Seeking some advice and/or reassurance that this is going to get better. Here's the story:
A little more than 2 months ago I was climbing a varied crack in Indian Creek. My left arm was fully extended above my head and across my body in a thumb down finger lock, very solid. I placed a .5 C4. My feet cut as I began to move up, the finger lock held, and I shock loaded my shoulder/lat tendon/lat muscle. There was itense pain and a crunching/ripping sound. I lowered off and didn't climb for 2+ months. Just now getting back in to climbing easy stuff at the gym.
I never lost range of motion, which I think rules out rotator cuff tear. I experienced some bruising. About a week of sharp pain any time I activated my left lat by pulling down (e.g., closing the back hatch of my friend's station wagon). I currently have pretty bad weakness on my left side in my lat. Pull-ups are limited, sometimes painful (less painful if I warm up with light weight lat pull-downs first). There is a what feels like a solid lump and tendon protruding near the back of my underarm.
I've had 3 orthopedist visits, an MRI, and an x-ray. The orthopedist has been disappointing - barely taking the time to talk with me and not explaining the MRI results. His first diagnosis was a muscle tear - torn lat insertion. He prescribed light rehab, warm soaks, and stretching. After my MRI he said he was glad I didn't have a labrum tear (though he hadn't mentioned that as a concern before). I asked for the MRI report, which also indicated that there was no rotator cuff tear, but that it showed various signs of trauma in the shoulder area. The orthopedist gave no diagnosis, but when I asked for my chart he had written that he believed I had a partial tear in my lat tendon. Why he did not share this I do not know. I was unsatisfied with the level of attention that he paid to my case, however, and I am now lobbying my insurance company to let me go elsewhere with my MRI film for a second opinion (I think it's a first opinion since the orthopedist gave me nothing).
Anyhow, it's the protruding tendon and the general weakness (can do very few pull-ups, eg) that's really bothering me, and I'm wondering if anyone out there has any thoughts. I am open to the possibility that I'm just being impatient. But the protrusion hasn't changed in about 2 months. I don't see it disappearing.