Shoulder Pain, What Would You Do?

Training Bodybuilding
21

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
tw0scoops2 wrote:
What’s your workout look like? Kinda pointless to try and figure out what’s wrong with your shoulders without any info. If your shoulders never hurt while doing that construction job, I doubt it has anything to do with that now(unless you still do that kinda work).

Was there ever any specific trama to the shoulder besides the construction work?

no, no other trauma to the shoulder that could of caused it, problems came around right at that time.

The only other variables I could think of that could of affected it are:

  • I was doing loads of handwriting due to college (hunched over a desk etc.)
  • I did TBT with an extra day to emphasize chest.

Another thing I believe has made my shoulders worse is that I have an awful habit now of constantly wiggling them around due to them being uncomfortable. I’m trying to stop doing that…

Like I said I have JUST started training again, I took a complete 6 month break and nothing really changed.

I did loads of behind the neck band pull aparts & exteral band rotations for a while, and they didn’t really change anything.

I just got back from leg day today. After squats & romanian deadlifts my shoulders felt amazing for a little while, after squats I just hanged from the bar and stretched out (felt awesome). However, I made them uncomfortable again while doing russian twists with a medicine ball =/[/quote]

I am very confused now.

A 6 month break is called “quitting”.

Why are you training TBT and what exercises are you doing that involve upper body work?

22

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Goodfellow wrote:
tw0scoops2 wrote:
What’s your workout look like? Kinda pointless to try and figure out what’s wrong with your shoulders without any info. If your shoulders never hurt while doing that construction job, I doubt it has anything to do with that now(unless you still do that kinda work).

Was there ever any specific trama to the shoulder besides the construction work?

no, no other trauma to the shoulder that could of caused it, problems came around right at that time.

The only other variables I could think of that could of affected it are:

  • I was doing loads of handwriting due to college (hunched over a desk etc.)
  • I did TBT with an extra day to emphasize chest.

Another thing I believe has made my shoulders worse is that I have an awful habit now of constantly wiggling them around due to them being uncomfortable. I’m trying to stop doing that…

Like I said I have JUST started training again, I took a complete 6 month break and nothing really changed.

I did loads of behind the neck band pull aparts & exteral band rotations for a while, and they didn’t really change anything.

I just got back from leg day today. After squats & romanian deadlifts my shoulders felt amazing for a little while, after squats I just hanged from the bar and stretched out (felt awesome). However, I made them uncomfortable again while doing russian twists with a medicine ball =/

I am very confused now.

A 6 month break is called “quitting”.

Why are you training TBT and what exercises are you doing that involve upper body work?[/quote]

No, I WAS doing TBT when my shoulder flared up, just before I ‘quit’

Right now I plan on doing a 5 day split:

Legs
rest
Chest
Back
rest
Shoulders
Arms

For shoulders I did: Dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press, Lateral raises, Dumbbell shrugs (no real problems)

Arms: BB bicep curl, EZ bar skullcrusher, DB curl, Cable tricep pushdown (felt awful)

23

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:

No, I WAS doing TBT when my shoulder flared up, just before I ‘quit’

Right now I plan on doing a 5 day split:

Legs
rest
Chest
Back
rest
Shoulders
Arms

For shoulders I did: Dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press, Lateral raises, Dumbbell shrugs (no real problems)

Arms: BB bicep curl, EZ bar skullcrusher, DB curl, Cable tricep pushdown (felt awful)

[/quote]

What were you doing with TBT for upper body?

24

Off for 6 months right into a 5-day split, seems like you are asking for trouble. I’m an all or nothing sort of person but this just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

25

[quote]Professor X wrote:
Goodfellow wrote:

No, I WAS doing TBT when my shoulder flared up, just before I ‘quit’

Right now I plan on doing a 5 day split:

Legs
rest
Chest
Back
rest
Shoulders
Arms

For shoulders I did: Dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press, Lateral raises, Dumbbell shrugs (no real problems)

Arms: BB bicep curl, EZ bar skullcrusher, DB curl, Cable tricep pushdown (felt awful)

What were you doing with TBT for upper body?

