Is this normal? Looking for any shared experiences
hi all, 40 y.o male.
I suffered a rotator cuff injury around 6 weeks ago playing pickleball. Went for an overhead and felt a sharp pain. I iced and rested for a few days before seeing an orthopedic specialist, who did an X-ray. He was adamant, based on the way I was walking and how straight my neck was, that I had a pinched nerve. As I "passed" his rotator cuff exam, he felt a rotator cuff injury was unlikely. He prescribed prednisone for the inflammation and was optimistic I would recover quickly with the aid of PT.
I have been in PT for 4 weeks and my therapist believes his assessment was wrong and that I did suffer a rotator cuff injury. Progress has been frustratingly slow. I am prepared to be patient, but I am increasingly thinking I need an MRI to understand the extent of the damage.
My broader question is whether anyone has experienced discomfort beyond the RC or the joint itself. My neck and upper body feel tight and uncomfortable, and my shoulder still feels "locked," as though it is putting pressure on the rest of my body. I am a little unsure what to accept as normal at this point, particularly given the initial misdiagnosis and the fact that my PT, though knowledgeable, is early in her career and tends to default to "everything is normal."
Any similar experiences or perspective would be appreciated.