Rotator issues exacerbated by sleeping position?

[rsw1]

OK, so know I'm having rotator issues on my right side (think I finally blew it out doing side raises), but I'm wondering if my sleeping position is significantly worsening the condition ( I sleep on my side).

No major pain, just a lot of discomfort with any overhead or side raise type movements. Plus I have the tell-tale "popping" when I raise my arm.

This "seems" like the type of injury that would normally go away in a few weeks, but I'm now beginning to wonder if my on-my-side sleeping position is pushing my shoulders forward and aggravating the problem.

Anyone have any history with a similar situation? I'm beggining to believe I'll need therapy, with no way around it..

[thesparkly1]

Hey buddy there's nothin' wrong with therapy is there? Looks like you're pretty intuitive & have a good sense of whats going on with your shoulder. What's not clear is whether your shoulder pain is coming from the rotator cuff, subacromial bursa or the AC joint. An assessment by a qualified professional +/- an ultrasound scan would tell you. Nonetheless, whatever the cause, side-lying on the affected arm during sleep is a common cause for aggravation for all of these shoulder problems (as you have already discovered). Side lying does exactly what you proposed - it pushes the shoulder girdle forward. The reason this is problematic is because this compresses the tiny space which houses your supraspinatus tendon and subacromial bursa. In other words, it pinches the tendon that is most likely causing your pain. This tendon has a poor blood supply so it tends to heal slowly as a general rule. Squashing it during the night isn't going to help because this stops it from getting essential nutrients. I advise you to do whatever you can to change your sleeping posture. This is difficult for most people. If you have a partner, you might like to ask them to wake you up if they see you sleeping on your sore shoulder during the night. Alternatively, simply changing sides of the bed (if you share one) can be all thats needed for many people. If you get really desperate, get your favourite bedtime shirt and sew a pocket onto the shoulder, then put a small ball or rolled up sock in it - everytime you turn onto it it will annoy the crap out of you and make you change sides. A partner does the same thing for most people ... and thats why i suggested swapping sides of the bed earlier.

[rsw1]

Thanks for the detailed reply Sparkly. Yeah, I intentionally don't sleep on the injured side. But you're right, regardless of which "side" you're side sleeping on, the "posture" in that position roles the shoulder girdle forward.

I'm even beginning to wonder if this sleeping position may not be a large cause of the problem in the first place. Standing shirtless in front of a mirror, I can't help but notice (and I don't think it's my imagination) my shoulders, especialy on the injured side look imbalanced, meaning, they have a pronouced "forward roll" look to them. Of course that can also come from an imbalance in my lifting routine also

No, no issues with a PT. I've been to them several times before for various injuries (torn bicep, neck injuries), but it's just so time consuming and a pain in the ass. Lifters just want to get back in the gym right!! But, after 3 weeks of limited movement, ah.....not left with much choice.

[thesparkly1]

Just a final word from me rsw1 - what you're referring to by your description of your shoulder posture is something we call a 'protracted shoulder girdle'. Some contributing factors to consider here other than your lifting routine include tight pecs, weak rhomboids, poor posture and stiffness of the thoracic spine (in the backward direction). You can easily do pec stretches by stretching in a doorway. Weak rhomboids just need some attention. Poor posture is nothing but an awareness problem - keep the lower back straight whenever you sit and everything above it will be straight. As for the thoracic spine stiffness, either roll a towel up behind your back and roll over it (preferably in a situp/crunch position with the feet elevated) repeatedly, or see a good chiro for the odd adjustment to maintain your flexibility. Finally, the protracted shoulder position is most likely a contributing factor to an already imbalanced rotator cuff - so make sure you take a good look at the cuff and address any imbalances here in strength, endurance and flexibility. Good luck.

[BCAHQ]

OK, so know I'm having rotator issues on my right side (think I finally blew it out doing side raises), but I'm wondering if my sleeping position is significantly worsening the condition ( I sleep on my side).

No major pain, just a lot of discomfort with any overhead or side raise type movements. Plus I have the tell-tale "popping" when I raise my arm.

This "seems" like the type of injury that would normally go away in a few weeks, but I'm now beginning to wonder if my on-my-side sleeping position is pushing my shoulders forward and aggravating the problem.

Anyone have any history with a similar situation? I'm beggining to believe I'll need therapy, with no way around it..

You could also look at the general advice regarding sleep and posture on the chiropractic-uk.co.uk website