby that age twice a week and he LOVES to play rough, they really need that kind of contact and to me it feels instinctive to do it. My older children roll all over the floor with him, he climbs all over my dogs, I couldn't stop him enjoying his physicality like this if I tried.
I'm sure you will get your WS under control, it's great your therapist is taking so much of an interest, can he put the word out to find someone who might help you? While you're healing, take it from me it's possible to do just as much with your kids even without the use of one arm, I've always had a ball with mine and the real physical stuff was a highlight of all their babyhoods. It's kind of traditional that dads do the rough stuff but I like to do it too.....why should daddy have all the fun! Enjoy your girl while she's still small enough to throw around, because mine throw me around now!
Jen NZ

[admin]

Responding to Mike R, I have a WS which started in 11/04, maybe from too much yoga!

What is decompression surgery, and do you think it's a good idea, in hindsight?

I'm not in pain, which leads me to think I should just live with the WS and the reduced arm use. Do you (or does anyone) know of any exercises one can do to help this, without resorting to surgery? (My doctor keeps telling me, just take Vit B6 100mg 2xday and don't drink alcohol. But I want to do something more, if it's useful, like an exercise.) Thanks for any ideas (and please, if anyone else wants to respond to this, I'd be grateful). Jean

[james]

read eatiler posts on this topic and visit this site.
http://freespace.virgin.net/steven.fromm/

BR james

[admin]

i just found out 4 weeks ago that i have Scapwing my Dr.told me not to go back to work.i have had the winging since 10.im now 27 and its catching up with me ive had mri,x ray emg.most of my leftside back mucsles are weak my trapezius is not hardly there.i cant lift my arm past my shoulder from the side and it dont take long to run out of gas on that side.the doc thinks its congenatal or something maybe nerve damage in the neck area,the emg showed the long thorasic to be active.I have been building powerlines since 18 but now im at home waiting for short term disabity to kick in.then longterm.im doing PT for 4-6 weeks 3x a week to try and build my mucsles backup pre op 4 surgery.hopefully the PT will help and i wont need surgery.doubtful though,the vicadin barely helps the pain, and aleve,mobic,viox,been there done that. i have a 3 yr old boy& a 4 mnt girl and i hold them and rough house him,but it dont take long before im hurting.but thats ok there worth it.the dr disscussed possible surgerys scap fusion,the mucsle tranplant thing,and someother greek stuff. anyways ive been doing my research.thnks 4 letting me unload the meds dont always work on my emotions.feel free to drop a line.

[admin]

Hi
Ive now got winged scapula for the 3rd time! and the doctors just basicly say to me...
"heres some pain killers, it will mend on it own with no stated time"
Is this the norm?
Also how are/do you manage to live with out going to work?

Many thanks
Bert
England

[admin]

You mentioned this is your 3rd time. Did the winging resolve the other 2 times or did you have surgery. My child had winging that resolved and then he fell and the winging started all over again. Does your shoulder dislocate? Did you have any emgs?