Left shoulder feels weird (almost loose) [more than 1+year]

[k0nstant]

Ever since I started lifting, I think I f***ed something up in my left shoulder but the thing is the only reason I never got it checked out is because it is a) NEVER painful and b) I only started to actually pay attention to it recently when I started realizing that I should not be feeling discomfort in my left shoulder only when I bench.
This feeling is very WEIRD, it is not painful, but I can sort of feel my left shoulder bone (and I assume that is normal for everyone?) but ONLY my left shoulder bone. I can like "crack" it when I flex my shoulder (or I think it's called flexing your shoulders lol), but let me go more into the workouts I do that cause this.
I stopped benching on the smith machine because no matter the form my left shoulder joint felt like it was separated, and I started doing dumb-bell presses and I don't feel it much. Even when I type into the keyboard right now my left shoulder (in a 0 degree angle) feels weird.
The shoulder also feels weird when doing dips/pull-ups (can never find out which exercise lol cause I do both within the same hour).
Is this normal or should I go to the doctor?

[k0nstant]

And I also wanted to note that doing certain stretches (like putting both hands up and then lowering them to my sides (think of it like a jumping jack or the motion runway signallers do to planes/jets), my shoulder usually crack but I assumed that is normal.

[Nurko1]

Dear Konstant

I have an almost exact issue, and we seem to have shoulder impingement and its caused by your shoulder joints being what is called being "hypermobile".

I have only started addressing it when the problem started to cause pain eventually and I advise you to start addressing it right away.

I am going to assume that your dominant side is your right and that your left shoulder needs immediate strengthening and stabilization drills, in addition to that you should stretch your right side and start doing deep tissue massage because its almost 100% to tight.

Check which part of the shoulder structure is weak or it's not working as it's supposed to be meaning some of the other muscle on the left side are overcompensating. For me, it is teres minor and infraspinatus that are the source of the pain. You should also test if you have internal impingement or external, be sure to google the PT exercise and tests in that manner because most of the literature and youtube are general for impingement and if you are treating it generally it can worsen the problem.

The most helpful advice that I can give you, in the end, is to go to a neurologist to test your nerves on the left side as that is going to help you more than physio who is probably going to diagnose you poorly.

Pro Tip also is to remove benching and squatting (switch to the safety bar if you have access to it) as these movements put the shoulder joint in a very compromised position if the impingement is already in place because of the weight and the position of the joint.

Focus on overhead press with correct form and by shrugging the weight on the top while removing the bench, power shrugs also do wonders for positioning, freeing up the space and the blood flow for the humerus.

Hope this was helpful.

[sowilson]

Go see an Orthopedic Surgeon who works with athletes (a pro sports team doctor is typically one) or an Orthopedic Urgent Care facility and get checked out. Let people who actually know what they're doing diagnose what's going on. Then you work on fixing your issue.

[k0nstant]

Go see an Orthopedic Surgeon who works with athletes (a pro sports team doctor is typically one) or an Orthopedic Urgent Care facility and get checked out. Let people who actually know what they're doing diagnose what's going on. Then you work on fixing your issue.

Thank you!