Shoulders - Rotator Cuff

Having shoulder problems?
Go here www.jointhealing.com/pages/shoulder/rotatorcuff.html to help you diagnose the problem and determine if it' s your Rotator Cuff.

Attached is a Word document that has Rotator Cuff exercises.

Attachment(s)

Rp43290.doc (? KB)

Sweet! Something I can do at work?!

Well i think i have that rotator cuff injury because i could not sleep on my shoulder and one other thing my chest had small pain inside its all better. My shoulders have a small pinch.

I put flexall 424 on it and it stung like hell but when i put ice it feels better. So now im out i messed up i did not stretch and now i have a delay and im mad at myself. Ill be back stronger and more experienced.

Best thing you can do is start doing very light rotator cuff exercises to help speed the recovery and go easy. Once it's back to normal you can just keep strict form and slowly progress. Rotator cuff injuries really stink because it seems like the shoulder is involved in everything.. except maybe calves.

Better to realize you might have this injury and work on rehabilitation then try and work thru the pain and make it 10x worse.

Welcome to DB mightymouse!

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

So like what would best help me recover faster do i stretch it and risk injury or just baby it and wait? dam i promise i will stretch everything before i lift next time. Oh thanx for the welcome ill be on here alot.

So like what would best help me recover faster do i stretch it and risk injury or just baby it and wait?

There's a word doc attachment on that first post. It has exercises you can do.

You won't wait it out. You will baby it. But you will get the mobility back as fast as possible and aid the recovery. Those exercises are prescribed by tons of sports therapists.

Nothing hardcore. Very light. Just there to get the mobility back and help the muscle repair.

You won't do shoulder exercises and anything that makes it hurt.

You'll have to take it easy. But you can recover. Better to sit it out and recover slowly then hurt it so bad you have a lifelong injury.

If you cannot get the attachment, PM me and I'll e-mail it to you.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Ok so cold ice is the best thing for this injury great ive been putting heat so i guess ill be redoing my method. After this week ill see what happenes does anyone know how long these kind of injuries last?

You might have rotator cuff tendonitis. That was the description I pulled out of the first link above.

Your recovery time really depends on the therapy you give it.. and how long it takes with those exercises to strengthen it back up.

There's no X months answer. If you dedicate time to recovery daily, a lot faster. If you just ignore it.. and kinda move on.. it can linger for years. The faster you get it taken care of.. cold therapy and some strengthening exercises, the faster you can move on.

You might also consider seeing a DR just to get a 2nd opinion (a professional one at that) and make sure this problem gets addressed ASAP. So you can get back to working out hard again and not have this thing follow you around for months or years.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

This all the injury's i have right now two rotator cufs , torn chest tissue , torn tricep and bicep tissue. Cause not stretching my arms and chest before i do weights am i dum yes i think so because i got lazy now i must pay for that. Do people remove there spur's from there shoulders and if they can do they grow back?

Um... If you're actually tearing all that tissue, you're doing something more than not stretching. You should make sure your form is not way off...

As for spurs in the shoulders -- yes you can have them removed, and yes they can grow back if you aren't being careful with your shoulders. Spurs that aren't too severe may be treated with therapy, but you'd really have to talk to a doctor about that.

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Ok thanx for the info. Im getting better day by day i will try and lift saturday very light and see what happenes to be continued.....

Ok today i was at the gym doing my legs but after 5 days of this cuff injury and other injury's i was feeling good. So i tried the rubber band stretch dam i feel good it helps i should be lifting again as soon as saturday. I'll work out and ill ad 10 pounds a weeks so i won't get this injury again ill also stretch.

Hi everyone well i went to the gym and my arms felt good but i can tell i need to take it real easy but i did the shoulder press it seem's to help me maybe i should build my shoulders first ehehe. So everything is good

That and do the rotator cuff exercises. Take it easy. Don't want to get to ambitious and injury them again.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Dam my shoulders are holding up real good no pulling all lifting that sux but hey it keeps me away from injury im all for it. when i lift 3 plates i promise ill post pictures on this site give me about 5-6 months :)

Wait.. 3 plates a side for a military shoulder press? Not smith but a real olympic bar?

