Fixing shoulder impingement

[bocaj006]

Lol. I appreciated it. Was just looking for some shoulder advice. Mine has been bugging me forever. Pretty much given up on any shoulder workout now. Do traps and light dumbells for my shoulders. OHP is by far the most painful to do. Anyways thought it was getting better and about three weeks ago did the heaviest shoulders I had in awhile although still quite light and couldn't lift my arm at all the next day. Hate my left shoulder so much.


I will try what that article said.

Bliz, you may want to check out three articles on T-Nation called 'Shoulder Savers'. I would post a link, but I'm not allowed since I am a newby here. They give some pretty good insight aswell.

[Bliz19]

Bliz, you may want to check out three articles on T-Nation called 'Shoulder Savers'. I would post a link, but I'm not allowed since I am a newby here. They give some pretty good insight aswell.

Thanks will check it out.

[JRT6]

I've got the bands and have done these intermittently but never for 50 reps so L'm going to give that a serious go.

[davidolson22]

Thanks! I have some shoulder problems and this may help a lot.

[Juggertha]

Is this what you're describing?

love how this feels/works

[acyu2012]

good post

[misfit28]

Just bumping an awesome thread I do these all the time, and my shoulders have never felt better!

[MoonAbove]

I had an impingement that led to a cuff tear a year and a half ago.

I routinely do this exercise before my shoulder work. Just a great shoulder opener.

PT focused on scapular strengthening exercises, much like these:

http://www.exercisebiology.com/index...shoulder_pain/

I do some variations of these exercises, standing with cables and heavier weight. It's definitely made a big difference in staving off a repeat, and also given me a really buff upper back.

[beachguy498]

I had an impingement that led to a cuff tear a year and a half ago.

I routinely do this exercise before my shoulder work. Just a great shoulder opener.

PT focused on scapular strengthening exercises, much like these:

http://www.exercisebiology.com/index...shoulder_pain/

I do some variations of these exercises, standing with cables and heavier weight. It's definitely made a big difference in staving off a repeat, and also given me a really buff upper back.

Working scapular retraction into any exercise is always good. I do it automatically now, the shoulder has been great for over a year. A bad impingement can in effect shred the rotator cuff muscle.

My right front RC really got big, very noticeable to me. So I added the left side in to my exercises.

Rob

[MoonAbove]

Working scapular retraction into any exercise is always good. I do it automatically now, the shoulder has been great for over a year. A bad impingement can in effect shred the rotator cuff muscle.

My right front RC really got big, very noticeable to me. So I added the left side in to my exercises.

Rob

Exactly! My impingement did just that, because I thought it would be smart to continue doing overhead presses and laterals with black-out pain. *sigh*

Strengthening the scapula, maintaining good posture...can eliminate impingement going further.

Have you evened out now?

[DrFlexologist]

I am finding these to work very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8ohOPNoCw


Quadruped Rhythmic Stabilizations

•Assume all fours position.
•Place one hand on a medicine ball.
•"Pack" your shoulders by pulling them down and back.
•Have a partner kneel next to you and gently tap your arm for roughly ten seconds.
•Resist the tapping and keep the joint centered as much as possible. (The key word here is gently! There's no need to go all Mr. Miyagi and try to dislocate something.)
•Shoot for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps on each side (you do have two shoulders even if you only throw with one) as part of a general warm-up before throwing.

[davidolson22]

I am finding these to work very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8ohOPNoCw


Quadruped Rhythmic Stabilizations

•Assume all fours position.
•Place one hand on a medicine ball.
•"Pack" your shoulders by pulling them down and back.
•Have a partner kneel next to you and gently tap your arm for roughly ten seconds.
•Resist the tapping and keep the joint centered as much as possible. (The key word here is gently! There's no need to go all Mr. Miyagi and try to dislocate something.)
•Shoot for 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps on each side (you do have two shoulders even if you only throw with one) as part of a general warm-up before throwing.

