Rotator Cuff Experience?

[Philroe]

To make a long story short, I believe I've injured the rotator cuff inside my left shoulder.

A few months ago I changed my back workout routine where I start with Pull-ups. The only warm up I do are arm circles for a minute or two, then start my sets 10 x 3.

Well everything was going fine until I gradually started gaining a significant amount of weight. I'm up to 212 lbs now and in the last month every back day starts off with the inside of my shoulder hurting really bad when i perform pull-ups.

I think i hurt it by not warming up with pull downs prior to pulling 212 up for 10 reps.

I can do close grip, rows ect. but not pullups because pulling up is fine but comming back down will hurt in that area, even with 100 lbs.

It only hurts with pullups. Do you think my rotator cuff will heal if i just skip pullups and perform everything else on back day. I'd hate to stop working out over this.

Thank you for reading.

-Philroe

[Thuirwyne]

Sounds like it could be your infraspinatus or supraspinatus which are part of your rotator cuff.

[Philroe]

Thanks for your help. I didn't know there were different parts to the rotator cuff. Something toward the side/back, inside the shoulder.

Any ideas on how this heals. Or what it is? It doesn't hurt me at all by itself, only when performing pullups, maybe shoulder presses too.

[Thuirwyne]

There are actually 4 muscles that make up the rotator cuff.

Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
Teres minor
Subscapularis

This info here may help.

http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Supraspinatus.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7l8...eature=related


You might have just strained any of them. If it was a tear then it would hurt at rest and you might feel a lack of stability. But no matter which one, if you add some rotator exercise 1-2 times a week, you'll be good to go! I'd stay away from exercises that aggravate, like no wide-grip chins or pullups, for shoulder presses no bars (even for presses), use dumbells and kind of angle them somewhere between neutral and regular to take the pressure of the rotator.

Give it 6 weeks and see what happens. Hope this helps!

(I either had a tear or hole in the sac that surrounds the ball of the joint. My sports med doc said they could stick the needle and die in there and see for sure, or I could just do the PT because regardless, it would be the same. I also had a client who tore a part of his rotator reaching backwards in the van to grab his boy's carseat with one arm. When we started he couldn't lift his arm to parallel without pain and could do no overhead presses or bench. When we finished he was doing seated db shoulder presses with 55's and barbell benching 180 for easy reps. Another gent I worked with tore his pitching and they did some surgery. It stayed too tight and he eventually tore the labrum from compensation, and the list goes on!)

[Philroe]

There are actually 4 muscles that make up the rotator cuff.

Supraspinatus
Infraspinatus
Teres minor
Subscapularis

This info here may help.

http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/Supraspinatus.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQ7l8...eature=related


You might have just strained any of them. If it was a tear then it would hurt at rest and you might feel a lack of stability. But no matter which one, if you add some rotator exercise 1-2 times a week, you'll be good to go! I'd stay away from exercises that aggravate, like no wide-grip chins or pullups, for shoulder presses no bars (even for presses), use dumbells and kind of angle them somewhere between neutral and regular to take the pressure of the rotator.

Give it 6 weeks and see what happens. Hope this helps!

After reading your previous post, I looked into those rotator cuff muscles. I just want to thank you for enlightening me on the subject. I've discovered a few of those exercises and will try them out.

Your second post was a great one. You are absolutely right that I will try to stay away from wide grip chins or pullups. And for shoulder presses I used a wide grip on the barbell and it hurt, while the dumbells hurt didn't much at all.

Only thing i'm not sure about is if i should actually perform any rotator cuff exercises or just try to let it heal.

Thanks for all your help, I really appreciate it.

[Thuirwyne]

Any relevant info I have I like to share.

My doctor wanted me to start the physical therapy immediately which was just some rotator cuff exercises, stretches, and some of that electrical stimulation junk. I went once and then just did them on my own.

Give any direct work a couple weeks to be safe, maybe.

Let me know how it works!