Shoulder Problems

NJ-Surfer · 10-10-2003, 03:42 PM

Can anyone give me advice on how to keep lifting hard with a glass shoulder?

I have subluxation in my left shoulder which I had orthoscopic surgery for about 4 years ago. I have been lifting religiously for a year now with some soreness here and there. I was avoiding the bech press like the plague but added it back into my routine, now I have killer pain that has kept me out of the gym all week!! I also seem to have problems with bent rows and military press which I also avoid. Any advice on what exercises to do for bad shoulders and which ones to avoid?? Thanks for any info you can provide!!!!

heeholler · 10-10-2003, 03:55 PM

You could try some rotator cuff exercises. Here are some links I found that may help.
Rotator cuff exercises
Rotator cuff 2

firestorm · 10-11-2003, 12:19 AM

I also injured my shoulder last February and only recently started training again. I actually have ache in that shoulder as I'm writing this and I did legs today. The only advise I could give you is to see a sports medicine physician and see what he has to say. I've gone through physical therapy but it didn't help much at all.

LazyByNature · 10-13-2003, 06:16 AM

Rule #1. Never perform an exercise that causes pain. Work around it. The first rule is always the hardest.

I had shoulder surgery last December and took about 4 months off. You should try to avoid all exercises that involve over-the-head motion, according to my physical therapist.

I have recently added bench press, push-ups, and pull-ups back into my routine without too much pain as long as I warm up and stretch my shoulders. The rotator cuff exercises help a great deal. I've also found that dumbell exercise hurt less than barbell exercises, I guess because they allow greater freedom for rotating the arm. I've always done dumbell presses and rows.

Make sure that you do NOT sleep on your side. Get one of those curved pillows if you have to. Also, when sitting do not lean or support yourself with your arms. This puts pressure on the shoulder joint.

Good luck. A bad shoulder affects your workout tremendously and forever.

TheGreatSatan · 10-13-2003, 06:29 AM

I had a shoulder injury and then surgery on my shoulder blade to remove a masteocondroma (I think that's how it's spelled). I lost 6 months in the gym and my pull up routine. I think you need to follow Lazy's advice. It's hard to not train what you're used to training, but its worse getting injured again and never being able to go to the gym.

NJ-Surfer · 10-13-2003, 10:19 AM

Thanks for the info, I will give the rotator cuff excercises a try. I did these after the surgery but I never got rid of the pain 100%. I definately have problems when I sleep the wrong way too.

Flex · 10-13-2003, 10:31 AM

ya man, shoulder injuries suck!

my rotator cuff kills at all times too. its helps though by doing light rotator exercises, and by warming up before you lift. Plus i take glucosamine like its my job, don't really know if it helps, but i like to think it does.

i sleep on my stomach with my arm under my head which def doesnt help, but thats the position i go to naturally. i wake up every morning and i like cant even lift my shoulder. oh well, its all worth it.......

SolidToTheCORE · 10-13-2003, 06:32 PM

I thought I had a shoulder injury too. It turned out that I tore my BICEPS TENDON. I am in some serious pain.

vanity · 10-17-2003, 02:48 AM

Unfortunately these kinds of injuries are very common and are usually the result of lifting too heavy a weight or improper technique. Although they often seem to appear suddenly , they usually happen over a period of time.

Sadly, once something goes bad it will usually never be the same again. Many young guys start off lifting with a gung ho and careless attitude. They care more about mass than technique and sooner or later they wind up hurt and then they start to think about technique . It's sad, but true.

Good luck in your recoveries.

Never lift if you feel pain. That's the body's way of saying your are doing damage.

LazyByNature · 10-17-2003, 07:26 AM

Here is some information that I received from my physical therapist before and after my shoulder surgery last year.

One very important thing to remember when doing the rotator cuff exercises is to limit the weight and the range of motion that you are using. Never use more than 3 pounds, start with one pound and work up with 3 sets of 10-15 reps. The rotator cuff muscle has a small range of motion and if you perform the exercises with too much weight or too great a range of motion then the shoulder muscles will take over and you won't be helping your rotator cuff.

kbm8795 · 10-17-2003, 10:01 AM

Wow..thanks for saying that, Lazy....I just went to rotator therapy yesterday in our sports medicine office and used five pound dumbbells...and they recorded that as an improvement! I know I'm supposed to stay with some fairly low weights but didn't realize 3 lbs. is probably a good limit.

I'm wondering if anyone knows much about cortizone treatments? Sports medicine sent me to the resident physician on campus, and they brought in an orthopedic doc, snapped more x-rays of my left shoulder...and tagteamed me by announcing they were going to give me a cortizone treatment - right then! I mean, like the nurse was there painting my shoulder as they told me what they were going to do.....and I felt like I didn't know anything about that - I just didn't want to go the surgery route. Even though it seems like it's getting stronger, I'm still only at about 50-60 % on chest/back stuff...worst is, of course, bench, incline and sometimes pec fly...even using machines for greater support.

I've tried doing very slow, very controlled reps at those lower weights...is that beneficial at all?

LazyByNature · 10-17-2003, 10:32 AM

KBM, a cortizone shot is usually the first attempt at treatment. Cortizone is a steriod that works as a anti-inflamantent (sp?) that helps the area heal. Don't do any workouts for a while. Let your shoulder heal a bit and when you do start back make sure that you stretch your shoulder before lifting anything. I would take about 2 weeks off of upper body work (you can still do legs, abs, cardio), then a week or two of just rotator cuff stretching and exercies, and then if your shoulder feels better start back with low weight and slowly work your way back.

Never rush a shoulder injury recovery.

kbm8795 · 10-17-2003, 10:46 AM

Thanks, Lazy!! I had taken a couple of weeks off upper body work after the initial treatment in August - and then started slowly with some very low pec flys, etc...but what you say makes a lot of sense. I've been trying to moniter it...like stop as soon as I sense too much pressure coming from the left shoulder - but I needed to hear someone say not to rush anything. . .I tend to be stubborn. You know, when I first started having these problems (like a year ago) I was in a strength training class with a lot of very young college students - the teach was a grad asst. who was 26...he kept telling me to "work thru the injury" which made it worse.

I know these injuries can happen to lifters at any age, but...should there be differences in assessment and treatment based on age? Or is the only real factor here the extent of injury and ability to heal?

I really appreciate your remarks - they make a helluva lot more sense than what I've heard in the doc's office. . .and at least I know more about what that cortizone treatment was all about. For about two weeks after that, I was in sports medicine having these electrobe treatments designed to push the medication deeper into the muscle...

LazyByNature · 10-17-2003, 11:18 AM

Good luck KBM,
If you have insurance that allows it, try to find a real good orthropedics doctor. Your location says Illinois and if you go to a big college with a football team, try to find the orthropedics doctor that works with the football team who specializes in shoulders. I lucked out, my surgeon is the team ortho doctor for the Georgia Tech football team here in Atlanta. Ask around the gym for some recommendations, usually someone in every gym has had to deal a shoulder problem.

I personally don't buy the electrode treament theory. I think that initially ice to reduce the inflamation and later heat to increase the blood flow through the area would be better. Not to mention cheaper than visiting the PT.

y2gt · 10-17-2003, 03:36 PM

I have shoulder problems too. My right shoulder dislocates if i move it a certain way. I don't want to get surgery though.

The front of my delts have been hurting recently though. I think its because im not warming them up before training. Whats the best way to warm up the shoulders??