That looks rather awkward compared to normal rotator cuff exercises and hard to be sure you are doing it right. Can you explain it's advantages, if any?

[beachguy498]

Exactly! My impingement did just that, because I thought it would be smart to continue doing overhead presses and laterals with black-out pain. *sigh*

Strengthening the scapula, maintaining good posture...can eliminate impingement going further.

Have you evened out now?

Both sides are about even now. But it was cool to know exactly where the muscle was, this is how defined the one side was over the other.

Rob

[beachguy498]

That looks rather awkward compared to normal rotator cuff exercises and hard to be sure you are doing it right. Can you explain it's advantages, if any?

I would pass on it too, seems to be in the realm of Bro Science. If you really want to get into shoulder injury, go to the exercises forum section to the sub-forum for injuries. Tons of good stickies and solid information.

All of my exercises were prescribed for my specific condition(s). What helped me may hurt someone else. If I were to take any off the internet anywhere, I would do general shoulder strengthening exercises.

Rob

[soccerdad5]

I had a shoulder impingement for over a year and a couple of months ago I started taking proteolytic enzymes and my pain subsided 95%. I don't think there is any way I would have been able to compete in the Branch Warren without them. I know some people are skeptical but this is the only thing I changed in my regiment. Try it for 30 days and let me know what you get back. By the way, I don't sell these are get any kind of commission (I am sure thinking about it after they worked so well).


Here is the thread:

Anyone taken proteolytic enzymes to recover quicker or recover from an injury?
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...03&pagenumber=

[tmonkey]

strong bump but i may be up in this crew


last set of shots were today

[beachguy498]

strong bump but i may be up in this crew


last set of shots were today

I know what that is... my last ones were almost 3 years ago. Lucky to have a great orthopedic surgeon to do them.

Rob

[Chasetrading]

I have had a shoulder impingement for about the last 7 months. about 2 months ago i had 6 session with a physio which did nothing, in the end i got a shot of steroids in it which fixed it for about 6 weeks. Now my shoulder is the worst its been.... I tried this method with a stick today, it feels good... i can feel my shoulder burning but i can also feel the impingement pinching when my arms go up.
Can any one tell me is this irritating my impingement and possibily making it worse or should i be ignoring the pinch (which is the problem im trying to fix)

[calbaisey]

how many doctors recommend this method for cure?

[AKaramargin]

Chasetrading, I'd hate to leave you hangin' on your first post with no replies. The broom stretch is good but I've found what works for me are:

Self myo-fascial release with a foam roller/tennis ball (google foam roller exercises. Do this every day and you will also be stronger and recover faster as well.)

Supermans (lay on your stomach, arms and legs straight, reach as far as you can away and up towards the sky - keeping your glutes flexed and extremities straight, pulse or hold it. Pretend like two horses are pulling you apart and the only thing you can do is raise your locked arms and legs. I prefer to keep my chin tucked in and look straight down at the ground to maintain a straight spine.) Try to do variations other than your arms straight ahead, like the letter "T", "Y", and "V"

Back bridges (lay on your back, bend at the knees with your feet planted on the ground firmly. Raise your hips until your glutes are fully contracted. Keep hands palm down with your arms straight by your sides or grab your ankles or clasp your hands under yourself. Arms remain touching the ground the whole time.)

Scapula pushups (get in pushup position, arms stay locked. Keep your body rigid like a board, push away as far as you can, feeling a deep flex in your pecs and then flex the shoulder blades hard behind you in a slow and controlled manner. Imagine you're crushing them the entire length of your spine. Then push as far as you can away from the ground. Repeat. Try different hand placements to hit the scapula at various angles. Try it on your knees if you don't have the strength or mind/muscle connection yet. It benefits your posture the most when you can elevate your feet and do these)

Isometric side laterals (stand with your arm alongside your body against a wall. Press against the wall with the back of your hand and hold it for a few seconds. I prefer to bend 90 degrees at the elbow as this places more tension on the scapula. You can also do this without a wall by creating resistance with your other arm.)

