Advanced Shoulder Arthritis - How To Deal With It?

[anygunanywhere]

Over the past year I have experienced some extreme shoulder discomfort. It worsened to the point where the pain would wake me up at night.

Short story - diagnosis is advanced arthritis in my right shoulder - my shooting arm. I can't tolerate any recoil from shoulder fired weapons. Pistol recoil is painful as well.

Drawing from concealment is difficult and bringing my weapon up to even try and align a sight picture on a target is excruciating.

I am on some serious steroids and NSAIDS to control the pain.

Has anyone here dealt with this issue and if so, how did you adapt your carry techniques etc?

I expect that I will have to have my joint replaced at some point in the future.

Growing old is not as much fun as it used to be.

Anygunanywhere

[RPB]

Not much to offer but
I had a neural entrapment, and they fixed that, surgery and carpentry (saws, rasps and filing/reshaping/smoothing) on shoulder bones, and removed the bursa.

Your Ortho verifies it is arthritis and not bursitis? Inflamed bursa.

Bursa removal, while not fun is less damaging than joint replacement.

Be careful with those NSAIDS, stomach ulcers.

Now my other shoulder is acting up, overuse and age.

I literally feel your pain.

I quit carrying farther back and carry at 3:00 due to shoulder mobility/ROM Range of Motion.

my Ortho Surgeon in Houston, Prof at Baylor and graduated Harvard med school if i recall.
He keeps a floor full at Methodist/St Lukes and has a bit of "power" at those hospitals.
Can't recall the name ... Wilde maybe. May be retired now, I used him in 1990

[fulano]

My sympathy. I had/have the same problem. I had my right shoulder repaired in 2006 and it is in great shape. The left has been hurting and is getting very weak. I get a shot in the left joint every six months but I'm afraid I'll have to have surgery this fall or next spring as the pain has returned after about 4 months. The Dr told me when the shots don't work for at least six months I should schedule to fix it.

Here is what you are in for. Out patient surgery of 4 to six hours. Four weeks, six weeks or eight weeks of immobility before you can start rehab. Then about 3 to 4 months of rehab. I was immobile for 8 weeks due to advanced damage of my shoulder but after about 3 weeks of rehab, I could tell I had done the right thing.

I am right handed so its good that I got that one fixed first. As for shooting, I don't like to shot trap any more due to the inability of my left arm to handle the weight of my shotgun. I still bird hunt but I can tell (my dog can tell too) that I'm slower getting the gun up. At the range with my pistol, I find I'm fading after about 25 rounds.

This growing old thing sucks.

[anygunanywhere]

Not much to offer but
I had a neural entrapment, and they fixed that, surgery and carpentry (saws, rasps and filing/reshaping/smoothing) on shoulder bones, and removed the bursa.

Your Ortho verifies it is arthritis and not bursitis? Inflamed bursa.

Bursa removal, while not fun is less damaging than joint replacement.

Be careful with those NSAIDS, stomach ulcers.

Now my other shoulder is acting up, overuse and age.

I literally feel your pain.

I quit carrying farther back and carry at 3:00 due to shoulder mobility/ROM Range of Motion.

my Ortho Surgeon in Houston, Prof at Baylor and graduated Harvard med school if i recall.
He keeps a floor full at Methodist/St Lukes and has a bit of "power" at those hospitals.
Can't recall the name ... Wilde maybe. May be retired now, I used him in 1990

I wish it was bursitis.

I will watch the NSAIDS on my tummy. Always best to take with food.

Around the house I have started carrying between 2:00 and 3:00. really comfortable but what is left of my paunch gets in the way. It is easier to draw.

Anygunanywhere

[cougartex]

Be careful with those NSAIDS, stomach ulcers.

I was taking NSAIDS for shoulder pain due to arthritis and developed stomach ulcers. Stoped the NSAIDS, have not had problems with ulcers. Pistol recoil does not bother me, but rifle recoil does.

[Jim Lockey]

Find a GOOD orthopedic surgion and let HIM tell you what is needed. I had both shoulders done at 64 and 74 and all is doing well.
They can't tell what to do until they do a MRI.

[RPBrown]

I had surgery on the left shoulder 10 years ago and it fixed it. 6 years ago I started having the same problems in my right shoulder to the point I could not raise my arm straight out. Okay, here we go again.

The wife insisted that I try accupuncture before surgery. I was skeptical at best but to please her (yes dear) I went. I was surprized when I had better than 50% mobility after the first treatment and 100% pain free movement after 4 treatments.

I am now a believer or at least I will try this prior to any surgery.

[Salty1]

If I was in that situation I would be carrying a gun with crimson trace grips and have them properly sighted in. That way if you needed your handgun it is simple as point and shoot from the waist level, (I imagined that may be easier said than done. For a firearm it would most likely be a LCR revolver and carried around the 1:00 to 2:00 position to limit shoulder rotation. Hope everything works out for ya.....

