Shoulder Rehab & Help

Hi All,

A couple of months ago, I was doing dips (the full movement… going fully down and then fully up) and after my 4 sets of the 6th rep or so, I heard a click/pop and a sudden pain in my left shoulder. I did not know what it was so I just continued.

When I got back to my home, it still started hurting, so I decided to layoff off it for a while. This pain continued with clicking/popping in my shoulder when I moved it. I could move my shoulder, but there was a dull, ache pain.

After 2 weeks or so, I felt the shoulder was better (there was still clicking & popping), but less pain due to ice, rest, and Advil, so I went to work on some do push-press. I on 3rd set of doing push-press with 135, my left shoulder became very stiff and I could not do anymore push-press. This stiffness coupled with the clicking/popping shoulder with the dull ache pain returned.

I took a 1-2 months off, fast-forward to now, my shoulder is a whole lot better. But I still have dull/ache pain in my shoulder coupled with clicking/popping whenever do movements with my shoulder as the breastroke in swimming & extending my arms out (laterally or upright) & rotating my arms during arm circles.

I really am in-between jobs right now, so I don’t have solid health insurance. I have access to a weight room & local swimming pool.

I ask, for T-Nation members who have similar problems, what is your diagonsis of this problem? And what is the suggested rehab protocol & exercises I should follow to help rehab this? I would like to avoid any type of surgery, because I cannot afford it.

Thanks for any help.

I wouldnt worry too much about it. Which joint was it (AC, SC)? If there wasnt any black or blue bruising or loss of motion for an extended period of time you should be ok. I tore/dislocated both my sternoclavicular joint and acromioclavicular joint numerous times and all any doctor would do is suggest rehab to strengthen the small rotator cuff muscles with high reps or do steroid injections into the joint to reduce inflammation.

I would suggest ice and ibuprofen for flare ups and even Flameout by Biotest. Learn to work around the injury and make sure to strengthen all the accessory muscles (serratus, traps higher, middle and lower, rotators and deltoids). That will help mask any joint injuries at least until you get older. Never opt for a surgery unless you completely torn something.

I had a similar problemn with my right shoulder .

A couple of things that helped were, making sure posture was correct if i was slightly leaning forward it would click but if I pulled my shulders back a fraction it seemed to alleviate the clicking.

This strangely enough could also be related to the rear deltoid muscle , it was in my case, even though the pain was in the front of my shoulder. I have backed the weight off and have continued to watch my form and it has significantly reduced the clicking/dull ache in the shoulder

Hope this helps