Why am I always hurt?

[Skittl1321]

So after being sidelined a few years ago for my knees, and then being sidelined last year for my hip, and briefly a few years ago due to a shoulder injury- I'm having a good year.  My knees bother me, but I can control it, my hips bother me, but as long as I stay away from spirals I'm mostly good.  My shoulder sometimes catches, but it's doing okay.  I entered a competition for June, so I've been anticipating something acting up to get me off the ice, so I wasted a ton of money (not just the competition, but joining a club, getting dresses, etc.)

Well here it is.  I have no idea why- but I have a horrible pain in my deltoid, at least since Saturday afternoon, I can't recall if it hurt earlier.  I know it didn't interupt Saturday morning skating.  I can't sleep because I'm in so much pain. It hadn't really been badly hurting during the day (just when I moved the arm) but today it hurts even at rest.  I can't lift my arm above maybe 45 degrees.  So pretty much all figure skating arms are out.

WTH!  Why am I always injured?

I'm not going to the doctor until it's so bad I can't move, because I feel like I'm there all the time.  But I'm in so much pain I want to curl up in a ball and cry.  That might be the tired talking too.

I have LTS tonight, and a choreography lesson tomorrow.  Guess I'll just have to see what I can do... 

[drskater]

((((Skittl)))))

I am so sorry you are in pain and feel bad that your spirits are low. I wish I knew the exact thing to say to comfort you. Pain is more than just uncomfortable. It is stressful and affects mood health.

You haven't mentioned if you've seen a doctor (bloodwork, tests) to determine if you might have an underlying condition that may be contributing to your problems. Could something like this be possible?

I know how you feel. In the past  six weeks I've been sick with the plague; caught the heel of my blade in my skating pants (yikes), and stabbed myself with a pair of scissors so badly I had to go the emergency room for stitches.

Wish I could help in a more meaningful and substantial way. You do have my best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

[Hanca]

I know how it feels, Skittl1321. Last year I was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome. I was loosing control over my feet. It was really scary and I wasn't sure if I would even be able to walk in the future. After several stressful months it went away, completely without any reason, just as it slowly crept on me, it slowly went away. Then it was taking me ages to get the fitness back and when I was nearly there, I tore my meniscus, had a knee surgery and was off ice for about three months. And then I again needed to get my fitness back. In total I lost probably a year and my skills are still not where they were a year ago (jumps and spins).  Life is unfair and sometimes it sucks, but it will be easier if you manage to stay positive. (Very hard to do though!)

[Skittl1321]

I haven't been to my doctor recently, because I feel like I'm always there, so I hate going- because I don't want to be a pain.

Last year she really fought the insurance company for me to get an MRI paid for of my neck (I have spinal cord damage from when I broke my neck) so I know that she cares enough to go to bat with them for me, but I just hate bringing in a new problem every month- I just feel like it seems like I'm making it up, since there is SO much.  (Non-injury- I also have digestive issues, and previously had dizziness issues- that just floored me for months, and then went away.)

I'm just so tired of it.

I took some Advil, and the pain is slightly less, so hopefully I can still keep skating, and it will just go away.  Time seems to heal all wounds- as 99% of my problems just go away unexplained...but sometimes after a few years.

[fsk8r]

So what if you're keeping the medical profession in hot dinners? By the time your in your 80s you'll be doing it anyway (unless you get really lucky), so you're just in training at the moment.
I do know exactly what you're meaning though. I'm permanently going to get referrals and painkillers for ongoing back problems which puts me off going for anything else.

I would recommend that if your shoulder is hurting to take some painkillers. If the muscles are in spasm the painkillers will help you relax and break the spasm.

[Skittl1321]

The muscles aren't noticeably spasming.  The Advil bought me about 20 minutes of no-pain, but it's back now.  I hate taking medicine, so I'm hesitant to take more.  I already had 2... I think i'm suppose to wait another 4 hours before I have more.

[Hanca]

Have you tried Ibuprofen with codein? That works for me.  Ibuprofen relaxes muscles, and codein is quite a strong painkiller.

[Skittl1321]

I'm allergic to codeine, but I don't think you can get anything that strength over the counter.

My thumb is going numb, so now I'm worried about my neck... will call the Dr tomorrow, and skip skating tonight. Tomorrow lesson is choreography, so that should be ok to do.

[Query]

It's because you are such a wonderful athlete, that you get lots of chances to injure yourself!