[03Lightningrocks]

Over the past year I have experienced some extreme shoulder discomfort. It worsened to the point where the pain would wake me up at night.

Short story - diagnosis is advanced arthritis in my right shoulder - my shooting arm. I can't tolerate any recoil from shoulder fired weapons. Pistol recoil is painful as well.

Drawing from concealment is difficult and bringing my weapon up to even try and align a sight picture on a target is excruciating.

I am on some serious steroids and NSAIDS to control the pain.

Has anyone here dealt with this issue and if so, how did you adapt your carry techniques etc?

I expect that I will have to have my joint replaced at some point in the future.

Growing old is not as much fun as it used to be.

Anygunanywhere

Wish I had an answer for you. Sorry to read your having a problem like this. I was told by the doctors last year that I had arthritis setting up in my spine. They operated and fused together my top three disks in my neck and told me to do exercises to strenghthen the neck muscles. I was told they could not do much for it. They told me it was just a part of getting older! I wish you the best with it though.

[Ropin]

A couple of our members posted a fantastic write-up in the holsters section about the use of a horizontal shoulder holster. (I'm about to have to run to work, so I don't have time to dig up a link...my apologies.)

I think it was Flintknapper and TAM. Regardless, you might find that thread and read up on that possibility?

Best of luck.

[Divided Attention]

JMPHO - I had MAJOR restriction in movement and pain and trouble sleeping because of shoulder and elbow issues. Some mild impingement sydrome and MAJOR tendonitis/bursitis issues. They wanted to prescribe narcotic pain reliever and heavy duty anti-inflammatory Rx. I was already taking so much OTC NSAIDS, I didn't want to torture my GI with stronger ones. I cannot function with narcotics, and wanted the problem fixed!

I found an accupunturist and had about 4 treatments and I am doing great! Not that this is the answer for every problem, but think it is worth consideration for decreasing inflammation especially.

Good luck!

[TDDude]

I had surgery on the left shoulder 10 years ago and it fixed it. 6 years ago I started having the same problems in my right shoulder to the point I could not raise my arm straight out. Okay, here we go again.

The wife insisted that I try accupuncture before surgery. I was skeptical at best but to please her (yes dear) I went. I was surprized when I had better than 50% mobility after the first treatment and 100% pain free movement after 4 treatments.

I am now a believer or at least I will try this prior to any surgery.

Don't blow off alternatives to traditional medicine.

I've never used acupuncture but I do use a homeopathic doctor for most of my ailments. A year or so ago I went in and asked what I could do to control my arthritis as I was having joints that were bugging me. My knees and hands were getting unbearable. My biggest fear is ending up like my dad with both knees having to be replaced and he was still in constant pain.

My doc told me that most chronic arthritis is caused by an undiagnosed food allergy. We did a quick test and found out I’m allergic to wheat. I cut out wheat and my arthritis is gone; absolutely no pain at all. Of course, I do cheat from time to time but it only confirms the original diagnosis. For example, I had a couple of scones last night with coffee and this morning my hands are stiff. Had I eaten a couple more scones my hands would be stiff and sore. Had I eaten a nice big sirloin burger with a whole wheat bun and a slice of carrot cake for dessert, I wouldn’t be able to type this note. My hands wouldn't have the strength to remove my pistol from the holster.

Most doctors are specialists and they will find what they specialize in. Get opinions from all over and leave nothing out.

[Jim Lockey]

I had my rotators fixed in 1997 (right) and 2006 (left), Been taking nsaids off and on since 1997. No stomach problems and both shoulders work normally. Each time it took sseveral months of hard work to get them back to noraml. Good luck to you.

Jimmy

[PUCKER]

I feel for you. My left shoulder (I'm a righty, but when I was a teenager I broke my right wrist in a motorcycle wreck so I learned to use my left hand for alot of things, even better than my right, crazy, eh?) started hurting a few months back and now I have a decrease in range of motion. Not sure what it is, I've got an appointment with an ortho buddy of mine scheduled. I just want the pain to go away and to get full range of motion back. I'll tell you what, it really reinforces the NEED for CHL, as I'm not 100% anymore, meaning, to defend myself physically (without a gun/knife, etc) will be more difficult with a boogered shoulder.

[2farnorth]

I was recently diagnosed with a major torn tendon in my right shoulder. And I am of course right handed. I'm scheduled for surgery day after tomorrow. In the meantime I've been useing my left hand/arm for a lot of things I've never used it for before. I've even practiced with my carry weapon from the left side. That's easier than trying to brush my teeth left handed. lol.. But I'm finding that I can do most things except write with it. I'll get by til I get my right functioning again.