question for all ya sports fanatics

I hurt my shoulder quite a few months ago. Now when I move my arm backwards fast (like handing something to someone in the back seat of the car) I get some pretty intense pain.  I'm assuming I hurt it on the bowflex months ago.  Well now I'm scared to death I'm gonig to move my arm wrong when I exercise.  This is one of the reasons why I've put it off so long.  

My mom started PT yesterday with something similar, but they told her hers was arthiritis, etc...  Her shoulder is "frozen", so she has to do exercises to work it out.  Could this be my case?   I'm REALLY tired of being so careful that I don't move my arm wrong.  It doesn't hrut enough to go to the doc, it's just when I move my arm back (which how often do you do that?)  But for exercising it's sort of a must.  

Any advice??  I'm sort of lost on what to do with it.

I'm sorry you have been hurting. Odds are you dont' have arthritis. If you can't stretch without pain something needs tweaking. Sometimes the scalula can get out of alignment or the muscles underneth (traps?) need work. I would see a Chiropractor if you have one or a PT. I have an arrangement with one of each to pay cash and they give me a significant break in the cost.
If you want to try stretching it out yourself, give this a try: Move until you just feel the pull that happens right before the pain. If you go too far, back off a little until it is just uncomfortable. Hold that until it does not hurt anymore - usually 1-2 minutes. when it is ok move a little more into the pain and hold again. You might be able to work through half the pain in one session and do it agian later and work through more.... eventually it is gone. I've been able to work through chronically tight muscles this way with good success. It only works if is issue is soft tissue, so if something structural is out of alignemnt it won't help. That's where the Chiro and PT come in! good luck

Thanks, I'll give that a shot!  Yea, I know it's not arthiritis.  When my mom mentioned the PT said it her arm was frozen though it made me wonder if that could be sort of the same thing that is wrong with my arm since it just hurts when I move it a certain way.  

It rarely hurts, because I can do normal activiities just fine.  It's just that once in a while when you swing your arm back I'll get instant pain.  But it's time to start exercising and tired of using this as an exucse! :)  

Thanks for the help! I'll start up that exercise you mentioned today.

I thought of something else that might help! I get a homeopathic lotion at the health store called Topricin. It is for sore muscles, bruises, arthritis. I use it and although it's not immediate, after a while I realize things don't hurt anymore. It does not smell and is not greasy. really nice lotion. It comes in 2oz. tubes, 4oz. tubs and 8oz. pumps. A little expensive for 8oz. but it really works (and you could share with your mom). If you can't find Topricin look for Traumeel. One of the main ingredients in both is arnica so they are similar, although the Traumeel does not say it works for arthritis.