Pressing and Chins for Rehab

[Kaylib]

Well after 38 years of weight training and just a few injuries I have made it to the surgeons knife. Will be having rotator cuff surgery in the next few weeks. Mark, you have mentioned a number of times that after surgery you utilized presses and chins for rehabilitation. Obviously I will follow the surgeons advice about post surgical care and rehab. I was wondering at what point in time of your rehab did you embark on the pressing and chins protocol.
Thank you for your time.

[Mark Rippetoe]

I didn't follow the surgeon's advice. I never do. I was pressing and chinning with light weights and partial ROMs 3 weeks post-op.

[ChrisGibbons]

Hi Mark,

I have had an xray done on my right shoulder following increasing pain during the bench press. The films show I have a narowing of the AC joint, some marginal bone spur formation and subchondral cysts at the lateral end of the clavicle and the acromion process. Doc says this is typical "weightlifter's shoulder".

I stopped all pressing about two months ago. Doc gave me a cortisone shot which was useless, but is is a hoop you have to jump through in our screwed up NHS before you get to see someone better than your GP.

I have been told I now have three options. 1) wait and see, 2) stop pressing forever and 3) have the end of the clavicle removed.

None of these are particularly appealing.

I can live without benching, but I have to press. At the moment I get sharp pain in the AC joint at the top of the press and at the bottom of the negative. Is a chins/light pressing rehab protocol likely to help, or am I just delaying surgery?

Thanks,
Chris

[Robnet]

Here is one for you Rip: Suppose, hypothetically, that your humerus snapped like a twig for no good reason doing a non-loading barbell exercise. Say, low-bar squats for sake of argument. Would you wait for the Butcher to say the bone is 100%, or would you go back to working up to trying to pull as much weight as possible off the floor, without consideration of the Butcher's instructions, recommendations and fragile emotions?

[Kaylib]

I didn't follow the surgeon's advice. I never do. I was pressing and chinning with light weights and partial ROMs 3 weeks post-op.

That time frame sounds much more encouraging. I was under the impression that it would be four weeks in a sling, four weeks of passive PT movements, and then strength training. I will go psychologically nuts if I have to wait that long. With regards to your rehab approach, did you devise the plan on your own (or with colleagues)? If so, do you ever do rehab consultations?
Thank you again.

[Mark Rippetoe]

Is a chins/light pressing rehab protocol likely to help, or am I just delaying surgery?

You'll probably need the surgery, referred to as the Mumford Procedure or acromioplasty. The trim the bone spur so that it won't grind a hole in your rotator cuff tendon. I had it done and it was MUCH less trouble than my cuff repair.

Here is one for you Rip: Suppose, hypothetically, that your humerus snapped like a twig for no good reason doing a non-loading barbell exercise. Say, low-bar squats for sake of argument. Would you wait for the Butcher to say the bone is 100%, or would you go back to working up to trying to pull as much weight as possible off the floor, without consideration of the Butcher's instructions, recommendations and fragile emotions?

That was a really weirdass deal, Robnet. It was so weird that I have no input into the situation, because it should never have happened and I have no idea what the fuck is going on there.

That time frame sounds much more encouraging. I was under the impression that it would be four weeks in a sling, four weeks of passive PT movements, and then strength training. I will go psychologically nuts if I have to wait that long. With regards to your rehab approach, did you devise the plan on your own (or with colleagues)? If so, do you ever do rehab consultations?

You were under that impression because that is what they told you. That is what they tell everybody, because the lowest common denominator must be their baseline or they may be sued. If you don't rehab fast or completely, they don't get sued; if you get hurt, they get sued. I don't do rehab consultations because I don't want to get sued.

[Kaylib]

Can you suggest any rehab sites out there that take a non-traditional view of the post-surgery rehab process?

[Mark Rippetoe]

I don't know of any.