A good PT (preferably, one with a sports medicine specialty, or who is also an ATC = certified athletic trainer) might help you figure something out. All these body parts are connected by lines of muscles. If anything is too short, a little extra stress could cause an injury. They may be able to suggest exercises to stretch them.

My medical history includes many ankle sprains (strains?), a march fracture (fractured metatarsal, in the foot), a broken fibula, and several muscle strains down my calves and legs. A PT told me this was all consistent with one or several insufficiently long muscles. I've tried to stretch, but if the muscles don't get long enough, because I wasn't using those muscles enough to warm them up, so stretching is minimally effective. He gave me exercises that were suppose to utilize the underused muscles. I still have trouble stretching them, in spite of the PT's exercises, and I still tend to use quads and hamstrings alone instead of using psoas, gluts, obliques and other core muscles too, but being a real athlete, you may have more luck.

Consulting a PT is a reasonable bet, if you haven't tried it. They are sometimes cheaper than doctors, though sports PTs, especially those with the dual PT/ATC certification, can charge a fair bit. I think skill levels differ, so ask other athletes who is good.

One method that has worked for me, to a limited extant: learning to relax muscles that aren't needed. Many of us tighten muscles very hard all over when things get out of control. Probably relates to a fear reflex of some sort. Your excess muscle tension can injure your own body. Problem is, relaxing too much doesn't seem to be good for holding good figure skating form.

[Skittl1321]

but being a real athlete, you may have more luck.

hahaha! I'm definetly not an athelete.

I do have a good PT, but I can't go to her without a doctor's referal.  I do think my knees/hip pain are interrelated, but where the hell did this shoulder pain come from?  What's funny is when I wrote the huge check for my comeptition I told my husband "as soon as I put this in the mail, I'm going to get hurt and put off the ice again"

Well, I don't know what I did to get hurt, but sure enough...

[lindafmb]

hahaha! I'm definetly not an athelete.

Sorry to point this out when you're injured, but what are you doing for conditioning to augment your on-ice training? The better your physical conditioning, the harder you can practice in terms of your stamina, but you can also push yourself harder because your body can handle more stress if you're physically fit.

The better your physical fitness off the ice, the better your on-ice performance (and usually mental attitude too, because exercise, especially cardio exercise, improves mood) will be. This is even more important for adult skaters. The USFS Sport Science congress has all kinds of stuff posted on this from presos done at past congresses.

[Skittl1321]

I don't really skate "hard" in an athletic sense.  I rarely skate for more than 45 minutes because I am trying to control the hip and knee pain, and not letting them get aggrevated again.

Of ice, I don't do much, but I am trying to average my walking out to 15 minutes a day, I do light step aerobics (hour or so a week), I do the exercise that my PT prescribed for hip/knee 3x a week, and I go to yoga about twice a month.  I'm just not an athletic person, and hate exercising.

Since I have problems with my ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, and neck (and now arm apparently) it's very difficult for me to find exercise that doesn't hurt SOMETHING.  Walking is going better now that my hip has calmed down, but just a few months ago, I couldn't go more than 5 minutes at a time.  Sometimes it aggrevates my ankles, so I have to watch my gait to prevent the tendonitis from acting up. Step aerobics, when done to cardio capacity, aggrevates my knees.  Swimming hurts my shoulders.  Biking doesn't hurt but it's so hilly it scaries the crap out of me- I worry I'm going to crash and I'm very scared of reinjuring my neck.  I just don't know what to do!

Ice skating used to be the only thing that didn't hurt- but my knees and hip injuries are from skating.  

I have no idea at all where this left arm stuff came from (though now with the thumb also hurting a lot, I'm very worried it's refered pain from my neck, so I am no longer going to "wait and see!" Doctor-tomorrow!), but the tendonitis in my right shoulder is apparently from knitting, so I have to limit THAT too.  

[lindafmb]

I just don't know what to do!

I know a lot of people are attracted to figure skating because the idea of formal "exercise" is just really unappealing, I totally get that. Given what you've described, it sounds like water-based exercise might be a good option for you if you have access to a pool. I actually really enjoy doing off-ice jump into water, because you can completely focus on your air ride and not worry about the impact force of landing your higher rev jumps.

