So, I've been having trouble with my shoulder (pain throwing a football on the back side, pain doing some shoulder/tricep lifts in the gym) and my roommate said its probably a torn rotator cuff. I've been doing lateral raises (front and side) and rotation exercises with a large textbook, like 50 reps at a time. What he said was that you basically get the rest of the muscles strong enough to compensate for the injury, I think. Any experiences?

11/24/2008 2:30:09 PM

don't DIY - go to a doctor and/or physical therapist

11/24/2008 2:31:04 PM

funny thing was, I saw one of my PE teachers in the gym and she was doing rotator cuff exercises for the same reason.

11/24/2008 2:43:21 PM

Get it fixed, the right way.

11/24/2008 2:56:37 PM

Quote :

"Any experiences?"

11/24/2008 2:59:32 PM

Yea without going to a doctor to get an xray/mri or something similar, you are just guessing. For all you know, it is not even torn. It could be arthritis or a bone spur or a bunch of different things. If you threw a football too hard or something and it hurt afterwards, I wouldn't worry about it too much unless it persists for a while, but if it just started happening with no real explanation, I'd go to the Dr.

EDIT: I think just about everyone has overthrown their arm or somthing similar to "pulling a muscle" and some ice or a icy hot patch does the trick in that case.

[Edited on November 24, 2008 at 3:02 PM. Reason : ]

11/24/2008 3:01:11 PM

I tore mine, did the rehab, and still have problems with it occasionally. I can't imagine how bad it would suck now if i just ignored it or tried to go at it on my own.

11/24/2008 3:27:49 PM

Had some trouble with my right shoulder from an old MTB wreck and then a more recent injury in college. It would sublex (slip slightly out of joint) all of the time and I was starting to notice I favored it. def could not throw anything with it.

So i went to health services they told me I had a (a) muscle imbalance or (b) some ridiculously double jointed shoulders.

They gave me those little bands and i did excercises with them for a while (lateral raises, front raises as well as some I dont know what to call)

Honestly I didnt stick with it for long enough, it just didnt seem like it was doing much (time will tell if this was the right call)

Instead I kinda went my own route (again I dont think mine was that bad, definetly not a tear)

The first thing I did was give it ALOT of rest

Then started with excercises that hit the shoulder and put it through big ranges of motion.

Hindu/divebomber pushups and I also got into Kettlebells about that time (dumbell getups might be a good option)

Just remember dont over do it . . . Your shoulder has to be able to recover and build and it is weak right now!

That was about a year and a half ago and I continue with alot of those same excercises, I have put some weight on my shoulder finally and I havent had any problems recently (knocking on wood)

It does do some funny stuff sometimes though still (wierd pops and such but no pain, etc)

11/24/2008 3:59:58 PM

if you really think you tore it get it looked at. If it needs surgery, you're not gonna want it to heal on its own b/c you'll have problems for the rest of your life.

i doubt you tore it based on your description, you may just have rotator cuff tendinitis, which may make you feel like it's torn. I have pretty bad rotator cuff tendinitis, and if i throw a football for even 5 minutes, i'm in agonizing pain for a week. I've had multiple doctors look at it, Xrays, and an MRI, but nothing's damaged or torn, it's just tendinitis.

Physical therapy will help it, but unfortunately, if you stop doing it, it'll come back. All you can do is keep your shoulder muscles strong, and keep easy access to anti inflammatories.

11/24/2008 4:04:33 PM

Well the only time I have any trouble is when I do weight lifting with it, and it seems to really inhibit what I can do.

I've had odd shoulder problems, but they would come and go depending on how much I was working out during a period of time. Same thing with my Dad I think. What I think really ticked it off was when I was playing football this semester and a guy was running by me with the ball. I outstretched my arm and got my hand on the ball and he kept running...I didn't get the fumble or anything . I heard my shoulder make some kind of snap-crackle-pop deal and it hurt a decent amount.

There isn't that much or any standing pain though, and the pain from throwing or lifting isn't that sharp that I'm in agony. I'm not really sure what it is, but at this point I would guess that the fix would be to do the PT type of exercises.

I'll have to keep looking into it, I don't want to go to a Doc because I don't really have any confidence that anything will get done, and whenever I went in the past to get my shoulder looked at they couldn't find anything wrong. Eh. /lewoods

11/24/2008 4:54:07 PM

google shoulder horn

11/24/2008 5:11:02 PM

I have a shoulder impingement and it basically just hurts all the time, pt didnt really help. It doesnt limit me but it does hurt, kinda just sucks.

11/24/2008 5:31:46 PM

Fuck it. I just live.

11/24/2008 5:54:51 PM

I currently am going through problems my shoulder and seeing an Orthopedic specialist about it.
I stretched the ligaments in my left shoulder, so that I don't have the proper support. I am doing all the same exercises with the bands to try and strengthen the muscles to compensate.
This may or may not work, and surgery is definitely in my future. Apparently, both of my shoulders are screwed up, but my left gave out first.