Yes.. if you do that.. I want to see a pic.. Not photoshoped. But a real pic. A short movie would be best. I've seen 225 lbs for a shoulder press but I've not seen a real dude put that up.

Take your time. DB ain't going nowhere! Except up.

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

I just wanted to vouch for those rotater cuff exercises. I found the exercises on a different site after getting some hints from this site. I have had chronic right shoulder issues from basketball. Those simple exercises steadly corrected my shoulder pain. I only do the exercises one time per week, really light weight and reps of 20. More usefull than the physio ultrasound and friction massage that's for sure.

MDA1125:
Thanks for links and exercises.

I've had this nagging rotator cuff problem for months now. The first chiro gave up on me after two visits with no relief, and now my MT chiro is back here for short time so hoping to find relief soon. He gave me homeopathic stuff, but don't find relief with it. It's been about 8 months now with this nag. He did give me some exercises to do, but still super painful especially closing that "bra" --worn for limited use.

I do have exercise bands I can use at gym. Even pulling my arm up is so annoying when trying to do chiro stretches. I also feel some pain in elbow area. Just feels like stiffness from elbow to shoulder. Chiro. called it fibromylagia, but think it's catch all term for me. Think I pulled at gym too not even lifting heavy. He said inflammation in area, so that's reason for the fibrom. term.

I have just been diagnosed with a "samll" tear in the supasinatus tendon. It has literally stopped my lifting. I am waiting to hear from the physical therapy people. My doctor has prescribed 4-6 weeks of physical therapy. He says that operations to re-attach the tendon typically are not successful and the recovery takes as long as 6 months, and is a grueling ordeal. He wants to try the least aggressive approach first. He has told me that i will no longer be able to do any lifting movements that place the elbow behind/lower than the back. No bench pressing, no curls and definetly no shoulder presses. I am not sure just where thsi is going to leave me. Anybody have any experiences with therapy or the operation is share. I also surf and kayak.

Presently i have modest pain on a daily basis, cannot paddle or surf. I can still run though.

Thanks

I hate to say it but it looks like you will need to shut physical activity down for a long while. I know it is tuff as i had to do it 4 years ago. I shredded up my ankle and everything came to a stand still. It took over a year + to be able to do any type of physical activity. I did therapy and since tendons dont get much blood, it takes a very long time to heal. Just take your time with it. It will get frustrating but you need to remind yourself that you will be able to do the things you love again. Dont rush it or the whole process will take much longer.

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My regular doctor didn't seem to be taking my sholder injury seriously enough, so I went to a sports medicine clinic. They had me x-rayed and MRI'd in no time, and sent me to physical therapy. If I had waited much longer, I might have needed surgery. I did exactly what my PT said, and after about a month my shoulder is finally back to normal working order. After MONTHS of having to be very very careful when I did bench presses, and stopping as soon as my shoulder felt pressure, it's really wonderful to be back to normal.

I strongly recommend a good physical therapist to anyone with persistant injuries.

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I'm new at this.  Excuse my ignorance.  I have no idea how to work this system yet.  With that being said...I have horrible pain in my left shoulder and arm.  I got an MRI.  The MRI revealed that I have a torn rotater cuff.  Recommendation: cortisone shot to help ease pain and surgery.  I was told that after surgery, recover and rehab takes about 6 months.  I don't want surgery.  I am exploring all options.  Pain is horrible.  Can't use my left arm.  Can't work out.  blah, blah, blah...anyone out ther with experience with diagnosis of torn rotater cuff?  Any advice/experiences you want to share?  I would appreciate any and all input. My email address is lynnthigpen@adelphia.net.
Many thanks...Lynn

Lynx100 did an excellent write-up on this.  Even more detailed then the original you are reading now.

Rotator Cuff - Exercises and Rehab

Marc C. David - NGA CPT
Author of NoBull Bodybuilding
www.nobullbodybuilding.com

Lynn,
 
recovery and rehab does indeed take ATLEAST 6 months. This depends on a lotta things. Your age, dedication to your rehab exercises, the thickness of the tear, whether it was an intra-muscular or tendinous tear etc. Ive researched this topic through and through and ive also experienced a tear myself, albeit not huge, but enough to debilitate me - so much so that i wasnt getting any sleep because of the pain. Surgery was also suggested for me but i didnt take that option.
 
