Moke -
Some key information in what you just said:
Yes, it started all of a sudden, though I dont't know what the exact point or cause was.
This means you had an injury at a specific point in time just prior to the loss of strength/ROM. You may not have noticed it, but it happened. This could have been a fall you took in practice, an unusual position, or something else. Your treatment should include a search for the point of origin, as the source of the problem may not be in your shoulder.
Injury history...I had a dual lamenectomy at c5 and c6 about 8 years ago. But the technician at my recent MRI, says the lamenectomy was done very well and is holding up great, with no sign of arthritis.
I do alot of sitting at work with both my hands in front of me (soldering iron). I do BJJ anywhere from 2-5 days a week, and lift twice a week.
The lamenectomy probably has nothing to do with it, but it's great that they checked it. Your work probably hasn't caused it, though your posture and the position of your arms can result in excess stored tension that may not be helping you now.
Funny you should say something about the hip and legs. I had recently started seeing a physical therapist for some low back pain that also was causing pain/sensitivity in my lower legs/feet, and he remarked that my left leg was a bit longer than the right, and that this can tilt your pelvis and may have an effect. He advised trying a small lift in the heel of my right shoe, which I did (about a quarter inch).
Did you start wearing the heel lift before or after the shoulder problems started?
I once had a doc tell me my left leg was an inch shorter than my right. Weird, 'cause my problems came on suddenly, not gradually. (sound familiar?) A second opinion from an Applied Kinesiology guy told me that excess tension in my left hip was shortening that leg in some positions but not in others. The original source of the problem was in my right thigh, which caused everything else to tighten in weird ways and also gave me low back pain. He took away my heel lift and proposed other treatment methods.
A combination of AK treatments, some basic multi-minerals, and massage eliminated the short leg, back pain, and helped heal the original problem. It's quite possible that your own situation may be similar in nature and require a similar treatment.
The thing that sucks about wearing a heel lift if your leg isn't really shorter than the other is that it will reinforce the problems you have and exaggerate them. This may be why you are getting worse. However, I'm not your doc, so get another professional opinion instead of blindly staying the course.
As far as ROM, yeah, if I take my left arm, I can easily carry my right arm through all ranges quite easily and pain free. It's just that the arm has no control or ability to fire certain muscles to get it to do it on it's own. That's why I mentioned I cannot even begin to rebuild it.
That's why I think it's a nerve impingement rather than a rotator cuff issue. The question is: where's the dysfunction coming from? It doesn't sound like anyone has answered that question yet.
Yeah, the adaptions are already causing problem, spasms, and pain.
I do know a chiropractor that I'm going to have do general muscle massage, and adjustments in that area until the doc returns (though he's not a kinesiologist).
That's a good start. A good chiropractor doesn't have to be an AK person to know what they're doing, but it's a consideration. From what you've described so far, I doubt this will require invasive procedures to treat.
Another good description of what's happening is (besides the lack of external rotation)...if you hold your arm straight out in front of you, 45* from pointing at the ceiling, palm down...as you rotate your palm up (while keeping your elbow close to your centerline as possible) my arm begins to drop until my elbow is touching my chest by the time the palm is facing up, and there's nothing i can do to stop it from dropping.
Thanks for the advice!
That's a great description of your symptoms. I get a good sense of what's happening in that movement. Your issue is less muscular and more neurological. Your docs need to find the source and address the problem there. I doubt the source is in your shoulder... most likely in your back or hips, and probably related to the "short leg". Fix one and you'll probably fix both.
Work with your chiro and get a second opinion on the heel lift. I get bad vibes on that, but I'm no psychic.
Good luck!