You have to take it easy on the shoulder for at least two weeks, of almost no lifting. Just do stretches and basic exercises. If you over due it, then you can damage it more.

It is probably something you should have looked at at least once.

11/24/2008 7:17:28 PM

Quote :

"Fuck it. I just live."

11/24/2008 7:30:42 PM

I had a similar problem a while ago.

I was lifting a lot and slowly my shoulder started to hurt a little after I finished, until after one time I went it hurt like hell for damned near a week straight.

I went to health services and the person I saw didn't have any idea what she was talking about and recommended physical therapy. I talked to the physical therapy person and he just talked about insurance problems I had. I didn't feel like going back would really help fix the problem so I didn't.

It subsided eventually after a long time. I've been trying to start going back to the gym, but doing different exercises. If anyone knows the kind of workout that's supposed to repair your rotator cuff, post links plz.

11/24/2008 9:48:43 PM

These helped me, my problem seemed to be on the back of my shoulder

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZgKSSDISSo

I also had problems with my shoulder sublexing when my hands were above my head so these seemed to help me too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ5ssxYAZos

just use a dumbell though

11/24/2008 10:33:17 PM

i've torn the ligaments in my both my shoulders and been through months and months of rehab before


the biggest thing is rest it

as for exercises for when you think you are ready for that, I suggest getting some of those large rubber bands to use for your front and side raises

once you feel confident you have rehabed it sufficiently, i suggest looking into a "shoulder horn"

it has helped me to bench press, shoulder press, and pretty much anything else that involves some sort of muscle exertion that puts any angular pressure on the shoulder

11/25/2008 12:50:47 AM

1. it's not torn (almost never is unless you did something really traumatic)
2. i bet you do flat bench press - stop that
3. broomstick stretch - http://intensemuscle.com/6997-how-cure-shoulder-problems-trust-me-will-do-90-time.html

cured

i had shoulder problems lifting light for a while. i stopped doing raises (because they don't do anything - you only need to work the front delts) and flat bench (because it messes up your shoulders and you only need to concentrate on the upper pec). i train military press and incline bench HEAVY and am totally problem free now. the stretch helps a lot.

[Edited on November 26, 2008 at 1:08 AM. Reason : ..]

11/26/2008 12:59:48 AM

Quote :

"So, I've been having trouble with my shoulder (pain throwing a football on the back side, pain doing some shoulder/tricep lifts in the gym) and my roommate said its probably a torn rotator cuff. I've been doing lateral raises (front and side) and rotation exercises with a large textbook, like 50 reps at a time. What he said was that you basically get the rest of the muscles strong enough to compensate for the injury, I think. Any experiences?"

I haven't read the whole thread so don't flame me. If your rotator cuff was torn even a little bit you would be in extreme pain and would run to doc after a day or two. I have torn my fair share of ligaments so I know what that pain and other pains feel like. It could just be the form that is causing the pain when you perform tricep and shoulder exercises.

Try some easier and cheaper first. Just go see a Health Fitness Specialist aka ACSM HFS certified professional who went to school to get a degree in Exercise Physiology. They can look at your Biomechanics and modify the form so you can work the muscle you want to work without much pain. I am ACSM certified also but I m overseas sorry.

Hope this helps.

11/26/2008 2:01:53 AM

Yeah, it sounds like you have acute shoulder tendonitis and/or impingement. I had the exact same thing. There are different stretches and exercises for strengthening your rotator cuff, but basically, you just need to stretch the hell out of it before you do anything that puts a lot of stress on your shoulders (incline barbell press, dips, arnolds, overhead press, etc). I still can't do dips, but everything else is getting better. I dont' even attempt incline barbell, but I can do dumbbells. Basically, if it huts, don't do it.

I can still hear my shoulder cracking when I lift heavy.

11/26/2008 1:24:25 PM

Peter,
If you're just "having trouble" with it just while you are working out, then I'd say shit chance you've actually torn it. I Injured my shoulder last october and then again, much worse, in december. My shoulder hurt just sitting still. Moving pretty much anywhere was a bitch. I was taking 9 advil a day after my docs meds ran out (his advice). 9 advil gets you to the dose of ibuprofen where it has anti-inflammatory effects.

You've most likely just irritated it and have some tendonitis. I'd stay off of it for a month and jsut stick to lifts that don't hurt it at all. If you really have to do those lifts, lighten up the weight a lot.

Also do some rotator cuff excercises. I lie down flat on my left side and get like a 5 lb weight in my right hand. My upper arm is alongside my body and my lower arm points in front of me. Keeping your elbow still, lower the weight toward your stomach and then slowly raise it toward the sky. Keep your elbow at 90º and move your lower arm in an arc or 90º.

It's the 3rd one here: http://www.bodyresults.com/E2RotatorCuff.asp although I think she's going way too high.

That's my advice but I would also check out a doctor and see what they say. If it just hurts when working out, he's not going to do an x-ray or mri. My guess is he'll tell you to lay off it for a month, maybe give you some anti-inflammatories and that's probably it.

11/26/2008 2:35:24 PM