Shoulder impingement...please help!

hello.  i'm hoping that someone can help me with a shoulder problem that's been bothering me for quite some time now.  i'm now 25 and i first started noticing impingement in my left shoulder when i was 22.  it wasn't bad, it just felt that my left shoulder couldn't "last" as long as my right, and i usually only felt it the last few reps of a set.

fast forward to Aug 06 and it really started to bother me.  the weakness i felt at the end of sets was now more of a painful feeling and thus after talking to a doc i decided to stop lifting altogether.  he recommended RC external/internal strengthening excercises, BUT i didn't stick to the plan.

it is now Jan 07.  I've been doing my RC excercises 5 times per week.  i started at 3 sets of 15, and now am at 3 x 25.  i did a chest workout today for the first time in a year, very light.  however, i'm still feeling that weakness feeling.  i definitely feel that the excercises have helped, as i don't feel the pain when i sleep on the shoulder at night anymore.  but i am still feeling the weakness when i lift.  WHAT SHOULD I DO??? would it be wise to just take another month off and stick to the RC excercises before starting to lift again?  or can i still do light workouts while continuing to do the RC excercises?  has anyone out there had chronic impingement?  how long did it take you to get back into the gym and lift without any pain?  i have not lifted in a year's time so hence you can sense my frustation and desperation to get back into the gym.  thanks for any help.

Stick with the Doc's plan if it is working, and focus on hitting the bodyparts that you can.  It is a good time to pump up those legs, and get the cardio going.

The pain you have is most likely caused by scapular impingement and weakness of your rotator cuff. There are many ways to increase your strength and get the problem resolved quickly. I think the best is to get a course of physical therapy. I would have to assess your shoulder fully and it may make more sense to have someone touch you to make certain you are improving. Most of my athletic shoulders who do train tend to get better in 3-6 sessions and are back at the gym without any restrictions. I do not know where you are, but I work for the outfit NovaCare and it is a fine company to turn to. I hope this helps.
-M