I developed a left shoulder impingement a couple of years ago that I believe came from poor posture/rounded shoulders. I've been working very hard the past two years on a "shoulders back" posture improvement, and I think it's worked. I have zero pain in that shoulder now.

Unfortunately, and this is just self-diagnosis, my posture changes have now given me distal bicep tendon tendinitis. I came down with it in January of this past year while I was doing absolutely nothing. No golf, no kayaking, nothing. That's why I'm speculating it has to do with my postural changes. Like maybe it's being stretched more than it's used to. So now my left shoulder is better, but my left elbow is bad. And after 10 months, I guess it's just not going to go away on its own.

I have some quality curcumin on the way which I tried before without success, but this is a different kind. I'm not optimistic, but it's worth a try. I'll also add carnitine to the list as the next step as I've been meaning to try it anyway.

If I'm right about what caused this, I think stretching might help too, and I'm going to get on a strict regimen.

When I taught Pilates a number of my clients ended up with shoulder problems because of the hunched over (rounded shoulder) position they used in Spinning classes. Many people who don't "spin" have rounded shoulders from sitting over computers, and poor posture.

In this position the chest muscles become overly tight and the back muscles become weak and overly stretched. So, in addition to stretching the pecs, strengthening the upper back muscles is necessary.

In addition to the chest, the shoulder is affected because when the shoulder is turned inwards, the muscles at the front of the shoulder tend to become tighter that normal and the muscles at the back of the shoulder tend to become weaker than normal. Strengthening the rotator cuff can help to support better posture at the shoulder.

Baba, What MrsD wrote about frozen shoulder is Very Important. Many people who have shoulder pain stop using the joint normally and frozen shoulder can develop. If you do not work to keep full range of motion it can be difficult or even impossible to restore full range of motion.

I've had mild Osteoarthritis (OA) in my left shoulder/collarbone area for a number of years and coincidentally developed Peripheral Neuropathy (started left arm & both feet - now full body). My left elbow was tested a few years ago for a compressed ulna nerve - results negative - and the numbness and muscle wasting in my hand were attributed to the PN.

At night if I sleep on my right side I usually have my left arm either across my chest or along my body. Recently I've had increased pain in my left shoulder, extending down my arm to fingers, and frequently my arm will go entirely numb. By chance one night I stretched my arm behind my back, (somewhat awkward and uncomfortable). Within 15 minutes the pain and numbness was gone.

My conclusion is that it is a compressed nerve, but not in the elbow, instead in the shoulder (which was never tested). By stretching the arm back it releases the nerve but having the arm center or forward causes the compression. It may also be affected by possible osteophytes (bone spurs) near the joint.

I also do regular PT and recently some of the exercises (particularly Lateral Pull Downs), have caused increased pain in the arm and hand. I've added reverse arm stretches to my routine to help keep the nerve free. So far it's doable. I see my GP in a couple of weeks and will request a referral to get it checked out by an orthopedist.

Baba222 I hope you're able to get some help for the tendinitis.
Thanks MrsD and others for the supplement suggestions. I'll keep them in mind if it gets worse.

I'll link one of our TOS forum sticky threads as it may be helpful for many of you -
You don't have to have TOS to get trigger points.
Trigger point information {TrPs} for short
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/thread125577.html

A compiled list of links for ergonomics, RSI/TOS, postural issues, therapies,etc-
http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/post388-1.html

I have done the tennis ball massage that is mentioned in the link Mrs. D gave above on trigger points for my upper back/shoulder and it works amazing.
In fact it feels and works so good, that sometimes I have left rug burn sort of rashes on my skin from doing it too long--it was worth the rash.

THANK YOU so much for this wealth of information! I bookmarked the post on TrPs and will be logging some hours there. I am a big believer in trigger point release. Also myofascial release and Neuromuscular therapy.

Here are some things I found very helpful to correct forward head/forward shoulders gently.
(forgive my stick figure sketches - for the inflatable ball you can experiment with leg & back positions to see what works best for you)




lay on foam roll or large towels rolled up tightly - pillow if needed for neck comfort - then just relax with arms at a comfortable position