As for cortisone shots, i strongly suggest to take them, especially if youve injured it recently.
 
Please PM me with any questions you may have and i will try my best to help you out.

i there
 
last week i was doin incline DB presses and felt my shoulder come out of the socket and kinda tear i think. After i couldnt move my shoulder rite up in the air without pain. Itz now been 5 days and ive only seen slight improvement in it. At the moment i feel so depressed after reading about rotator cuff and that sometimes u can never get back 100% effiency on shoulder. Im seeing my docotor next week but im shore he will just tell me all i know from reading from this site. What i wanted to ask was has any1 got back to full fitness with the shoulder from this injury(How long it take), also i hear ice packs and specific exercises can improve it but how often do i need to do this. Finally what do u think, i wanted to start bulking after my holiday but i feel if i cant pull the weight on my shoulder itz gona make my body luk out of shape and size.
 
Hope you can help, because gym is life for me
 
thanx
 
Sparky

Sorry to hear that.
Yes.  I've had some bad shoulder times over the years.  Many many years ago, I had to take a 6 week+ layoff because of shoulders.  Daily icing, movement therapy.  Resting it.  Then I got back and was able to train without any problem.  But I only have 90% of my shoulder mobility back and way too much strength!  My injury was not surgical.
 
I've just come off of a long hiatus from the serious training and was on maintenance.  I still had a lot of muscle & strength but my joints, tendons and ligaments are not up to snuff.
 
So I pretended I was a beginner. 
 
Plus as a smart lifter, I do warm ups for everything.
 
But my rotator cuff was still irritated by the roughing up.
 
So now I do the rotator exercises before every workout as a warm up.
I ice it after every exercise session.
 
The irritation has gone away.  My strength increases and size increases continue.
 
Your doc will tell you what the score is.  What type of injury you have.  Recovery time, mobility issues.
 
Ice daily, and do not train in or using the shoulder area unitl you have finished recovery.
 
Take the time off because gym is life for you..and find the other life...outside the gym.
 
Balance is a good thing.
 
Use the time to learn about nutrition or strategies to achieve your goals faster....something else you always wanted to do???  Use the time to your advantage!
 
You need to take time off from the gym if you want to avoid injury from overuse and other stuff...take this as a break.

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thanx for your help
 
Hope my Doc tells me it is a minor tear and that i could return to the gym after my holiday (3 weeks) and start doing light weights with my shoulders. Except for ice packs and certain exercises is there any medication or ither options that could help in my injury.

Glad to hear it is minor.  Smart move going to the doc.
 
Because you already saw a doc...I am going to tell you what my doc recommended for me.

This is what my doctor (also my training partner at the time) had me on to recover from shoulder injury then later knee ...then later elbow ...then wrist tendinitis from being hit by a car...
400 mg ibuprofen 4x day for 4 weeks.  With food.  You can do 800 2x a day if your day is hectic.


Ibuprofen reduces swelling and increases circulation in the injured area...speeding healing.

If you have any reaction in your stomach you stop, as some people are sensitive to this.
Also you must get the purest form you can...many have artificial colors and crap and these will irritate your stomach and mess with your system.  (look at the label for no colorings, no artificial flavors, etc)
If you are on anything else, check with your doctor first.  Always check with your doc before starting new medication.

All the best on recuperation!

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Thanx for the info
 
I think u got the wrong end of the stick thou, i havent seen my doctor yet, seeing him on wednesday. I am hoping it is only a minor tear to the tendon. The past week and abit since i did this injury it has been gettin better by the day, i have started placing ice packs on it for 15 minutes, twice a day and keeping active using my shoulder on the cross trainer and rowing machine. When i did my shoulder excercises about 3 days after gettin the injury i stuck to exercises that i felt no pain with, like up rite rows cus i heard strengthening the muscles around it will help. So at the moment im hoping my doctor tell me it will be fixed in 3 week, cus thats when i get back from my holiday.
 
Thanx for your help
 
Mark

Hey there
 
Back off my holiday and still got this niggling injury, is there any point bulking up when i cant do military presses. shall i 1st get my shoulder on the rite track and then start bulking.
 
sparky

1st get my shoulder on the rite track and then start bulking

That would be my game plan.  That would be my recommendation, heal that injury!
 
