Shoulder Pain....when to report? - Brown Cafe

PackageDonkey · 09-10-2009, 10:41 PM

Any of you guys ever experience constant shoulder pain? For about the last few months I have had this constant pain in my left shoulder. Its always the left shoulder, and it seems to run to the top of my spine/neck. It is always fine when I get home, and it always starts a few hours after I start delivering. Sometimes it tingles, sometimes its just a dull pain. Any of you guys experience daily shoulder pain? Is this common among upsers? I have been a driver for about 4 years or so, and have never had an injury. I see a chiropracter regulary, and it doesnt help. Just looking for some advice. Should I report it or just tough it out? Also, how is the best way to report it to avoid having a claim denied? Thanks

feederdriver06 · 09-11-2009, 06:26 AM

The aches and pains go with the job unfortunately. Pulling on the handbrake used to get to me after a while and my shoulder would hurt. Playing hockey balls to the wall all my life probably contributed too. Maybe you could be more conscious of your motions and movements while working and you will be able to make an adjustment in your motions to correct the problem entirely or partially. Thats what I've always done and some of the time it yields positive results.

grgrcr88 · 09-11-2009, 06:41 AM

The best way to file an injury claim is to go out on area and when your shoulder is bothering you call the center and tell them about it. Have a location, time and what is causing the pain, a witness wouldn`t hurt either.

Feederdriver is right there will be some aches and pains with this job, but no one should have to live with constant pain!!

I had similar pain and turned out the joint was stretched to the point my shoulder started popping out of socket!! Do not let it go on forever!!

A good physical therapist can do wonders for shoulders!!

Be prepared to be off work for a bit though, once you go see the compant quack he will tell you to take some pain pills and anti-inflamitory pills and rest for a week to see how it feels. Tell him you want a second opinion asap. Work comp pays $500 towards a second opinion without a referral. Go see an Orthopedic specialist!!!!!

PackageDonkey · 09-11-2009, 08:01 AM

Another thing that I've noticed is that it hurts more when I do more "rural" or "country" routes. When I am forced to sit and drive instead of be out moving around, thats when I notice it more. I always try to change my posture, stretch, and even have one of those massage/heat pads I use, but nothing helps. Ibuprofen was also supposed to help, but it doesnt seem to help a bit.

cachsux · 09-11-2009, 12:41 PM

I had constant pain in my right shoulder that on a good day was like a muscle ache,on a bad day it went into the middle of my back and down my arm to my fingertips. After ongoing diagnosis it was eventually determined ,by an orthopedic specialist, to be subchromal compression. It is where the bones of the shoulder close down on the nerve bundle coming from the spine on down the arm. Where it became work related was because of the constant movement inflamed the nerve bundle and surrounding tissue which as it would swell within the restricted pathway leading to some pretty severe pain some days. The solution was a decompression surgery where the shoulder bones were cut apart,had material removed to make more room for the nerves, and then smoothed and screwed back together. There was also a small rotator cuff tear also caused by the bone compression. Two weeks after surgery I was in therapy and back to work six months later. It now works better than the non-surgery shoulder plus you end up with a cool scar for picking up chicks. I originally reported the pain to UPS when normal rest and minor medication failed to make it go away.

pickup · 09-11-2009, 01:35 PM

shoulder pain .. when to report?

If you are a supervisor who hurt his shoulder bumping into an hourly, best to never report it.

PackageDonkey · 09-11-2009, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cachsux

I had constant pain in my right shoulder that on a good day was like a muscle ache,on a bad day it went into the middle of my back and down my arm to my fingertips. After ongoing diagnosis it was eventually determined ,by an orthopedic specialist, to be subchromal compression. It is where the bones of the shoulder close down on the nerve bundle coming from the spine on down the arm. Where it became work related was because of the constant movement inflamed the nerve bundle and surrounding tissue which as it would swell within the restricted pathway leading to some pretty severe pain some days. The solution was a decompression surgery where the shoulder bones were cut apart,had material removed to make more room for the nerves, and then smoothed and screwed back together. There was also a small rotator cuff tear also caused by the bone compression. Two weeks after surgery I was in therapy and back to work six months later. It now works better than the non-surgery shoulder plus you end up with a cool scar for picking up chicks. I originally reported the pain to UPS when normal rest and minor medication failed to make it go away.

Wow, thats food for thought. Thanks for taking the time to post all of that.

brownmonster · 09-11-2009, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pickup

shoulder pain .. when to report?

If you are a supervisor who hurt his shoulder bumping into an hourly, best to never report it.

Now that's funny.

