Bones grinding in shoulders

[Visceral]

Whenever I use my shoulders, I can hear and feel the bones inside grinding together as I move. It happens with shrugs, raises, presses, and even while benching, but it's worst when I swim, especially on the backstroke. It happens no matter what weight I'm using, even no weight at all.

Are there muscles deep inside the shoulder that should be keeping the bones further apart? How would I build them?

[Addicted_1990]

You sure you haven't injured it?
Like rotator cuff?

[DJAuto]

Does it hurt when your perform movement?

[HawkLifter55]

Whenever I use my shoulders, I can hear and feel the bones inside grinding together as I move. It happens with shrugs, raises, presses, and even while benching, but it's worst when I swim. It happens no matter what weight I'm using, even no weight at all.

Are there muscles deep inside the shoulder that should be keeping the bones further apart? How would I build them?

Bones rubbing together is not really an issue of muscle, but an issue of the bones themselves. If it truly is bone on bone action, then you are having more trouble then just lack of muscle strentgh.

[Visceral]

No, I've never injured anything, and no, it doesn't hurt at all.

Bones rubbing together is not really an issue of muscle, but an issue of the bones themselves. If it truly is bone on bone action, then you are having more trouble then just lack of muscle strentgh.

I doubt bone on bone is supposed to happen, so I assumed a muscle or something that should be keeping them well apart was underdeveloped. What problem might I be having?

[HawkLifter55]

I am NO expert, but i always thought it was tendons and ligaments that kept the bones apart, not muscles. And if you are experiencing bone on bone action, maybe you have some injuries that you don't know about.

[T Bone]

I have a similar thing but it is not bones grinding. It sounds like that to the untrained ear. I think it is more like when you crack your knuckles. I think it might be a release of nitrogen from the joint making the noises. Anybody have any input on that?

[HawkLifter55]

That makes way more sense then bone on bone. If it was bone on bone you would be in a lot of pain. IF it just cracking, like your knuckles, then it is just fine. Don't worry about it, unless you do start to feel pain.

[Visceral]

If it's ligaments and/or tendons that separate bones, then does anyone know any shoulder stretches?

I'm sure it's not an injury. I've never felt pain in my shoulders and haven't been active enough throughout my life to have worn them down over time. If they're messed up somehow, it's from lack of exercise, not excess.

It sure doesn't sound or feel like cracking knuckles. I also know that I when I crack a joint, I can't do it again for as much as several hours, while I can keep this shoulder thing going forever. Cracking a joint can also sting a little bit if it's been a long time, while my shoulders never hurt except for soreness in the muscles after working them.

[wunmu]

My left shoulder is like that.. when I rotate my shoulders forward and back, I can hear a crack (like knuckles cracking) in the bones. They don't hurt at all, though, and they've never caused me any pain. I've found that doing some pushups lessens the cracking.

[Sick Puppy]

Well, don't mean to sound dodgy, but sounds like a lubrication problem- are you taking any supplements? Supplements like Glucosamine/ condroitin, MSM, fish oils may help with the connective tissues...

Also, exercises for the rotator cuff may help- I recently posted in a similar thread- see http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=1154141, and check the linked articles- Braindx & Papi93 appear to know their stuff, and I'm definitely using the advice and links for my RC injury. Yeah, I know you are saying it's not an injury, but they may help.

[I_love_crows]

If it were your bones rubbing together, you would definitely feel it and the pain would be quite distinct. Since you stated that you feel absolutely no pain, I would rule this out immediately along with a bad rotator, tendons, or ligaments. All of these scenarios would trigger some sort of discomfort, and the fact that it does not bother you, indicates something else.

I would also rule out the similarity of cracking knuckles. If the "cracking" action in your shoulder can be performed repeatedly over and over again, this is probably not the case.

My only thought is excess synovial fluid in your ball and socket joint; the necessary fluid in our joints that keeps these points of articulation lubricated and friction-free. The key is pain. If you do not feel pain then most likely there is no damage. If your socket was lacking synovial fluid, then friction would result in your joint, which would result in pain, which would eventually result in arthritis if not treated. Again, since pain is not a factor, I would say that excess synovial fluid may be the culprit for the feeling and sound of "cracking" while not being a bad thing since your shoulder is painless.

Hope this helps.

[Kuhl]

Bone on bone rubbing doesnt hurt at all fellas but that is not your concern at anyway. You simply have loose joints. You shoulder is most like popping in and out of joint. You are probably more flexible than your buddies and all that jazz but if you want to keep your shoulder girdle from doing that then you need to do exercises to work the 5 muscles of the rotator cuff. Try doing a few before you swim. The localized swelling in the joint caused by the increased blood flow will stabilize most shoulder joints. I would almost guarentee its also nothing to do with excess or lack of lubrication. The shoulder is not built like a standard ball and socket joint. Its surrounding by several ligaments that stabilize the humerus against the clavicle and acromium with bursa in between the actual bones. Not only that but I have never heard of a condition that involves increased synovial production... if anything that would limit range of motion because synovial fluid is incapsulated whereever it is found.

This would be my clinical diagnosis without a physical exam to test actual ROM.

[I_love_crows]

Not only that but I have never heard of a condition that involves increased synovial production... if anything that would limit range of motion because synovial fluid is incapsulated whereever it is found.

This would be my clinical diagnosis without a physical exam to test actual ROM.

"Common diseases diagnosed with fluid aspiration include infection, gout, and other inflammatory joint conditions. Blood in the joint may be an indication of trauma inside the joint or a systemic bleeding problem. An excess amount of normal synovial fluid can also be a sign of osteoarthritis."

There is your condition.

[Kuhl]

Let me correct. For his indications which is young, healthy, fit and with no pain with not prior diagnosis... I have never heard of someone producing an excess amount of synovial fluid. He most likely doesn't have an infection or osteoarthritis and if he did somehow the odds of having them in his shoulder would be very rare. VERY.

Maybe you should look up things before you answer questions and not after someone threatens your ego... smartass.

[I_love_crows]

Sorry, did I hurt your feelings?

I'm not the one so deep in red, so your posts are useless here. You must have done some naughty things to be so negged. You would probably be better off in another forum, not here.

I found a condition you never heard of, and then you resorted to name calling. I am not the one with the threatened ego.

Hey, here's a suggestion: Perhaps you should look into the field of proctology. It would give you great experience with asses just like yourself.
Then, when you become chief of medicine, you can give me a call so I can congratulate you on a job well done.

Best of luck to you genius.