Member
Shoulder Pain
Rip,
Checking the search function for shoulder pain from benching, impingement comes up. I don't think that's my problem, as I try to be careful about elbow position, so I thought I'd describe what happened and see if you might have a suggestion.
Last night I was going for 1x5 @ 260lbs for Texas method intensity day. I had a new spotter and forgot to give him the lecture about not touching the bar. He put his hands on it on the 4th rep (though he said he didn't help), so I racked it and called it 3 reps. I rested a couple of minutes and planned to go for the missing 2 reps. On the 1st rep I heard a tearing sound and felt a sharp pain in my right shoulder, so I told the spotter to grab the bar and we racked it.
Afterwards, it occurred to me that the tearing sound might have been from the Velcro on the wrap I wear on my right wrist, due to a lingering injury to it. I don't have a video of the benching, but that suggests my right wrist was flexing back toward my shoulder which would presumably have caused the inside of my right elbow to rotate up toward the ceiling which might have caused the shoulder injury.
I thought of cutting the workout short then, but decided to try deadlifts and got through them. The shoulder hurts whenever I move my right arm now, though, and also when I lay on my back not moving.
I took some ibuprofen and am icing it now. I'm scheduled to press on Monday, so I figure I'll start with the bar, as usual, and progress as I can (I recall you mentioning in SS:BBT3 that the press is good for rehabbing shoulder injuries). Anything else you'd suggest I do or not do?
TMPHBITEU
MRI. The noise may well have been the wrap, but there may have been no noise at all. Sometimes when a tissue tears, the feeling it causes seems to be accompanied by a noise, when no noise is actually produced. At any rate, the sharp pain is not good, and you'll know Monday if something is still wrong.
Member
Ok, thanks.
Member
Gym isn't happening today. My right shoulder hurts when my right elbow gets more than ~ 6 inches from my body. GP's office said he'd refer me to an orthopedist instead of ordering an MRI himself, so I took the 1s t appointment the ortho had, which was on Wednesday. I'll post an update with his diagnosis.
TMPHBITEU
He won't have a precise diagnosis until the MRI. The GP could have ordered this. He punted.
Member
This is exactly why I skip my PCP and go directly my ortho PA. It skips the unnecessary step of dealing with the PCP, who prefers to punt. I usually have the MRI within a week of seeing the ortho PA complete with a diagnosis.Originally Posted by dpinsen
Member
Yeah. In fairness, it was one of the GP's lackeys, but I wouldn't have heard back from him until late today anyway. Got my ortho appointment bumped up to tomorrow. I asked if they have an MRI in house; they don't, but are affiliated with a hospital across the street that does. So maybe I can get it and he can look at it tomorrow.
Member
Ortho said it's a rotator cuff injury, severity to be determined by the MRI he ordered but which hasn't been set up yet. He said the treatment would be PT if minor, arthroscopic if moderate, or some more involved operation if severe.
TMPHBITEU
Yeah. MRI.
Starting Strength Coach
I'd go out on a limb and assume it is a partial tear of at least the supraspinatus. Since it still hurts when the arm is away from the body, and since the supraspinatus abducts the arm for the first 15-30 degrees of abduction, this is the muscle most likely giving you the problem. Also, since it is still painful, that would suggest the muscle (or musculotendinous junction) is still intact. Full tears tend to hurt really bad for a couple days and then they are painless.
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