Shoulder pain...

[_NimbusTim_]

Guys I have been having shoulder pain for the past 4-6 weeks. The pain is mainly in my right shoulder. I have not worked my shoulder out in about 3 weeks to see if the pain went away, but it has not.

Mainly what it is, is that my shoulder aches real bad and is uncomfortable to lift up over my head. When I do lift it over my head it tends to pop. Also to elliviate some of the pain I flex (tense up) my arm as hard as I can and push my shoulder foward. This eases the pain for a minute, but makes it soarer afterwards. I find myself doing this throughout the day.... Possibly 50 times a day or more. About every third or fourth time I do it my shoulder pops very loud. I know by me tensing up real hard and doing this it is making it worse, but I cant help it...

Any suggestions as to what is causing it, or what would help it.

Thanks,
Tim

[Flex500]

Guys I have been having shoulder pain for the past 4-6 weeks. The pain is mainly in my right shoulder. I have not worked my shoulder out in about 3 weeks to see if the pain went away, but it has not.

Mainly what it is, is that my shoulder aches real bad and is uncomfortable to lift up over my head. When I do lift it over my head it tends to pop. Also to elliviate some of the pain I flex (tense up) my arm as hard as I can and push my shoulder foward. This eases the pain for a minute, but makes it soarer afterwards. I find myself doing this throughout the day.... Possibly 50 times a day or more. About every third or fourth time I do it my shoulder pops very loud. I know by me tensing up real hard and doing this it is making it worse, but I cant help it...

Any suggestions as to what is causing it, or what would help it.

Thanks,
Tim

sounds like you have some inflammation/impingement issues going on in your shoulder.

For shoulder issues like this the best advice is to...

1. see a doc, why not get an mri, x-ray, etc. and see what the real problem is for sure

2. avoid what hurts it. this is probably what a doc will tell you anyway if nothing is torn. Just avoid what hurts. My ROM for barbell shoulder press is minimal. I go from my collar bone to the top of my head, that's it! Some people feel better when they do the upper part of the movement. Anyway avoid what hurts, just make adjustments.

3. ice and use an anti-inflammatory. If you can take ibuprofen. No no I am not saying everyday from now on before every workout. I mean for the next 5-7 days take 2 or so ibuprofren 3 times a day. Of course check with your doc to make sure it is okay to do this. I don't know you medical history so make sure it is safe for YOU to do this. Like I said don't start popping them everyday the next 10 years. Just use a high dose the next 5-7 days to get rid of the inflammation.

P-protect your shoulder, stay away from things that hurt
R-rest it
I- Ice your shoulder
C- compression...eh doesn't really apply
E-elevation...well nothing you really have to do for that if your shoulder is
below your heart you have more important issues to deal with
than this injury.

[Bogaerts]

bump

[Lencho]

Read this. At first, it may sound like a shoulder isn't made to do this, but read carefully.

http://intens************/showthread.php?t=6997

Also, as someone pointed out earlier, these are good for taking care of impingement and soreness due to strains. They will obviously not heal a torn muscle or RC. Only rest can do that. I had the exact same type of pain you described 2 years ago (before I knew what broomsticks were), and I just took 5 weeks off. When I came back, the pain was gone.

[papi93]

http://www.t-nation.com/findArticle.do?article=52balan

[$AJ]

3weeks is nothing.

when i strained my bicep i took 6weeks off; for a houlder injury (if that's what it is; a lot of longhead bicep injuries can appear as shoulder injuries) it would take a hella lot longer ot heal.

[Nainoa]

Read this. At first, it may sound like a shoulder isn't made to do this, but read carefully.

http://intens************/showthread.php?t=6997

Also, as someone pointed out earlier, these are good for taking care of impingement and soreness due to strains. They will obviously not heal a torn muscle or RC. Only rest can do that. I had the exact same type of pain you described 2 years ago (before I knew what broomsticks were), and I just took 5 weeks off. When I came back, the pain was gone.

HOLD THE PHONE...

Broomsticks are a good stretch for a healthy shoulder they should NOT be used as a form of treatment like the butt munch in that site claims...

