I am a competitive swimmer (Masters - call it a “serious hobby.”) A recent MRI has shown that I have a bone spur on my right acromion process. My orthopedist has told me that the bone spur rubs against the bursa and tendons, causing the pain that I have been trying to deal with for a few months.
I have been getting a “clicking” sound in which the shoulder shifts, especially when I raise my elbow near my neck to stretch the rear deltoid. The shoulder feels better after the “shift.”
My orthopedist said that he doesn’t want to do surgery yet, rather he suggests we wait 6-8 weeks to see if the spur heals itself. He has not forbidden me from swimming or lifting; he just trusts me to avoid activities that make it worse. But the fact is that any 100% sprint swimming (my bread and butter) hurts. Swimming 80% or less is a day-to-day thing. Sometimes it feels great. Sometimes it doesn’t. Deadlifting hurts if I use too high a weight. Bench pressing is completely out of the question. So this is very frustrating.
There are a lot of knowledgable folks around here. I would be very grateful if anyone could offer answers to a couple of questions:
Do bone spurs ever heal themselves? Is there any point in waiting 6-8 weeks to have surgery?
If healing is possible, along with rest is there anything I can do to facilitate the healing process? Is supplementation ever helpful?
Saw this on ST Mike,
Generally spurs give out signals before they develop and as a result they develop with the intention of being permanent.
They are usually kinda like calcium deposits that crystalise over time.
They are actully most common as a development of Plantar Fascitis
Surgery is the most common option, though along with elctro wave treatement wchich uses hi freq. waves to breakdown calcium deposits.
I’ve never heard of them going away without intervention if it is a true bony spur.
The usual rest, ice.
Stretching so that you are easing the tension over the acromion would also be a very big help.
(ART would be a help here I would imagine)
(I hesitate to suggest going to a PT to get XXF on it as it would be very painful - but depeneding on the stage may work).
Diet etc - perhaps watching calcium levels, but doubtful, Glucosamine and Chrondrition would be a help for now along with fish oil - but these would be more insurance than miracle cures.
a doctor/chrio/actuncturist told me, you need to massage the crap out of it. it will hurt like crazy, but as its calcuim deposits, you need to break it up. hard massage is the only way. so perhaps some burbon (pain killer) and somebody who dont like you too much to do the massge?? it will take a few weeks though. If it dont go away, then surgery, it should be quick, just skim the deposit away. but if you cant wait due to swimming trails what not/ push the surgery soon.