[/quote]

Dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, bench presses & some extra chest work such as pec deck.

I didn’t do any direct shoulder or arm training, and did more volume than I should of for chest probably…

26

[quote]mrodock wrote:
Off for 6 months right into a 5-day split, seems like you are asking for trouble. I’m an all or nothing sort of person but this just doesn’t seem like a good idea.[/quote]

What do you suggest I do? An upper/lower split 4x week? Or even just a 3 day split?

27

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
Professor X wrote:
Goodfellow wrote:

No, I WAS doing TBT when my shoulder flared up, just before I ‘quit’

Right now I plan on doing a 5 day split:

Legs
rest
Chest
Back
rest
Shoulders
Arms

For shoulders I did: Dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press, Lateral raises, Dumbbell shrugs (no real problems)

Arms: BB bicep curl, EZ bar skullcrusher, DB curl, Cable tricep pushdown (felt awful)

What were you doing with TBT for upper body?

Dumbbell rows, lat pulldowns, bench presses & some extra chest work such as pec deck.

I didn’t do any direct shoulder or arm training, and did more volume than I should of for chest probably…[/quote]

You don’t think ignoring an entire muscle group would lead to huge discrepancies in strength between muscle groups?

Look, I don’t care to get into some argument about which way is better…but this notion that you should avoid isolation movements is retarded. That’s coming from someone who is not weak and is not small.

Most of the guys who even train that way seem to have huge lagging areas after years of that bullshit.

Exactly what is it going to take for some of you to finally get the picture that ignoring training groups directly is how you get injured?

The only problem your shoulders seem to have…is that you left them behind a long time ago and now they are showing you what a mistake that was.

Why would anyone avoid training shoulders directly?

28

[quote]Goodfellow wrote:
mrodock wrote:
Off for 6 months right into a 5-day split, seems like you are asking for trouble. I’m an all or nothing sort of person but this just doesn’t seem like a good idea.

What do you suggest I do? An upper/lower split 4x week? Or even just a 3 day split?[/quote]

There’s nothing wrong with what you are doing now except for the fact that you don’t seem to understand that your shoulders are at beginner status while the rest of you may be a little bit stronger. Of course they are going to hurt if you trained everything EXCEPT them for however long you were on that other routine.

You also can’t seem to stick with things for long if you had a “6 month fucking break”.

29

I guess with a lot of articles etc. saying it wasn’t neccassery to perform isolation movements, I never really challenged the idea and thought TBT might be a good change of pace.

Then when my shoulders started to get a bit iffy, the articles then said to avoid direct shoulder work.

I quit for 6 months because I just got fed up that it wasn’t getting better, and thought that a lack of weight training would hepl (as doctor prescribed).

I’m going to stay with a bodypart split for as long as I can, hopefully my shoulders will catch up and start to feel better.

30

Professor X… I tend to disagree with you on one point. If a few specialists have told him that the MRI’s look good and he is still symptomatic this would defiantly not rule out a mechanical impingement. Now some of the many tests that they perform in office to rule out impingement IE Neer/ Hawkins/ Copeland impingement tests do not necessarily rule out impingement especially where bodybuilding is concerned.

The joint is just too mobile and sheer force from lifting especially with poor form or a severe strenght imbalance could manifest itself into some type of impingement. This could also be overtraining and tendonitis… tough to call. The one thing I think we can both agree on is that he needs to drastically change his lifting program.

Also as I am sure we are both aware most Ortho’s will suggest lifestyle changes to anyone and everyone who presents a problem and many times just skip over how to physically prevent this with physical therapy. Physicians can be very cynical and simply cannot understand or accept the lifters mentality so they just suggest giving it up???

31

I got this constant tingling in my left shoulder blade area too, which I’m guessing is a pinched nerve. I read that pinched nerves also cause burning, which may be the problem with my other shoulder?

Anyone know any ways to remedy a pinched nerve or do I have to pay money to get someone else to help me do it?

32

Anyone familiar with a nerve flossing technique for the shoulder/scapular musculature?

