AC joint issues

[AntonG42O]

Im dealing with some sore AC joints. I feel like benching and certain other upper body movements irritate it on both shoulders. basically i read this:

http://www.shoulderinstitute.co.za/publications/ac deg_watermark.pdf

and that feels exactly like what i got, just very slight pain. i only feel pain sometimes after an upper body workout or after sleeping on it wrong. anyone else dealing with this? if i flex my traps really hard it feels like they can pull the joint apart, its that sore.. the pain however is not bad at all, so im wondering if its really that serious

 

[Rodja]

Are your shoulder internally rotated?

 

[AntonG42O]

Are your shoulder internally rotated?

im sorry what does that mean?

 

[AntonG42O]

i also feel a bump on both of my AC joints, ive felt other peoples shoulders and didnt notice anything raised

 

[Rodja]

im sorry what does that mean?

When you stand relaxed, do your palms face each other or are they pronated?

 

[AntonG42O]

When you stand relaxed, do your palms face each other or are they pronated?

just checked, palms face each other. only time i feel pain is when I bring my arm up, as if i was trying to touch my ear.

 

[Rodja]

No internal rotation, but it sounds like bicep tendon impingement. Take a foam roller and roll the area with your arm bent at 90 degrees and with your arm behind you. This will help to loosen the pec minor and the anterior delt.

 

[AntonG42O]

No internal rotation, but it sounds like bicep tendon impingement. Take a foam roller and roll the area with your arm bent at 90 degrees and with your arm behind you. This will help to loosen the pec minor and the anterior delt.

you think its the bicep tendon even though the pain is coming directly from the AC joint? i will foam roll it as soon as possible though, thank you

 

[Rodja]

you think its the bicep tendon even though the pain is coming directly from the AC joint? i will foam roll it as soon as possible though, thank you

The origin of the biceps tendon is under the anterior delt.

 

[AntonG42O]

so ive been looking online and i found distal clavicle osteolysis. i dont know if its that bad yet, but the pain is exactly at the AC joint and it even hurts when i press on it with my finger.

 

[Rodja]

Try the aforementioned techniques before jumping to that route. I have a very similar thing because I broke and separated my clavicle twice when I was younger. With appropriate pre-hab and smart training, my shoulder has gotten much better.

 

[AntonG42O]

im going to the gym tonight to do that. just wondering how exactly im gonna foam roll the top of my shoulder with my arm behind my back..guess ill have to see

 

[Rodja]

im going to the gym tonight to do that. just wondering how exactly im gonna foam roll the top of my shoulder with my arm behind my back..guess ill have to see

Put it at an angle perpendicular to the pecs and adjust from there.

 

[msucurt]

I think i follow it, but a video of this would be awesome, as I think i have some AC joint issues in my right shoulder. Anytime i do pressing work, i do tons of warmups for my shoulders/rotators.

Put it at an angle perpendicular to the pecs and adjust from there.

 

[bezoe]

I think i follow it, but a video of this would be awesome, as I think i have some AC joint issues in my right shoulder. Anytime i do pressing work, i do tons of warmups for my shoulders/rotators.

Rodja's advice was regarding bicipital impingment, not necessarily ac joint issues. Put your arm behind your back like your being handcuffed. This exposes the biceps tendon.. then reach across your torso with your other hand and roll the foam over the from of your shoulder/upper arm.

I suggest to see a physical therapist .

Bezoe likes this :biggthumpup:

However, that all depends on the state he lives in and whether or not they provide direct access to PT.

The issue, being bilateral, sounds like something secondary to improper mechanics when lifting. Use the foam roller and perform some stretches for the biceps and anterior delt. And try to emphasize strenghthening the posterior delts and triceps to "prehab" any further issues.

 

[Rodja]

Give me a few days and I'll get a video up of it.

 

[Hustlers]

... GREAT THREAD SO FAR

 

[delsolrob]

I have a lot of experience in this arena, Rodja is probably correct!

I've suffered a grade 3 AC joint seperation in my right shoulder, and a grade 2 in my left...

bicep tendonitis feels like a pain in your shoulder, this is because the short head of the bicep connects in your shoulder.

since this is something you're experiencing symetrically, it's probably caused by over training, or poor form.

my rec, up your fish oil intake to 10g spread throughout the day, plus Super Cissus Rx.

along with a reconsideration of your form and training frequency...the bicep is the most commonly overtrained muscle.

also, this is a video of something similar to what rodja was talking about for stretching, but bend your arm at 90 degrees and put it behind your back.

YouTube - Self Myofascial Release for Shoulders, Pecs and Biceps.

 

[specmike]

My personal experience on this; I had similar pain in the past, especially my left side. Old football injury talking to me. I took about 6-8 weeks where I lightened up on my overall benching weight. Also, my pain was MUCH worse when benching with a straight bar. So, I did dumbells only for 6-8 weeks and my pain went away. I could then go back to barbell bench pain free.

 

[delsolrob]

My personal experience on this; I had similar pain in the past, especially my left side. Old football injury talking to me. I took about 6-8 weeks where I lightened up on my overall benching weight. Also, my pain was MUCH worse when benching with a straight bar. So, I did dumbells only for 6-8 weeks and my pain went away. I could then go back to barbell bench pain free.

yeah, after my AC joint seperations I have never been able to bb press on bench...only db's for me!

 

[Rodja]

yeah, after my AC joint seperations I have never been able to bb press on bench...only db's for me!

I've switched to BB Incline and haven't had nearly the same pain or issues stemming from pressing. Part of the problem with BB presses is that the AC/GH joints are usually no longer parallel and adjustments need to be made to technique.

