Pain in posterior shoulder after lifting, request MRI?

[gadsie]

I have been lifting for many years. As of late, I have been having some intermittent pain in my posterior shoulder that randomly comes up. There is no movement that triggers it. It happens usually on the day that I have done chin-ups, so i suspect that may have something to do with it. Doing the chin-up is painless.

The intermittent pain is very short (fraction of a second) but quite intense. It feels like an inflammatory type of pain, possibly radiating from somewhere else in the shoulder.

While trying to figure out if I can find a specific movement that causes pain, I did notice that when i push my arm very hard laterally against a wall and then suddenly release, that the release gives me a short burst of pain.

I was wondering what my next step should be. I know the doctor will not give me an MRI because it's too mild. Should I go abroad and pay out of my own pocket for a commercial MRI, or is there little concern for worry?

Thank you very much

[Mark Rippetoe]

Abroad? A competent Physical Therapist can diagnose this with a physical exam.

[gadsie]

Abroad? A competent Physical Therapist can diagnose this with a physical exam.

Thank you. Yes I live in the netherlands, I have to go to germany if I want an MRI without referral.

The thing is, I am especially afraid that I might have an osteophyte in my AC region, that's why I'd want an MRI.

[Mark Rippetoe]

If you suspect an osteophyte, you need an MRI to confirm.

[gadsie]

If you suspect an osteophyte, you need an MRI to confirm.

What would for you be reason to suspect an osteophyte? Would any long-term pain in the shoulder, whether you feel it during training or not, be reason to get an MRI?

[Mark Rippetoe]

You're the one who suspected an osteophyte. I don't know.

[gadsie]

I know. It's just that I have no idea whether to suspect an osteophyte. I have read every single post of you on the forum regarding osteophytes, and I have become absolutely terrified of them, to the point where it is all I have been thinking about for the past few days. After all, I have been lifting for a decade, so there has been plenty of time for them to form. It really sounds like one of the worst pathologies a weightlifter can have, because you have to get surgery or things will continue to become worse and worse.

I know that my physician will not be referring me for an MRI because I have no severe pain or anything like that, so I'm torn on whether i should pay 1000-2000 euros to have both shoulders MRI'd.

Basically I'm having some very mild shoulder pain every now and then during the day on different places, sometimes posterior, sometimes anterior, nothing specific, and nothing related to movement.

The only reproducible pain that I have is when I forcefully push my arm sideways against wall like this: verwijderen.jpg, the pushing does not hurt, but when I abruptly release tension it does hurt very briefly.

All in all, I don't have pain that bothers me in and of itself, i'm just scared of any pathology it might indicate.
Aside from the money, I must admit that I'm also just scared of the MRI results. What if I do have osteophytes, and I have them removed, will I not just be back in operating room 5 years from now?

Alright, I know I'm a mess, but thank you very much for all your replies.