Shoulder Rehab

chainsaw

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I am having some problems with my shoulder, I am not ready to go to a doc yet, but it has a little pinch in it and has been going on for about 2 months. I stop lifting for a month and it still hasn't gone away.

Anyone have some shoulder rehab exercise, maybe something to strengthen it.
 

brownstown89

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get resistance bands stretch them all the wayout in front of u and raise ur arms take the bands behind the neck and as low as u can go without pain. 3 sets

towel stetch 3 sets hold for 10 secs each way
Door way stretch 2 sets 30 seconds

external rotations 3 x 15
internal rotations 3 x 15

always do at least 20 reps with the bar for bench then listen to ur body on how to warm up b4 heavysets.
 
Rhyno

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Two quick questions: where in/on the shoulder does it hurt and what movements aggravate it.

Just trying to get an idea of what's going on so I can make a good recommendation. You might wanna see a doc anyways in case it's something unpleasant like a labral tear (shoulder capsule) or a tear in your glenhumeral ligaments (ligs that help support capsule).
 

chainsaw

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Alot of cracking in popping, I place my hand on my shoulder and move it around I can feel it griding alittle, more so than my other shoulder. It feels like the joint of the shoulder, not a doc so I can't identify. It is more of nagging thing than pain, it just won't go away. It is uncomfortable to drive with one hand.
 

aztec02

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Alot of lifters and athletes have shoulder problems stemming from the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is responsible for stabilizing your humerus in your shoulder joint (glenoid cavity) If your lifting heavy and hitting your delts hard you need to be doing rotator cuff exercises to in order to have stability in your shoulder or your going to have problems. Most rotator cuff problems are do to the infraspinatus muscle. This is referred to as a impingement syndrome. Google it and you will find alot of information on it. The supraspinatus is responsible for the first 30 degrees of abduction (movement away from your body). that means that when your doing your heavy laterals for enormous deltoids, a tiny little cm wide muscle is forced to initiate the movement. You can see why problems are so common.

supraspinatus protocol: if it is impingment syndrome your experiencing you really need to take some time off and allow the swelling of this tendon to go down. taking an NSAID such as ibuprofen on regular intervals will also help reduce this swelling. If its serious enough a doctor might give an injection but the negative side effects of that can be greater then the positive. Try the at home techniques first and if it doesnt get better seek another opinion. Once some of the pain goes down try this exercise

Empty cans (one of the only exercises to isolate the supraspinatus) - take a resistance band of the lightest resistance and step on one end with your foot (it can also be anchored to anything that will hold it securely at the floor level). put your arm directly out in front of you and move it half way between straight in front and straight to your side. rotate your hand over as if your emptying a can of soda. grip the other end of the resitance band in this hand. now move your arm in a 30 in a very small rang of motion working from as low as you can go up. work in a comfortable range untill you build strength and can increase the range of motion. Keep in mind that this muscle is only responsible for the first 30 degrees of this movement so anything beyond that is pointless.

As for the rest of the rotator cuff the above post is right on:

3 x 15 of external rotation- bend elbow to 90 degrees, keep elbow against side. anchor band at hand height. grip band and rotate arm externally keeping upper arm pinned to your side.

3 x 15 of internal rotation- rotate and do the opposite direction

another exercise i find very helpfull for overhead presses is the abducted external rotation: Lie on your back with your triceps resting on the floor straight out from your sides. Arms should be pointing straight in the air. Take your resitance band and grasp it in both hands. Put your leg in the middle of the band and straighten your leg back out. This should put tension in the band. Move both hands backwards in an arc towards the floor. your should be doing the same movement as the standing external rotation just lying down with your arms away from your sides.

increase in reps and sets once your stronger in each exercise. Eventually move up to stronger and stronger bands. Once the pain is gone dont stop rotator cuff strengthening. it can help you lift more by stabilizing the shoulder girdle as well as keeping you injury free.

BP
 
Rhyno

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Sounds like shoulder instability imo. I've had the same problem for awhile but I ignored and it progressed to a lig tear. :banghead:

Been doing a lot of research so that I can prevent future issues. From what I've learned by reading and talking to physical therapists/docs I would recommend stretching, stability exercises, and foam roller work. Like I said before I am not an MD, just a jamoke with an internet connection.

When looking at the body's overall musculature there are generally two types of muscle groups: flexors and extensors. The flexors, like the pecs and front delts have a tendency to be tight while the extensors like the rear delts and mid-back muscles tend to be taught. This can cause instability in the shoulder joint; if it gets bad you can even dislocate the joint (happened to me twice :ugh1:). Tight muscles can be helped with stretching but it won't help taught muscles. That's where foam rollers come in. Since the flexors are tight, they can pull the extensors foward so that they are "tight" while in a stretched position (this is the distinction between tight and taught). Taught muscles also have a tendency to be weaker than their flexor counterparts. With foam roller work you can release the tension in the extensor groups which can allow you to strengthen them more efficiently. So in all, you want to set up a regimen where your stretching your flexor groups while releasing and then strengthening your extensors.

Stretches, 2-3 times each for 20-30 secs:
Pec major stretch
Pec minor stretch
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQH4fQwMSo"]YouTube - 9.3 Chest Pectoralis Major & Minor Stretch[/ame]
Front delt stretch


Foam roller work:
To be honest, this is sucks some serious donkey balls. It is not only painful but is awkward when you first start doing it. :whiner: But it works so imo, it’s totally worth the sh*ttiness. You begin a session by rolling on the roller until you find what is called a “hot spot.” You’ll know when you find one because it will hurt like a mofo. Once you have found a problem area, put pressure on it until at least 50% of the pain is gone. This will happen when the muscle relaxes so try to intentionally calm yourself with deep breathing, focus, etc. In the vid below, she is using a medicine ball (which you can use instead) but the basic movement is the same:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKP1h2fEBns&feature=PlayList&p=19DFB8371D741BC3&index=4"]YouTube - Medicine Ball Back Roll[/ame]
Besides just hitting the area over the spine, be sure to work the muscle groups on either side. You can do this by tilting your body towards the area you want to work. It’s a good idea to hit the lats too:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fq9QSsq1970&feature=PlayList&p=19DFB8371D741BC3&index=3"]YouTube - Foam Rolling the lats[/ame]
Try to do this every day at least as a diagnostic tool. At first, you might have to spend a lot of time on the roller, but as you continue you’ll begin finding less and less problem areas. Don't be worried if the "hot spots" that you released are sore the next day. It's just like getting a good sports massage.

Exercises:
Like I mentioned before, you are going to want to strengthen the areas that you are releasing with the foam roller work. The mid-low traps and rear delts are the best target, so I'll show you a series of rehab/prehab exercises that target those specific areas. I'll also provide links to other exercises that you can incorporate into your usual rountine. There will be some good info on shoulder health as well; I thought it would be redundant to just parrot the articles so they are definately worth a read.

Blackburns:
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPgEmJdDQzg"]YouTube - Rotator Cuff Exercises: Blackburns[/ame]

Bunch of shoulder rehab exercises (questionable form on a few of them though):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0ONHZmsFec"]YouTube - DieselCrew.com - Shoulder Rehab Protocol[/ame]

Good reads + more exercises:
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/shoulder_savers_part_i&cr=
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/shoulder_savers_part_ii
http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_repair/shoulder_savers_part_iii
 

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