 

[AntonG42O]

thanks everyone, im taking up to 20g of fish oil a day already so thats taken care of. i noticed its definitely the barbell benching thats applying all that pressure to the joint. sometimes weighed dips will do the same thing. ill focus on my technique and take it easy with benching for awhile.

 

[specmike]

thanks everyone, im taking up to 20g of fish oil a day already so thats taken care of. i noticed its definitely the barbell benching thats applying all that pressure to the joint. sometimes weighed dips will do the same thing. ill focus on my technique and take it easy with benching for awhile.

I had an ortho surgeon tell me to pop one 200mg Advil/ibuprophen, 5 times spaced evenly thru the day for 7 days. During that same week, if it hurts, don't do it. Give your body and the NSAID anti inflammatory some time to do its job for a week and see what happens. He was a gym buddy and told me that would be his advice if I came into the office.

 

[AntonG42O]

I had an ortho surgeon tell me to pop one 200mg Advil/ibuprophen, 5 times spaced evenly thru the day for 7 days. During that same week, if it hurts, don't do it. Give your body and the NSAID anti inflammatory some time to do its job for a week and see what happens. He was a gym buddy and told me that would be his advice if I came into the office.

thanks yeah i noticed that ibuprofen really helps to soothe the inflammation. im gonna apply all this advice starting this week.

 

[bezoe]

I had an ortho surgeon tell me to pop one 200mg Advil/ibuprophen, 5 times spaced evenly thru the day for 7 days. During that same week, if it hurts, don't do it. Give your body and the NSAID anti inflammatory some time to do its job for a week and see what happens. He was a gym buddy and told me that would be his advice if I came into the office.

Thats good to alleviate symptoms but you also wanna directly address the underlying issue

 

[AntonG42O]

this week im gonna do DB bench with palms facing each other. my friend runs a gym and they got a bar that has grips that allow you to do that, and he swears that it alleviates all shoulder pain.

 

[Rodja]

I somehow forgot to mention some vital things:
Pre-Hab with internal/external rotations (use a band or cables)
Infraspinatus Raises
ICE

http://stronglifts.com/how-to-deal-with-shoulder-injuries-the-infraspinatus/

 

[Silversupra81]

Are your shoulder internally rotated?

exactly, internal rotation through overtraining bench often leads to muscle inbalances. Take a look at the next guy at your gym with a strong bench. My bet is his thumbs are almost pointing to his hips when he walks. Putting it simply, your front is strong-your back is weak.. Train what you suck at. Inverse rows to start with, to bring your shoulders back where they're suppose to be.

 

[Tad50]

These warm up exercises has done wonders for preventing shoulder problems as well as AC joint issues. Also, go to youtube and look up "scapula stabilization". That really helps with the AC joint.

YouTube - DeFrancosGym.com - Joe DeFranco's Upper body warm-up routine

 

[AntonG42O]

ive also started doing YTLWI raises to strengthen my upper back and traps to take some pressure off my AC joints

 

[biggfoot70]

I would advise seeing a Dr or physical therapist. I had the same problem back in 2006 and ended up having surgery and after almost 5 years im just really getting my strength back and will never have full range of motion again. If your susceptible to impingement then the more you work out the more damage you will do.

 

[bezoe]

I would advise seeing a Dr or physical therapist. I had the same problem back in 2006 and ended up having surgery and after almost 5 years im just really getting my strength back and will never have full range of motion again. If your susceptible to impingement then the more you work out the more damage you will do.

If his funds or insurance permit him too. Problem is, alot of people dont have good health coverage or any at all (been a national issue for awhile I know), and pain is something people live with and dont seek professional advice for until they cant brush their teeth anymore. But yes, it would be wise to get a professional opinion, maybe more than one, and preferably a PT over a GP.

 

[AntonG42O]

you know guys, ive been doing YTLWI raises when i get a chance and staying away from Barbell bench and so far pain free. 90% of my workouts are BJJ/wrestling so theres not a whole lot of weight lifting to further aggravate the joint. so i guess strengthening the scapia (sp) does pull the shoulders back and relieves the tension.

 

[sizematters10]

you know guys, ive been doing YTLWI raises when i get a chance and staying away from Barbell bench and so far pain free. 90% of my workouts are BJJ/wrestling so theres not a whole lot of weight lifting to further aggravate the joint. so i guess strengthening the scapia (sp) does pull the shoulders back and relieves the tension.

is there a link to explain how to strengthen the scapia. and good to hear on the improvement! i also think im going to start with those warm up exercises a previous poster gave a link too.

 

[AntonG42O]

is there a link to explain how to strengthen the scapia. and good to hear on the improvement! i also think im going to start with those warm up exercises a previous poster gave a link too.

i havent looked for anything about it online, just what i was told. what i understand is that working your traps as well as rear delt exercises and YTLWI will help.

 

[bezoe]

The scapula is a bone that makes up part of the shoulder complex and can be stabalized by strengthening the muscles around it, the serratus anterior primarily:

 

[sizematters10]

ok im getting the gist of it, but that exercise in sets of 8? really doesnt seem lke enough to develop that muscle area. but i could be wrong i will start throwing them in on my back day. know of any other good ones specifically for that?

 

[bezoe]

thats the primary action of that particular muscle. You could do the same motion standing with cables or bands.

Upper back exercises for the rhomboids and traps will perhaps add to dynamic stabalization of that joint (the scapulothoracic joint).

 

[Rodja]