RanMan · 09-12-2009, 08:52 AM

I had shoulder pain 2 years ago. Pain was in my right shoulder blade. It was caused by a pinched nerve in my neck. I also noticed that I was getting weaker. You need to have it checked out as soon as possible. If a nerve is pinched more than 6 months you take a chance on having permanent nerve damage. I waited too long and did not regain all my strength.

fredly00 · 09-12-2009, 12:46 PM

I started having shoulder problems, and realized the "three points of contact"
was the culprit.. I was gripping the handrail and pulling myself up or lowering myself down. Neither of which our shoulders are really designed to do 100 times a day. so now my hand it just placed on the handrail and I don't grip it, I let my legs do more of the work.

About a week later my shoulder started feeling much better.

k_Loader_Airhub · 09-17-2009, 10:47 PM

Goody powders cool orange flavor will knock the pain out, two before work every day..

UpstateNYUPSer · 09-18-2009, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k_Loader_Airhub

Goody powders cool orange flavor will knock the pain out, two before work every day..

...relieving the pain will get him through his day but he should get his shoulder checked out to make sure there is no physical damage.

screamin chicken · 09-18-2009, 04:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fredly00

I started having shoulder problems, and realized the "three points of contact"
was the culprit.. I was gripping the handrail and pulling myself up or lowering myself down. Neither of which our shoulders are really designed to do 100 times a day. so now my hand it just placed on the handrail and I don't grip it, I let my legs do more of the work.

About a week later my shoulder started feeling much better.

Thank You, UPS need to think about this because I had to have surgery on my right shoulder and my PT told me it was grabing the hand rail which is higher then my range.

fredly00 · 09-18-2009, 11:37 PM

I still say go through the motions, but do not support your weight at the 3rd point of contact.(just make "contact")
and yes a mal-positioned handrail will definitely put strain on your shoulder.

Make sure your bulkhead door opens freely and with little resistance..
I currently have to have my bulkhead door lubed(for some reason it gets jammed up quickly)
or my arm feels it.

NHDRVR · 09-19-2009, 03:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PackageDonkey

Any of you guys ever experience constant shoulder pain? For about the last few months I have had this constant pain in my left shoulder. Its always the left shoulder, and it seems to run to the top of my spine/neck. It is always fine when I get home, and it always starts a few hours after I start delivering. Sometimes it tingles, sometimes its just a dull pain. Any of you guys experience daily shoulder pain? Is this common among upsers? I have been a driver for about 4 years or so, and have never had an injury. I see a chiropracter regulary, and it doesnt help. Just looking for some advice. Should I report it or just tough it out? Also, how is the best way to report it to avoid having a claim denied? Thanks

'Constant'??

Report it regardless of how minor you think it may be.

Here'e the old joke.. A guy walks into his doctor's office saying his arm hurts every time he does this (swings arm). The doctor looks at him and says 'Don't do this...' (swings arm)

Treegrower · 09-19-2009, 07:10 PM

You want to make sure that you report it as a specfic injury at a specific stop doing a specific job duty on a specfic day and date and time. If you report it as a on going lingering problem that started oh I don't know when, it just started,kinda hurting one day a few months back, or so forget it. The company will most likely deny your claim saying its a "cummulative injury" meaning your shoulder problems are the reults of being alive for the past 30 or 40 years or so and has ABSSOLUTELY nothing to do with your job. BWC claim DENIED.

cachsux · 09-19-2009, 07:22 PM

Mine was reported as this when asked. I told them I had soreness that went away each night sometimes using a Tylenol,then the pain stayed but went away over the weekend,when then pain remained even after the weekend then I reported it to them. I received wcomp over an 18 month period with no contest of my claim.

stevetheupsguy · 09-19-2009, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by feederdriver06

The aches and pains go with the job unfortunately. Pulling on the handbrake used to get to me after a while and my shoulder would hurt. Playing hockey balls to the wall all my life probably contributed too. Maybe you could be more conscious of your motions and movements while working and you will be able to make an adjustment in your motions to correct the problem entirely or partially. Thats what I've always done and some of the time it yields positive results.

I was wondering why you walked with a gimp.

Quote:

Originally Posted by screamin chicken

Thank You, UPS need to think about this because I had to have surgery on my right shoulder and my PT told me it was grabing the hand rail which is higher then my range.

I have a new handrail that I can grab just by sticking my hand straight out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Treegrower

You want to make sure that you report it as a specfic injury at a specific stop doing a specific job duty on a specfic day and date and time. If you report it as a on going lingering problem that started oh I don't know when, it just started,kinda hurting one day a few months back, or so forget it. The company will most likely deny your claim saying its a "cummulative injury" meaning your shoulder problems are the reults of being alive for the past 30 or 40 years or so and has ABSSOLUTELY nothing to do with your job. BWC claim DENIED.