[Nainoa]

Guys I have been having shoulder pain for the past 4-6 weeks. The pain is mainly in my right shoulder. I have not worked my shoulder out in about 3 weeks to see if the pain went away, but it has not.

Mainly what it is, is that my shoulder aches real bad and is uncomfortable to lift up over my head. When I do lift it over my head it tends to pop. Also to elliviate some of the pain I flex (tense up) my arm as hard as I can and push my shoulder foward. This eases the pain for a minute, but makes it soarer afterwards. I find myself doing this throughout the day.... Possibly 50 times a day or more. About every third or fourth time I do it my shoulder pops very loud. I know by me tensing up real hard and doing this it is making it worse, but I cant help it...

Any suggestions as to what is causing it, or what would help it.

Thanks,
Tim

Okay... I've gone round robin with my shoulder injury and lived to tell the tale after 8 months of problems...

My "Guess" here is that you have either an AC joint injury... Or a Labrum related injury...

Both are serious and need to be examined by a specialist.

Does it hurt when you:

Point straight up, as if a child asked you where Heaven is?

Touch your palm to your good shoulder?

Then with the palm still touching point your elbow straight up?

While standing touch your palm to your inner thigh and make a shrugging motion?

If you answered yes to all of these, then chances are high that it's an AC injury...

There are 6 Grades of AC seperation.

Grade 1 and 2 will heal on their own in the matter of 2-6 weeks...

Grade 3 (Which is what I had) You have a 75% chance of needing surgery... I fell into the 25% category... But suffered 2 re-aggrivations, all told costing me 8 months... However with proper treatment, assuming you fall into the good 25% category, you could be healed in 12 weeks or so, with about another 4 weeks of rehab, and you could start back light...

Grade 4-6 you would be too busy screaming like a little girl with a spider on her dress to be able to read this post, so we can assume that you don't have them.

One common complication that comes with AC injuries, and in fact weight lifting in general is Osteolysis (AKA weight lifters shoulder).

Mild Osteolysis (A complication I also had) can be treated with cortisone, and rest... Moderate or worse Osteolysis will require an opeation called Distal clavical resection... Where they remove 5-10 mm of bone from the distal clavical... Then over the course of 4-6 months fibrous scar tissue fills in the resected area, and you can begin rehab.

NOTE... If you have a mild case of Osteolysis, and you attempt to do the bull**** ego thing and try to "Work through it" chances are high that you will aggrivate it into Moderate or worse, and force yourself into needing surgery.

***
Now if you have SLAP lesion or other Labrum related injury... Which could also be the case... You'll need an MRI-arthrogram, for proper diagnosis (AT THE LEAST!) Some SLAP's are so hard to determine that they have to scope the joint.

***
Right now, considering the time line... It's definitely doctor time... In fact I can tell you as a man who has been there, that right now the only thing less wise than failing to seek Professional medical care; Would be to start masturbating with Barbwire that has been soaking in a pool full of extracted Herpes pus!

***
A note about Cortisone, that some doctors are sloppy to tell people about...

IF you get a Cortisone shot... Keep in mind that for "Average People" this isn't an issue, so Doc's often forget to tell people... But Cortisone, temporarily weakens the integrity and density of connective tissue, while it is healing and affecting it's anti-inflamatory properties...

It takes 3 weeks for cortisone to completely absorb... And another 3-6 before integrity of connective tissue returns to normal... During this time attempt to "Lift Heavy" is about as smart as playing Russian Roulette alone.

Now stop reading immediately, and schedule the friggin' doctor's appointment... If the intial prognosis is serious be sure to ask for a referral to a Sports PT or an Orthopedic surgeon.

Good Luck Bro!

[_NimbusTim_]

I will be calling to make an appointment today.

Yesterday was bench day and my shoulder was hurting so I tried to just go light and use the machines... I got on the incline bench machine and tried my usual weight minus a little... Could not get it up... Kept decreasing and decreasing till it was just plain embarassing. My right arm would not even let me do 75lbs on a incline bench machine.....

Okay... I've gone round robin with my shoulder injury and lived to tell the tale after 8 months of problems...

My "Guess" here is that you have either an AC joint injury... Or a Labrum related injury...

Both are serious and need to be examined by a specialist.

