Can I throw dodgeballs with a pinched shoulder nerve?

May 11, 2009 7:48 AM

Pinched nerve in shoulder: is using that arm going to make it worse?

Doctor believes I may have pinched a nerve in my shoulder. Inflammation in shoulder area, upper arm, elbow, and in upper back on that side.

I can't seem to find a good response as to whether using that arm, for instance an hour of throwing balls, would do it more damage, or help work it out. I neglected to ask the MD when I saw him about this.

Does anyone have experience with this? Were they told to avoid excessive use of the injured area?

Thanks.

posted by nerhael to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

Been there. If you have access to a steam room, use that. Exercise should be lower body only for the next 10 days with lots of heat applied to the inflammation center to allow the muscle to relax.
posted by parmanparman at 7:53 AM on May 11, 2009

I think it really depends, and you should ask your doctor before doing anything major. In my experience with a slipped disc (like a pinched nerve, but your freakin' SPINE), it was terribly painful for about 3 weeks and I could barely move, but then it settled into this medium-intensity pain that actually didn't go away until I started resuming normal activity. So I'd be inclined to recommend exercise after an initial rest-up period, but obviously I can't know if, in your case, this might put you in danger of some sort of permanent nerve damage.

Just call your doctor. This is just a follow-up question you should've asked in the office; he/she may even be willing to just talk you through it on the phone, and another visit shouldn't be required.
posted by rkent at 8:59 AM on May 11, 2009

Me too

I found that sitting around doing nothing tends to make things worse. But I would be wary about exercising heavily. Just go about your business as usual

What you need is codeine. It is a muscle relaxant, and always helps my shoulder when it flares up like this.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 9:00 AM on May 11, 2009

A pinched nerve where? Does it hurt when you raise your arm to the side, in front of you, or at an angle? What muscles are inflamed? What range of motion do you have?

If you saw a GP who guessed that you have a pinched nerve, and if the impingement wasn't severe, and you keep your arm moving through its natural range of motion, but do NOT exert yourself by throwing balls for any length of time, it might get better on its own. Or it might not.

See if your doctor can give you more detailed advice or, if you have the insurance, see a sports medicine specialist and a physiotherapist.
posted by maudlin at 9:28 AM on May 11, 2009

Been there. It really sucks. The worst part is that there is no position that you can hold your arm in that really helps. Loss of sleep, because you can't get comfortable, is an additional stress that hinders getting better.

I found that perscription Ibuprofen for the inflamation, and codine to sleep, helped. Also, you just have to outlive this thing. Use your arm, don't baby it.
posted by Midnight Skulker at 9:53 AM on May 11, 2009

I've found that running is the only thing that helps me. The up/down jostling seems to "shake it loose".
posted by bonobothegreat at 10:25 AM on May 11, 2009

Don't stop using it entirely, or you are at risk of "frozen shoulder." Frozen shoulder sucks and you have to waste hours of your life in physical therapy. Ask me how I know if you are interested in reading a long, profane tirade.

On the other hand, ball-tossing might aggravate the inflammation. Gentler exercise might be the move.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:41 AM on May 11, 2009

Wait, you're asking if you can do an explosive activity, while injured? Yeah, no.

Yes, keep mobility. If it's an inflamed nerve, ice + ibuprofen. But no, no explosive activities.
posted by filmgeek at 3:10 PM on May 11, 2009

Response by poster: Bah, okay. Movement good; throwing bad. I'll sit it out tonight and wait for it to feel better.

Thanks for the advice everyone.
posted by nerhael at 4:57 PM on May 11, 2009