This is sound advice, as I have made this mistake.

bigtoe1111 · 09-19-2009, 07:48 PM

probably job related. but no solid proof without a definitive date and time of an injury. the tension and low pain in my left neck and shoulder are constant also. even now. sat. pm. have also dealt with what was diagnosed as cluster headaches. always on just the left side. worse than migraines. i think they are actually small seizures associated with the trigeminal nerve. have been through all the x-rays, mri's, and cat scans. no avail. went through a regimen of drugs that helped a little, but it is a situation of we don't what causes them so we don't know how to cure them. and any true relief will knock you out. but i do feel that the constant repetition of movement is a large factor.

Treegrower · 09-20-2009, 04:57 AM

Cachsux, congratulations. Maybe you were just lucky. I have seen many a driver's claim denied with very long BWC battles and state Indusrial Commision (becuase we -UPS- are self insured) ensue. When I was injured-blew out my shoulder. I called it in and wrote it up step by step even included the 8 keys to lifting and lowering in my injury report. Made the claim process allot smoother.
Oh,yeah Package Donkey, whatever you do DO NOT GO to the company Dr. or company approved urgent care center. GO TO YOUR OWN DR. perferably a excellent orthopedic specialist

stevetheupsguy · 09-20-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigtoe1111

probably job related. but no solid proof without a definitive date and time of an injury. the tension and low pain in my left neck and shoulder are constant also. even now. sat. pm. have also dealt with what was diagnosed as cluster headaches. always on just the left side. worse than migraines. i think they are actually small seizures associated with the trigeminal nerve. have been through all the x-rays, mri's, and cat scans. no avail. went through a regimen of drugs that helped a little, but it is a situation of we don't what causes them so we don't know how to cure them. and any true relief will knock you out. but i do feel that the constant repetition of movement is a large factor.

Maybe you should set one day a week to just rest.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Treegrower

Cachsux, congratulations. Maybe you were just lucky. I have seen many a driver's claim denied with very long BWC battles and state Indusrial Commision (becuase we -UPS- are self insured) ensue. When I was injured-blew out my shoulder. I called it in and wrote it up step by step even included the 8 keys to lifting and lowering in my injury report. Made the claim process allot smoother.
Oh,yeah Package Donkey, whatever you do DO NOT GO to the company Dr. or company approved urgent care center. GO TO YOUR OWN DR. perferably a excellent orthopedic specialist

Don't you have to go to this one first and then afterwards you can choose whom you see?

feederdude · 09-20-2009, 09:52 AM

It's best to have a specific time and place. If you present the fact that your shoulder has been bothering you, they will take the position that you did it away from work. Report it immediately. Your health, and your family are much more important than the color Brown. I went through this as a management person, and still got the run around.
File as soon as possible.
Fdude

Treegrower · 09-20-2009, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevetheupsguy

Maybe you should set one day a week to just rest.

Don't you have to go to this one first and then afterwards you can choose whom you see?

No. You can go to a Dr. of your own choosing. They may try to tell you that you must see their Dr. at their Urgent Care Ctr. 1st, but that is not true. You go to the Dr. and hospital.of your choosing. Supervision may very well and very forcefully tell you must go to their guy 1st and steer you in that direction, but you not have to go to their guy 1st. And if they do bully you into it, that's O.K. just don't go back. See him 1st if you absolutely must, but then the next day go to E.R. or straight to orthopedic. Remember if you go back to UPS approved doc 3 times, on that 3rd time UPS's physician becomes the Dr. of record and then down the road you'll pay hell trying to get to your own guy.
I'd suggest reporting the injury while out on the route when it is acting up. Call in to supervision, file out injury report when you get back to the center. Then on the way home go to local hospital E.R. get it checked out and then in the next day or 2 call a orthopedic of your choosing and set up an appt. It may cost you a day off to go see the orthopedic, but in the long run, you'll be glad you did.

feederdude · 09-21-2009, 10:02 AM

Get with your business agent, they have forms to sign and have on file, it gives you the right to see your own doctor. Don't listen to treegrower on this, the company has more time and money than you do. Get the form filed prior to reporting your injury.
Fdude

Treegrower · 09-21-2009, 03:55 PM

feederdude, So you're suggesting he go see a Dr. 1st and then file a injury report? Or go see your B.A. 1st fill out some forms? ( What specfic forms would those be by the way?) and then report your injury? I am unclear as to what your process is. I know BWC rules vary state to state. Just wondering