But in addition to that, "running" in water is excellent exercise that provides multi-directional resistance from the water. I usually think of most water aerobics classes as being more appropriate for really deconditioned individuals, but then I came across this insane woman from Utah who soon corrected me on my misconception

Here's her plyometrics water aerobics program, and I can promise you it's HARD (and I've been teaching fitness classes for over 27 years, I've seen some tough classes): http://www.waterworkout.com/products.amp?product=spww

And here are some other aqua plyometric exercises, just to give you an idea: http://www.ehow.com/way_5444317_aqua-plyometrics-exercises.html

[Skittl1321]

I actually really enjoy doing off-ice jump into water, because you can completely focus on your air ride and not worry about the impact force of landing your higher rev jumps.

I don't jump off ice... I'm still working on half revolution jumps! And I really only jump during lessons, if I could skate without doing jumps, I wouldn't do them at all, but I like to spin, so I stick with freeskate.


I'll look into the pool exercises.  It's not easy for me to get to a pool, but our city does have one, and I need some form of pain free exercise.

[fsk8r]

With regards to painkillers, anti inflamatories are needed as something is obviously very angry in your neck/shoulder/arm. I'm not sure what Advil is (I only ever buy generic and we have different names for these things the other side of the pond anyway).

I'd second the recommendation for water based exercises. Just avoid breast stroke. I think my current knee issues might not have appreciated me doing a week of intense swimming (read breast stroke as I hate putting my head in the water without goggles and I need new goggles). My main reason for now swimming is the whole hassle factor involved as the pools aren't convenient to my schedule (I need to make time).

Also I don't know how you do your yoga. I see a pilates instrutor through my PT. It means he's used to working with people with broken bodies and targets the exercises to the issues. And being 1 to 1 he works with how I am that day. A group class wouldn't work for me as if I go in a class suitable for me on a good day, I wouldn't be able to do anything on a bad day and would be bored in a lower level class when I have a good day! Having done the pilates for so long now, I can just about manage the odd group class as I know my limitations so can just skip the exercises I can't do.

And with regards to liking spinning and not liking jumping. Have a look at dance. Solo Free dance involves spinning but no jumping. It might be a good option. I don't think it's necessarily as common in the US as it is in Europe.

[Skittl1321]

Advil is Ibprofeun, so I think that is an anti-inflammatory.

Last night my thumb started itching and going numb, and by the end of the night my thumb was in so much pain that I couldn't really even feel the arm pain (though when I tried to move my arm, it was still there.) However, I slept through most of the night, so I thought it was getting better.  Now it's hurting more again.  I did skip skating last night though

I've never heard of solo free dance..my try at dancing was a disaster- and actually what caused my hip injury.  I had an awful fall on the Rhythm Blues step behinds.  Not sure I could even pass the "encouragement" test because that dance is so hard!  I should probably just admit skating isn't for me, but I like skating!

[fsk8r]

Advil is Ibprofeun, so I think that is an anti-inflammatory.

Last night my thumb started itching and going numb, and by the end of the night my thumb was in so much pain that I couldn't really even feel the arm pain (though when I tried to move my arm, it was still there.) However, I slept through most of the night, so I thought it was getting better.  Now it's hurting more again.  I did skip skating last night though

I've never heard of solo free dance..my try at dancing was a disaster- and actually what caused my hip injury.  I had an awful fall on the Rhythm Blues step behinds.  Not sure I could even pass the "encouragement" test because that dance is so hard!  I should probably just admit skating isn't for me, but I like skating!

Solo dance is exactly the same as couples dance just done solo, so if couples do compulsories (renamed pattern dances) and free dances, solo skaters do the same. The advantage of doing free dance is that you can avoid the awful music of the compulsories and you don't have to focus on step behinds for the rhythm blues until you're properly healed. Now working out the difference between artistic, interpretive and solo free dance is the hard bit...
I just suggest it as a way to keep skating and avoiding the jumps. In the UK its very common but we've also got a very large dance community.

Ibuprofen is anti-inflammatory. Diclofenac (Voltarol) is the next level up the dose tree but I think that will be prescription only.
(Sorry I'm not a doctor, but I've spent so long on painkillers I've ended up studing it be default).
Hope you're able to get a diagnosis and treatment plan from the doctor soon.

[sarahspins]

Last night my thumb started itching and going numb, and by the end of the night my thumb was in so much pain that I couldn't really even feel the arm pain (though when I tried to move my arm, it was still there.) However, I slept through most of the night, so I thought it was getting better.  Now it's hurting more again.  I did skip skating last night though

I don't want to scare you, but this is exactly the sort of thing my dad had going on because of a bulging disk in his neck... the technical term for the symptoms (pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, etc) is radiculopathy. My dad was only in his mid-30's when it got bad enough that he finally had surgery (laminectomy) to fix it (and has been fine since)... but it had been going on since his 20's.