33

So I was speaking with my girlfriend the other day, she says i haven’t really had longer than a month’s rest without doing any physical activity, and says maybe thats why I haven’t recovered.

The 6 months off was really 6 months of no serious training. Usually once every 2-3 weeks I’d go in the gym and do some high rep stuff and see how things were. Along with swimming in the off time.

So now i’ve got a suggestion lingering around that maybe I should take 4 months off completely from physical activity, which will drive me insane… but i would be willing to do if i knew it would work.

I’m going to go doctors on monday and see if i can get a cortisone shot also

34

How did you get it? Usually when i get shoulder pains its from the piece of shit flat bench. That is why i Only do Inclines and Weighted Dips.

Bench Tears your shoulders apart, if i were you i would rest but seeing as that is pretty harsh to hear especially for a bodybuilder, i would work it out but still very lightly.

You can either take it easy for a few weeks or you can just be out of weightlifting for 6-9 months if its your rotator cuff and you keep working out heavy, then your screwed… so exercise it lightly and rest it for a few weeks you will be alright.

But seeing as you have rested it for a year im not sure what the problem would be, sounds either like your rotator cuff or a pinched nerve(s).

35

[quote]Rippemanewone wrote:
How did you get it? Usually when i get shoulder pains its from the piece of shit flat bench. That is why i Only do Inclines and Weighted Dips.

Bench Tears your shoulders apart, if i were you i would rest but seeing as that is pretty harsh to hear especially for a bodybuilder, i would work it out but still very lightly.

You can either take it easy for a few weeks or you can just be out of weightlifting for 6-9 months if its your rotator cuff and you keep working out heavy, then your screwed… so exercise it lightly and rest it for a few weeks you will be alright.

But seeing as you have rested it for a year im not sure what the problem would be, sounds either like your rotator cuff or a pinched nerve(s).[/quote]

I got it from carrying heavy sand bags on my shoulder for too long, im guessing it pulled/strained tendons & ligaments.

it’s not my rotator cuff, i had an mri and thats all fine

im guessing its either pinched nerve or strained tendons/ligaments (tendonitis)

i didn’t rest it completely for a year, it’s had probably 1-2 months of complete rest (no other physical activity). i was always doing swimming/kayaking or visiting the gym occassionally.

thats why im wondring if it would be worth it to take 3-4 months off from any physical activity that involves my upper body.

36

I hear swimming actually helps the shoulders. It might be a pinched nerve if your feeling tingling and a burning feeling, just take some ibuprofen and ice it. Thats really all you can do for them, they gotta go away on their own.

37

[quote]Rippemanewone wrote:
I hear swimming actually helps the shoulders. It might be a pinched nerve if your feeling tingling and a burning feeling, just take some ibuprofen and ice it. Thats really all you can do for them, they gotta go away on their own.[/quote]

well if thats the case they would of been fine by now it’s been a year already.

after listening to my mum/girlfriend (voices of reason) I’m going to just rest it incase it is just strained ligaments/tendons, and see if i can get back into training in a couple of months.

38

Food for thought: “impingement” is a physiological norm at 60 degrees abduction or above - so, it’s a garbage diagnosis.

You can have completely clean MRIs and x-rays in many cases that don’t say a thing about how you move dynamically. In a situation of lax joints, you could have mechanical pain from certain ranges of motion where scapular stability, rotator cuff integrity, etc. aren’t up to par.

That said, chances are that it’s poor balance in your training. Frankly, the fact that you said you have a “chest” day when you’re in this kind of pain tells me that you aren’t doing the right stuff to fix the problem…

39

PS - If you have a labral problem and didn’t get an arthrogram (dye-injected MRI), that could easily have been missed.

40

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
PS - If you have a labral problem and didn’t get an arthrogram (dye-injected MRI), that could easily have been missed.[/quote]

This is so true. I tore something in my shoulder while at work a few years back. The doctor advised that I just pulled a muscle. after a YEAR of pain and complaints to the company nurse, I was sent for an MRI with and without contrast. My shoulder was torn in the labral area. I didn’t let that doctor preform the surgery.