Shoulder injury

[sharperunner]

I've been suffering with an ongoing shoulder injury for a while. I have a difficult time doing flat and incline benching but no problems with declines or most shoulder exercises(exception is upright rows). I'll probably end up at the doctor eventually but crappy insurance and uncontrollable expenses has delayed that action for the time being.

Really just wondering what these throbbing pains are being caused by. Specifically the pain comes from flat or incline bench near the top of the pushing movement. I've resorted to skipping chest workouts and it seems to get better, just hoping to avoid surgery if possible.

 

[Mjolnir]

You probably messed up your rotator cuff but of course you would need to see a doc to make sure. Two things you could try now that may help till you can see a doc would be to try a Cissus joint supp like Cissus RX or the bulk powder of it by NP, or you could also try Osteo-sport which has cissus in it as well as a few other ingredients.

Here is a good exercise you should try, it helped my shoulder pain go away:

http://www.intensemuscle.com/6997-how-cure-shoulder-problems-trust-me-will-do-90-time.html

Hope this helps!

 

[sharperunner]

I'll give this a shot. Been looking for some decent rehab info. Anything to prevent being cut on.

 

[kingk0ng]

Sounds like a damaged rotator cuff.

Drop the upright rows first and foremost. Those have a reputation for causing shoulder impingement. Next, incline presses need to go too.

The solution to this condition is to incorporate rotator cuff work like cuban rotations before any other exercise during your workouts.

The next thing you want to do is stretch the shoulders internal rotators- lats, chest, subscapularis, anterior deltoids and strengthen the external rotators through rowing and vertical pulling- rhomboids, trapeziums, posterior deltoids, teres minor, infraspinatus.

Focus on barbell rowing with a 2:1 ratio for bench pressing and incorporate exercises that depresses the scapulae for development of the lower trapezium fibers. Hanging yourself on a dip station without flexing the arms, but instead shrugging the shoulders will work the depressors of the scapulae much more specifically than any other movement.

At the top of your rows pause at the top for better contraction with the retractors of the scapulae and focus on doorway stretches with both your arms spread out like you're going to hug someone and with your arms slightly spread out. This will stretch both the pectoralis major and the pectoralis minor sufficiently.

Upright rows demand a simultaneous internal rotation of the scapulae and it causes an impingement and I know several advanced lifters that have rotator cuff injuries from doing upright rows years ago. The only shoulder movements you need as a beginner are overhead presses and barbell rowing will work the posterior shoulder muscles adequately.