Since you mentioned prior neck problems, it might be a good idea to get it checked out again.  Spinal problems can change over time... probably better not to guess.  Plus you could ask about better/stronger NSAIDs you could try... I was very resistant to the idea of going on pain meds long-term, but I can say from experience that it helps a *ton*... part of the reason so much hurts is because of the inflammation, and when you can eliminate that, life is much better

[Skittl1321]

Well, looking up thumb and upper arm pain- everything points to C5 disk issues.  I can rest assured it's not that- because I don't have disks around my C5, I have a 3 level fusion.

That's where the good news ends- if my spinal cord is acting up, it's a VERY BAD thing.

I got an MRI about 6 months ago and the hole in my spinal cord was MUCH larger than my 10 year previous MRI, but they put it down to resolution of a film vs digital image.  At least now I have a digital baseline, so if I get another one we can look at if it really has changed...  The neurosurgeon thought the fusion looked good though, and didn't expect to have to do an additional level for awhile (I was told new fusions every 20 years- it's been 10.)

[sarahspins]

Well, looking up thumb and upper arm pain- everything points to C5 disk issues.  I can rest assured it's not that- because I don't have disks around my C5, I have a 3 level fusion.

Ahh, I didn't know that - I guess you've been around the block once before, so to speak.  It could also be swelling/inflammation in your shoulder itself that is compressing the nerve.

[drskater]

Please, please,please see a doctor! You sound miserable. At a minimum, the doctor can rule out other conditions that might explain your symptoms.

[Skittl1321]

My NP said that my shoulder is very swollen, and based on a lot of poking doesn't think that the pain in my thumb would be related to my neck, but that the nerve is getting caught up in the mess that is my shoulder/deltoid.

I got some topical pain killer liquid stuff and a prescription for some muscle relaxants, and told to rest.

She also asked me if I had maybe taken up aerobatics, and been swinging off ropes or something.  She knows I skate- so maybe she thinks I moved into circus?  Anyhow- nope, no falls, no swinging from ropes.  The only thing I can pin the shoulder pain on is a bad nap.

[AgnesNitt]

Hey, Skittl. have cervical ribs been ruled out? They can cause shoulder pain, arm pain, hand pain. There's something called 'thoracic outlet syndrome' where the extra rib compresses a major nerve.

These extra ribs run in my family, so I have two. Orthopedic surgeons love me. I'm 'interesting'!

Anyway, here are the symptoms of TOS from wikipedia.

"TOS affects mainly the upper limbs, especially the arms and hands. Pain in the arms and hands is almost always present. Pain can be sharp, burning, or aching. Pain can involve only part of the hand, as in the 4th and 5th finger only, or all of the hand. It can involve the inner aspect of the forearm and upper arm. Pain can also be in the side of the neck, the pectoral area below the clavicle, the axillary area, and the upper back, as in the trapezius and rhomboid area. Decoloration of the hands is also a possible symptom, and one hand colder than the other hand is also common. Weakness of the hand and arm muscles is also common. Tingling can also be present.
TOS is often the underlying cause of stubborn upper limb conditions like frozen shoulder and carpal tunnel syndrome that defy standard treatment protocols."

Your hand can also turn blue. I had that once. In front of an MD. He turned white cause he had no idea what it was. Oh, good times. Good Times.

[Skittl1321]

No, we hadn't looked into that- but it doesn't really sound like what is happening.  Thanks for bringing it up though.

[nicklaszlo]

I often have unexplained injuries too, but luckily mine are much more mild.  Usually it's in my joints, and the closest thing I have to a cause is vigorous activity.  They typically take a few months to go away.  It's happened in nearly every joint in my body.  I first remember it happening when I was 11.  At the moment I have some pain in my right hamstrings when I stretch (not a joint this time?).  I can't imagine that I have stretched too much; I probably average 15 minutes of stretching a day.  So I'm just hoping it will go away if I don't stretch it for a while.  I've spoken to quite a number of doctors about various joint injuries, and thus far none of them have offered an explanation that was supported by any substantial evidence.  In addition, I haven't heard of any treatment that wouldn't hurt more than the problem.  Doctors often seem disinterested when they realize it doesn't hurt a lot.