I haven't recorded it all but so far it has been suggested my pain is caused by either: Bicep Tendonitis, Rotator Cuff injury, arthritis in the AC joint, Impingement and AC joint injury.

I was very eager for this second visit to the Orthopedic Surgeon.  He had initially suggested that this was an AC joint injury and prescribed more PT.

After examining me, listening to my injury account again and the summary I gave him about there being no change after the last 6 weeks of PT except the inflammation reducing, he started to talk about Surgery.  He admitted that he had been thinking this was an AC joint issue and was now pretty sure that it wasn't.

He asked if I felt that I could live with the pain I experience.  I explained that I could but that I would not be able to perform my job or take part of any of the activities I do for recreation...  including plaing guitar.  I haven't really played much at all since the injury.  It just hurts too much or I feel too week to do it.

He decided that we should try cortisone...  So we did.  He injected about 10 cc of cortisone and freezing into the Subacromial space.  he told me that they use the freezing as a diagnostice aid.  I still had some discomfort on the front side of my shoulder and he told me that he thought we may still have to do surgery but we'll make that decision after more PT...  But no strength training at PT until the start of week 3 after the shot.

The cortisone injection didn't hurt as much as I thought it would... almost no different that a regular shot.  However, the experience did leasve me kind of dizzy for a while. 

Within an hour of having the injection I really started to feel pain in my shoulder.   No matter how i moved, sat or layed down the pain wouldn't go away.  The pain wasn't extreme just a lot worse that when i went in.  I chalked it up to the increased pressure of the cortisione.  This pain lasted for 2 - 3 days.  The PT agreed this was likely the pressure of the fluid in the Subacromial space.  He was surprised that the Dr. injected 10 cc.  He figured there was a few cc of liquid in the space already due toinflammation and that 10 cc more was alot.

I went back to light duty work (answering phones with a headset and using a PC) 2 days after the injection and it is now 6 days post injection.  My arm definitely feels worse than before the injection.  It's like the weight of my arm is too much for the shoulder now.  The shoulder almost always hurts and the bicep feels incredibly week.

I've also noticed a new pain in the back of the shoulder and more popping with motions.  It feels like the pain is in a circle from the front of the shoulder by the biceps tendon all the way back around almost to my armpit.

I'll see the Orthopedic Surgeon again in March and both myself and David my Physiotherapist expect that surgey will be occuring inMarch as well.

Until March,