My Rotator cuff was a bit irked at the intensity of my workouts.  So I went into the warm up, rotator cuff rehab movements, ice..cycle.  I have also taken a month off of serious training and now I don't feel a thing in my shoulder.
 
I am just now starting light warm up style work outs and am slowly working back into the intense bulking training...only problem I have...I am stronger than when I started my lay-off!
 
Take a time to rehabilitiate.

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isn't 3 plates per side 270lbs?

315 with the olympic bar and 6 total plates...(7x45)

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Hi guys, new to the forum but found this thread interesting cos ive in the past had a serious shoulder injury that took me out for the best part of a year after surgery to take out the burser. I am yet again injured this time in the other shoulder and this has been getting worse over the past few months and once again i could end up having surgery, not quite at that stage yet but if no improvement happens in the next few weeks then who knows. Im presently resting and icing, ive had a cortisone injection a few weeks back but to no avail. To say its getting me down is an understatement cos i love training, im 40 this year and training has been a big part of my life for over 10 yrs now. When i first got the injury i could still do bench press, but that is now a big no no. i was still able to do bicep curls and triceps and even shoulder presses but over the months this has become impossible, the only thing i can do now is certain bicep excercises.
The pain is not so much in my shoulder but a pain which goes down into my bicep when i do any pushing movement, i get pain in my shoulder or bicep when i raise my arm out to the side. I went to see a chiropractor last week who did a bit of work and said give it 10 days or so and try light weights again..lol...cant see that being an option myself as the pain is worse now. Thinking of seeing my Dr again for a second shot to see if that may work. So to sum up where i stand right now. I get bloody pain by some movements and am not doing any upper body excercises now.

Sorry for the long winded post.

I really really need help finding out what my problem with my shoulder is.
So is anybody familiar with these symptoms?

On the top part of my shoulder bone, the bone sticks out a bit and is raised a bit higher than the other. It hurts pretty bad when I lift weights. It doesnt usually hurt other than that except for lately its been having a dull pain to it whenever I lift my arm above my head. It also gets kinda stiff when I do this.
 
Does anybody know what this could be? It really sux and I dont want to give up weight training for any period of time. Tonight I'll be lifting in fact. I really dont want this to stop me...:(

Can anyone read this and give me some advice?

I started having pain around 6 months ago, maybe even longer.  I saw a doctor and he did some tests (had me hold my arm out straight while he pressed down on it, etc.) and came to the conclusion that I probably have a torn rotator cuff.

The only advice he had was to take like 800mg of Ibuprofen, 3 times a day for a month.  If it was still hurting after that, I should think about surgery.  That seemed a bit extreme to me.

I am not in intense pain, but it does hurt enough to keep me up at night.  It's just a constant ache.  It hurts more when I put strain on it (lifting something) or when I lie on that shoulder in bed.

Anyway, sorry for the rant.

Basically I just want to know:

Should I try these exercises?
Is there a point where surgery is the only option?
Should I get an MRI / Xray?
Should I keep taking Ibuprofen?

I can't really afford to see a doctor, so I'm trying to figure out which option is the best before I dive into something that'll leave me in debt.

Sorry for the long post.  Thanks for any advice.

It is all too familiar.

When I had swelling and possible tissue damage, my sports medicine doctor had me take 400mg of Ibuprofen, 4x a day for 4 weeks.

It reduces the swelling and increases circulation to the area.  Yes, it helped in my case.

Also 3-6 grams of fish oil a day...again reduces the swelling.

Until someone can definitively say there is a tear and can say what the best approach is, you should do prevention and protection.

Prevention is to do the exercises and avoid further irritation until it is recovered, protection is the things to avoid swelling.

In addition to these exercises, work on learning proper movement patterns, adjusting your posture, and sleeping in a way that puts your arm/shoulder at rest!

Finally, clean up the diet by eating more whole foods and avoiding any artificial stuff...gives the body more building blocks while removing irritations.

Best of luck

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I have an impingement, it started november of 2007, it wasn't until april of 08 that i was able to start physical therapy and i was back lifting some of the old stuff i couldn't do by july, I still do exercises for my shoulder and have managed to keep it in good health.