Does it hurt when you:

Point straight up, as if a child asked you where Heaven is? YES

Touch your palm to your good shoulder? YES

Then with the palm still touching point your elbow straight up? YES

While standing touch your palm to your inner thigh and make a shrugging motion? REALLY YES

If you answered yes to all of these, then chances are high that it's an AC injury...

There are 6 Grades of AC seperation.

Grade 1 and 2 will heal on their own in the matter of 2-6 weeks...

Grade 3 (Which is what I had) You have a 75% chance of needing surgery... I fell into the 25% category... But suffered 2 re-aggrivations, all told costing me 8 months... However with proper treatment, assuming you fall into the good 25% category, you could be healed in 12 weeks or so, with about another 4 weeks of rehab, and you could start back light...

Grade 4-6 you would be too busy screaming like a little girl with a spider on her dress to be able to read this post, so we can assume that you don't have them.

One common complication that comes with AC injuries, and in fact weight lifting in general is Osteolysis (AKA weight lifters shoulder).

Mild Osteolysis (A complication I also had) can be treated with cortisone, and rest... Moderate or worse Osteolysis will require an opeation called Distal clavical resection... Where they remove 5-10 mm of bone from the distal clavical... Then over the course of 4-6 months fibrous scar tissue fills in the resected area, and you can begin rehab.

NOTE... If you have a mild case of Osteolysis, and you attempt to do the bull**** ego thing and try to "Work through it" chances are high that you will aggrivate it into Moderate or worse, and force yourself into needing surgery.

***
Now if you have SLAP lesion or other Labrum related injury... Which could also be the case... You'll need an MRI-arthrogram, for proper diagnosis (AT THE LEAST!) Some SLAP's are so hard to determine that they have to scope the joint.

***
Right now, considering the time line... It's definitely doctor time... In fact I can tell you as a man who has been there, that right now the only thing less wise than failing to seek Professional medical care; Would be to start masturbating with Barbwire that has been soaking in a pool full of extracted Herpes pus!

***
A note about Cortisone, that some doctors are sloppy to tell people about...

IF you get a Cortisone shot... Keep in mind that for "Average People" this isn't an issue, so Doc's often forget to tell people... But Cortisone, temporarily weakens the integrity and density of connective tissue, while it is healing and affecting it's anti-inflamatory properties...

It takes 3 weeks for cortisone to completely absorb... And another 3-6 before integrity of connective tissue returns to normal... During this time attempt to "Lift Heavy" is about as smart as playing Russian Roulette alone.

Now stop reading immediately, and schedule the friggin' doctor's appointment... If the intial prognosis is serious be sure to ask for a referral to a Sports PT or an Orthopedic surgeon.

Good Luck Bro!

[Nainoa]

I will be calling to make an appointment today.

Yesterday was bench day and my shoulder was hurting so I tried to just go light and use the machines... I got on the incline bench machine and tried my usual weight minus a little... Could not get it up... Kept decreasing and decreasing till it was just plain embarassing. My right arm would not even let me do 75lbs on a incline bench machine.....

Sorry Bro... But if you've been working it, and you answered Yes to all of those... AND it's taken this long with only decreased improvement... You've probably got an AC injury... Probably a mid-grade 3 seperation... And your "Working it" has probably induced Osteolysis...

Considering the strength loss (Which is most likely a feedback from connective tissue damage...) You're looking at a long layoff here...
Your attempts at working it, have more likely done some pretty serious collateral damage.

Until you get a diagnosis by a specialist (Not just a GP) I would treat that arm as if it's in an invisible sling... And do no lifting other than leg Iso's that don't require ANY upper body involvement.

Now I could be wrong... But right now, speaking from experience, your chances are more likely than not, that you're looking at a pretty serious one...

If you come out of the SPECIALIST's office with just a diagnosis of something minor, then you've got something to celebrate...

But what you're describing here isn't just some silly little sprain...

Make the Appointment, get the referral, cross your fingers and hope that it's just a ruptured bursa with tendonitis (Which is a 4-6 week layoff)

If you hear the words "Third degree AC seperation with Osteolysis" It's going to be months.
(In my case... 8 Months... And even now... Still doesn't feel exactly the same.)