Injured shoulder

DarkMuscle · 06-10-2009, 08:14 PM

It's tough getting older. I'm starting to feel like I'm more vunerable to injury now that I'm in my late 30's. About a month ago, I injured my shoulder while benching. The pain that I'm currently experiencing is so annoying with any pressing movements. To get through my workouts, I been using advil before lifting...to subside the pain. I'm not lifting heavy now...I just don't want to cause any more damage.

Question for those serious lifters over 35 that have experienced an injury. What if anything has helped you recover faster from a nasty injury. I know rest and time off will help...but that's just not an option for me at this point.

AndroShock · 06-10-2009, 09:54 PM

You ever tried bromelain? Some laugh, but for some reason it works for me.

pilly420 · 06-10-2009, 10:44 PM

Not sure if this will help you but it helped me tremendously. I hurt my rotator cuff in my 20s and when I started lifting again last year the pain put a damper on benching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXbi-y_GE9Q

Before I lift I use this stretch along with a simple strengthening exercise. I use lightweight (15lbs dbs) and do a few sets with my arms extended out to my sides and do small semi circles. After just a few weeks it started feeling better and I continue with it. I can barley feel any pain and can bench heavy now. gl

tomdana · 06-10-2009, 10:56 PM

Good luck I am 5 weeks out. My advice is to see a sports med doc. The shoulder is incredibly complex and a good sports med doc can run you through exams stepwise to quickly pinpoint the problem. You are right that you want to cool down the inflammation but do it with anti-inflamatories and rest. Don't mess around. You say it is not an option to break, there is always muscle memory. better to heal this now or have a permanent injury. I posted about my shoulder injury recently and got great advice. You should check it out. Good luck.

Here is the post http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116822801

DarkMuscle · 06-11-2009, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdana

Good luck I am 5 weeks out. My advice is to see a sports med doc. The shoulder is incredibly complex and a good sports med doc can run you through exams stepwise to quickly pinpoint the problem. You are right that you want to cool down the inflammation but do it with anti-inflamatories and rest. Don't mess around. You say it is not an option to break, there is always muscle memory. better to heal this now or have a permanent injury. I posted about my shoulder injury recently and got great advice. You should check it out. Good luck.

Here is the post http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=116822801

Thanks for the link...good information

DarkMuscle · 06-11-2009, 06:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pilly420

Not sure if this will help you but it helped me tremendously. I hurt my rotator cuff in my 20s and when I started lifting again last year the pain put a damper on benching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXbi-y_GE9Q

Before I lift I use this stretch along with a simple strengthening exercise. I use lightweight (15lbs dbs) and do a few sets with my arms extended out to my sides and do small semi circles. After just a few weeks it started feeling better and I continue with it. I can barley feel any pain and can bench heavy now. gl

Thanks bro. I will defnitely be using this information going forward.

Old_Swole · 06-11-2009, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkMuscle

It's tough getting older. I'm starting to feel like I'm more vunerable to injury now that I'm in my late 30's. About a month ago, I injured my shoulder while benching. The pain that I'm currently experiencing is so annoying with any pressing movements. To get through my workouts, I been using advil before lifting...to subside the pain. I'm not lifting heavy now...I just don't want to cause any more damage.

Question for those serious lifters over 35 that have experienced an injury. What if anything has helped you recover faster from a nasty injury. I know rest and time off will help...but that's just not an option for me at this point.

I get pains in my shoulder also. I am convinced it's from doing heavy behind the neck presses years ago. so now I stay away from any behind the neck work like presses and pull downs there just not natural movments for me.

swark · 06-11-2009, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomdana

Good luck I am 5 weeks out. My advice is to see a sports med doc. The shoulder is incredibly complex and a good sports med doc can run you through exams stepwise to quickly pinpoint the problem. You are right that you want to cool down the inflammation but do it with anti-inflamatories and rest. Don't mess around. You say it is not an option to break, there is always muscle memory. better to heal this now or have a permanent injury. I posted about my shoulder injury recently and got great advice. You should check it out. Good luck.

This is great advice - I tried to push through a shoulder injury and it cost me more time in the long run than if I had simply got it fixed properly.

Enduro · 06-11-2009, 07:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DarkMuscle

It's tough getting older. I'm starting to feel like I'm more vunerable to injury now that I'm in my late 30's. About a month ago, I injured my shoulder while benching. The pain that I'm currently experiencing is so annoying with any pressing movements. To get through my workouts, I been using advil before lifting...to subside the pain. I'm not lifting heavy now...I just don't want to cause any more damage.

Question for those serious lifters over 35 that have experienced an injury. What if anything has helped you recover faster from a nasty injury. I know rest and time off will help...but that's just not an option for me at this point.

Nice physic (no homo).

You are on the precipice of a slippery slope. Injuries of this nature can be a real downer if you continue to "work thru the pain", as the injury will become chronic and may get worse. You can continue to workout but you'd be best advised to avoid anything that aggravates the condition. Ice it down when your workout is over.

So you won't be able to work chest for awhile...no big deal. Use this as a time to focus on some other body part you consider to be lagging. Finding ways to work around injuries is just one of many challenges this sport presents.

Best of luck in your recovery

EggSuckingLeech · 06-11-2009, 07:11 PM

this is a good time to change up your routine some. I have a chronic shoulder problem and have for 20 years. For example, benching dumbells for me is alot easier on my shoulder than straight bar. This is because I twist my arms as I push them up (inward). When I do pulldowns, I can't extend my arms all the way up. On the ez-curl bar I can only use the outer grip.

But to be honest, I feel that these changes are also good for muscle growth. I never really let up on the weight but I did have to change grips. Good luck.

EBA84 · 06-11-2009, 07:44 PM

Wait till you hit 45 and live on Ibruprofen to work out. Too many years of going too heavy when I was younger. I have a really bad shoulder too and just try to work through it.

jdtemple · 06-12-2009, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EBA84

Wait till you hit 45 and live on Ibruprofen to work out. Too many years of going too heavy when I was younger. I have a really bad shoulder too and just try to work through it.

This is me; just 10 years younger. I really did something crunchy sounding to mine this morning while dealifting...again. It didn't hurt when it happened, but I have this sickening feeling that it's going to hurt tomorrow!

06-12-2009, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EBA84

Wait till you hit 45 and live on Ibruprofen to work out. Too many years of going too heavy when I was younger. I have a really bad shoulder too and just try to work through it.

Same thing I do. Ice before and after also helps.

QuadR · 06-12-2009, 07:43 AM

Ibuprofen will only work for so long. I have had RT Rotator surgery about 4 years ago and have been dealing with an AC Sep in LFT shoulder for about that long. I have had cortisone injections 4-6 times and it worked for awhile. As of this week, the pain has persisted and is more than ever, I have an appt. next Friday in hopes that they will run an MRI to determine what other than AC sep is going on. It is a nagging injury that even with time off, has never subsided for me. Take the necessary precautions in getting yourself checked out, it will be beneficial in the long run. Good Luck!!!!

DarkMuscle · 06-12-2009, 08:42 PM

Thanks for the feed back. Today I switched up the routine and adding more pressing movements with DB's...what a difference. I was able to go heavy without experiencing any pain.

I know I'm still going to have to be careful with this slight injury. The funny thing about having this...it hurts me more when I sleep on it the wrong way.

Thanks again brothers.