Painful shoulder

[chefkate]

Hello! I've been a long time fan due to Collage Video and recently found your website. I've enjoyed reading your posts and everyone eles's. There are so many fit ladies here...so much inspiration.

My question is about an aching shoulder. On Tuesday I did Pyramid Upper Body. I recently increased my weight on front raises from 6-lb. to 8-lb. dumbells. I felt challenged but not in pain. Later that day I was playing in the grass with my daughter and was in a push-up position over her when my shoulder buckled and I fell to the ground. At first I didn't think anything of it and the pain seemed better the next morning when I woke up. My shoulder is not painful if I keep my arm at my side. However if I raise my arm over my head to reach a top shelf or even during cardio my range of motion is really decreased.

My best guess is not to lift until I feel no pain at all and then gradually resume with light weights. While I'm bummed about that I'm even more discouraged that doing cardio hurts too (to raise my arm overhead). Do I need to lay off cardio and weights until this heals and just go for a long walk every night? Are there any rehabilitating exercises I can do to regain shoulder strength any faster so I can return to my normal routine?

I would appreciate any advice from anyone...thank you for all your help!

 

[NAB]

Hi,

Not Cathe but a doctor and also have had some personal experience with shoulder injury doing weight workouts. This is likely one (or both) of 2 things. 1) It's a biceps tendonitis from doing the front raises with the heavier weight. In the anterior shoulder you can actually "roll" your medial biceps tendon in the tendon groove and if it is sore when you do this, then it's likely the biceps tendontitis. You would also get pain on forward flexion at the shoulder (the front raise move). 2)impingment syndrome - you get this from abducting at the shoulder (arm coming away from the body to raise overhead) and you would get pain in the lateral shoulder when abducting the arm past 30 degrees. Sometimes a rotator cuff strain goes along with this one so you need to avoid the overhead move and lighten the weights, listen to your body. Cathe makes a great form pointer in one of her workouts about doing overhead presses with a bit of a forward motion so you see your arm in your peripheral vision when it is overhead. This is for the impingement syndrome people.

If it doesn't get better with rest, you need to see a doctor and make sure the rotator cuff is ok.

Let me know,
Natalie

 

[chefkate]

Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate your expertise. Do you think that the arm movements during the cardio are too much for the healing time?

Today my shoulder has been feeling a little better. I'm anxious for a full recovery. I'm so angry at myself that this happened. I always try to be so careful!!!

Thanks again for your help!

 

[lemoncustard]

I injured my right shoulder last October after a fall. Next week I begin physical theropy for a rotator cuff injury. After it did not get better in a month I went to an Orthopedist. He did an injection. I waited another 6 months and went back. Had to have an MRI which luckily shows no tear. The physical therapy will hopefully help loosen the joint and give me back my total range of motion.

Hopefully you will be better in a few days. If not, you should consult your doctor.

Regards,

Rhonda

 

[chefkate]

Hello again! I was really hoping to get a little more feedback on this! When I wake up in the AM my shoulder feels pretty good. The more the day goes on the less range of motion I have.


My shoulder was starting to feel much better but then I had to shoo my dog away from the table before she ate my husband's dinner and my shoulder went right back to square one.

I know I'm not ready to lift weights yet but does anyone know if the cardio arm movements are too much for now? When I begin a Cathe DVD my shoulder feels pretty tight but by the end of the DVD I have just about full range of motion. Do you think the cardio is helping or hindering the healing process?

Does this sound like a serious injury or just a "let it heal on its own" type of injury?

Any help on this would be greatly appreciated!!!

 

[mogambo]

I've been struggling with a rotator cuff injury for awhile now, and my PT told me that the moves in cardio were fine to do. I also feel a bit of discomfort at the beginning, but as it warms up, I'm fine by the end.

I'm just avoiding the lateral moves, doing PT exercises, taking Aleve, putting heat on it occasionally. It's getting better.