Deep pec stretching next to a wall with emphasis on flexing the scapula, flexing your armpit at the same time. Shoulders down and back.

Face the wall bodyweight squats, these just help with overall posture. Use a sumo stance and try to get close to the wall, arms spread like a "T". Don't touch the wall. Keep your spine long, as if you're being pulled up by a string. Don't touch the wall with anything but your toes, if you can. Get deep and maintain perfect posture.

All of these exercises and stretches helped alleviate my shoulder impingement. The pain is gone, which from my experience is mainly due to thoracic kyphosis. If I don't keep up on these then heavy lifting slowly brings the pain back.
Focus on perfect form when lifting. As some of the greats say, "Practice doesn't make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect."

[Looton]

I broke my pushbroom this morning - since I have impingement I thought I'd try this. I got 15 reps and am taking a break... lol.

I foolishly stopped doing 'innies & outies' that I saw a while ago; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdlF_Vh7zg

Old school lifters often recommend pushups and pullups to avoid RC injury too and keep the supportive scapular area muscles stronger.

[GKC45]

I do a set of 15 broomsticks as part of my warmup routine. MY shoulders are a LOT more flexible than they were before I started.

[patnshan]

Gonna try these, but can't watch the video on the iPad for some reason. Anybody post another one? My right is impinging something fierce and I'd love to fix it without needles/scopes.
Thanks,
Pat

[Dm77]

Just wanted to add that I'm a therapist and deal with this stuff often. Most lifters n.eglect working their SITS muscles/shoulder stabilizers.

You can also do quick check of symetry by internlly rotating and trying to touch your mid-back. If your scap is winging, you'll want to address that by focusing on scapular depression movements. Sh*t just walking around the gym holding a #15 dumbbell or kettle above your head for 5-10min intervals will help. You'll immeadiatly see a decrease in winging, but must keep it up for a few sessions.

There are many other asymetry tests, but I'm typing on a Nook at the moment so typing is a hassel.

Dan

[RT1957]

I have a long thin PVC pipe I use before every upper body WO...I also do rotations around my body with the stick starting at vertical in front of my body then rotate around he head. Arm rotations also work great small rotations slowly working up to big rotations then back to small. Bent arm rotations....etc

[Coogle]

Gonna give it a try will post my results

[lschepis]

I broke my pushbroom this morning - since I have impingement I thought I'd try this. I got 15 reps and am taking a break... lol.

I foolishly stopped doing 'innies & outies' that I saw a while ago; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpdlF_Vh7zg

Old school lifters often recommend pushups and pullups to avoid RC injury too and keep the supportive scapular area muscles stronger.

Wow, really on the pushups and pull-ups? I've had impingement for a long time and do a lot of these but weren't sure if they were good or bad for it. Subbing in to try some of the suggested movements. Great thread!

[Dm77]

Wow, really on the pushups and pull-ups? I've had impingement for a long time and do a lot of these but weren't sure if they were good or bad for it. Subbing in to try some of the suggested movements. Great thread!

Pushups will not help prevent or treat rotator cuff, acromio clavicular pain or shoulder impingment syndrome, it will just aggrevate it more. These body builders that say these things have probably never had an anatomy and physiology course let alone a kineseoligy course, if they did they wouldn't make such ridiculous claims.

Shoulder internal/external rotation, subscapularis, scaption, and rows high/low are the best if only ways to protect and conservativly tx the above syndromes.

[Trezeguett]

Hi, do you think those exercises could help me?? I have shoulder impingement because of the work and the gym.. Im treating my shoulders at the moment, because its painful and planning how to prevent pain later.

[davidolson22]

Hi, do you think those exercises could help me?? I have shoulder impingement because of the work and the gym.. Im treating my shoulders at the moment, because its painful and planning how to prevent pain later.

I don't know. People 16 feet tall have their own sets of problem that non-giants don't have to deal with.