Intense Burning In Shoulder, Muscle Pump or Joint Problems?

[ClintZ28]

I'm into my first week of my first AAS Cycle (25mg DBol & 500mg/week Test Enanthate) and I'm getting a burning pain in my shoulders performing bench presses and other shoulder exercises. This pain has always been present during my workouts even when off cycle, and the way I usually get over the pain is to rest my arms against something and push up and back. It seems like getting the weight of my own arms off of the joint stops the pain. After the pump is gone the pain is gone.

This has gotten so bad that I had to stop going to the gym for several weeks hoping it would go away and that was while I was on M1T. Now it has started and I'm only on Day #6 of my cycle. Has anyone experienced any kind of pain like this? I have talked to two other ppl so far that have the same symptoms and their cycles seem to aggravate it. Any information is greatly appreciated.

 

[BigVrunga]

Sounds like a rotator cuff issue bro. I know what kind of pain you're talking about - a real deep burn that's so bad trying to do a lateral raise with a 5lb dumbell aggrivates it.

Check it out:

http://www.shouldersolutions.com/anatomy.php

I think what's happening here is that the shoulder is physically 'out of balance'. In other words, the outer deltoid muscles have reached a degree of development that is overpowering the rotator cuff muscles that actually hold the joint in place. Your shoulder joint most likely is out of balance, and something on the inside isnt tracking as it should and its causing the inflammation.

This a common problem - I ignored it until it led to shoulder impingement, which is a real bitch let me tell you. The key here is to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles...

http://familydoctor.org/265.xml

http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/archives/rotator-cuff-injury.htm

A good stretching program is also important to getting things back in order. Personally, I think Arnold Presses also help strengthen the inner shoulder, performed with a lighter weight for 12-15 reps.

I was able to heal my shoulders up on my own, but it took nearly a year before they were back 100%. Here's what I learned:

1.)Stay away from heavy over-head barbell presses. Don't do movements behind-the-neck. I think clean-and-presses might be OK because when done correctly a lot of the upward thrust is done with the legs and tris.

2.)Always warm up with some light cardio. The shouder joint is very complex and thus, bloodflow is restricted in this area. This is another prime reason why shoulder injuries are so prevalent - hypoxia leads to undue scarring of connective tissue.

3.)Follow a good stretching program for the upper-body.

4.)Always,always,always warm up your rotator cuffs before working upper body.

5.)If you're feeling the kind of pain you're describing, icing the area down immediately following your workout is essential to reducing inflammation alleviating pain. Considering your on a cycle and your poundages will be increasing rapidly, I'd ice them down for at least 15 minutes 3x per day. Morning, post workout, and before bed.

6.)A Glucosamine/Chodroitin supplement and a healthy amount of EFA's will help to strengthen connective tissue. CetylPure is supposed to work well too, although Ive never tried it.

Hope that helps you, its what worked for me and my bro. (Had the same problem - although his was to the point he needed ART therapy to get it fixed up properly)

BV

 

[ClintZ28]

thank you very much for your response. I will see a sports doctor tomorrow and hopefully he will give me some good info. I've only started working my rotator cuff muscles a couple weeks ago. I used to have a problem with my shoulders hurting constantly when I would only work chest and never back. I had huge development in my front delts and none in my rear. I'm much more balanced now. I am very strong with overhead presses and go very heavy on them. That may be part of the problem. I would hate to go down in strength on my presses, but if that's what it takes, then it's unavoidable.

I'll read through the links you posted.

I'll post in the next week or two what I find out from my doc and my own experience.

 

[IntResearch]

I hate problems like this. For one, you know it isnt goign to get any better still lifting. Fucked if you do, and fucked if you dont. Good luck bro!!!

 

[no regrets]

yeah man, take BigV's advice. I had impingement of both my rotator cuffs and had to have both of them operated on. I only started doing shoulders again a couple months ago. I was unable to do them for 7 months which drastically hurt my bench presses as well.

 

[ClintZ28]

The sports doctor identified the problem.

I have thoracic outlet syndrome. It's where a muscle (usually in the neck) or around the collarbone compresses the blood vessels and nerves. I also have genetically poor posture and when my shoulders are pulled back I lose blood flow in my arms and shoulders. I will go through therapy for it for 6 weeks or more and look for improvement. If there is no improvement, I will get an MRI done to find the source of the problem. Then I will have to get the muscles around the problem area cut out of the way. Apparently, my case is very bad, and I have basically all of the symptoms described, even the rare cases.

 

[BigVrunga]

Bro that really sucks I feel for you. The surgery sounds like an extreme case and I would get a second opinion if you end up going under the knife. Your doc knows fathoms more that I do, but its still best to educate yourself as much as possible about what's going on in your body. Im sure the MRI will show exactly what's happening inside.

I did a little research on Thoracic Outlet Syndrome, here's a good page:

http://www.nismat.org/ptcor/thoracic_outlet/

And from that site:

Occupations which require repetitive over head arm movements can also produce symptoms of compression . Electricians, painters and plasterers may develop hyperabduction syndrome. Compression of the neurovascular structures also occurs in athletes who repetitively hyperabduct their arms. Swimmers, volleyball players, tennis players and baseball pitchers may suffer compression of the neurovascular structures as well. However, compression of these structures may be caused by stretching or microtrauma (small tears in muscle tissue) to the muscles which support the scapula.

Fucking overhead presses. Note the last sentence "compression of these structures may be caused by stretching or microtrauma (small tears in muscle tissue)" This is exactly the kind of injury that ART therapy is designed to heal. If your doc dosen't practice ART, I would definately see one that does. I personally know two people that have gone from near-incapacitation to shattering personal records after having severe tissue problems that were healed with ART methods.

Good luck bro, hope you heal up quick!

BV

 

[ClintZ28]

Well, the doc said I completely lost my pulse in my arms when they were pulled back. That seems to be a definite sign. I don't know anything about ART, I'll read up on it.

 

[ClintZ28]

Found this link for ART.

http://www.activerelease.com/

 

[Old Guy]

I'm glad this came up.....
I've had this problem at times, and it seems to be magnified 10X when I'm "on".

 

[BigVrunga]

You owe it to yourselves to check out ART guys, it really is phenomenal. I havent needed to have it done myself, but like Its worked well for a lot of people I know. My mom dislocated her shoulder a couple years ago, and it bothered her to the point that she couldnt even pick her arm up without nearly crying from the pain. My brother's doctor gave her a few ART sessions and she's nearly back to 100%.

BTW, my bro's chairopractor also bench presses 600lbs...he KNOWS his **** when it comes to sports medicine.

BV