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Your tale sounds familiar. For a couple of years I suffered with similar symptoms always thinking a bit of rest and repair would fix it and trying to work around it in the meantime. However it didn't get better, actually I was steadily losing strength so in March this year I had an MRI on my right shoulder and then resultant surgery. It turned out I needed my labrum to be reattached and both the ball and socket were micro fractured. Seven months on and I'm now as strong as I ever was on the bench press but have only recently been able to do bench dips. I'm 50yo so it shows you can rehabilitate even in later years.
There is no issue with either exercise, it has purely been a case of slowly rebuilding strength as the muscles around the shoulder had atrophied. There has also been some re-learning of the movements because I had unconciously been using the joint incorrectly to protect it from the pain I had.
So, I guess the message is don't necessarily give up on these exercises without first getting the injury diagnosed and corrected first.
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My presses, while moderately okay for a geezer of my age (PR 120, sets at 105 - I'm 69) are becoming problematic in terms of issues with my left shoulder. Benches don't seem to bother it, though. I'm thinking of going to a pure powerlift regimen - Squats on Mondays, Benches Wednesday, and Pulls on Friday. We'll see how it goes. I've had enough injuries involving surgery over the past year to not look forward to another one.
Last edited by Bill Quick; 12-06-2015 at 12:29 AM.
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Shoulders and elbows... I do a couple of sets of overhead presses with the empty bar after benching. And after my regular presses. It seems to keep my shoulders working all right. I'm 57.
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I found out something interesting yesterday. I have had what seems to be a case of biceps tendinitis in my right shoulder. Rip recommended 90 degree curls for these and, although I haven't done them religiously, they seem to have helped.
Clarification on "90-degree-elbow barbell curls" recommendation
Yesterday was my squat day and all of the racks were taken when I got to the gym. So while I was waiting I did a few sets of the 90 degree curls. When I did get a rack, it was so much easier to get the bar into position for the squat than it usually is (usually my first couple of sets are painful for my shoulders). I think add these in as a pre-squat exercise from now on.
Last edited by Culican; 12-06-2015 at 07:36 AM. Reason: can never seem to get the post right the first time
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Update:
My insurance balked at paying for an MRI. They requested "conservative" treatment first. So, NSAIDs and ice 2X/day for 6 weeks, then reapply for MRI.
My shoulder is feeling better, but I still have no reaching strength. Presses and lat pulldowns continue with a smidgen discomfort.
Thanks for the stories, folks! Hopefully, this thread will be of use to others.
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NSAIDs and ice will reduce pain and make it feel a little better but it is very much up for debate whether you will be more healed after 6 weeks with them than without them.Originally Posted by MashedTaters
So basically, your insurance is just telling you to wait and see whether it gets better on it's own.
I also hurt my shoulder dipping four years ago. Came to this site a little after and started pressing and chinning. Shoulder got better over a period of (don't really remember now) 6mos to a year. Am able to dip again without problem.
A few months ago I hurt my shoulder again (don't know if it is the same shoulder, can't remember which one I hurt last time.) Kept benching, pressing, chinning, and dipping (as well as doing those 90 degree curls I mentioned in my last post) and it is getting better. So waiting isn't always a bad choice.
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The MRI disclosed a partial tear in the supraspinatus tendon, anterior edge. The orthopod was not in favor of surgery, and I'm not either. He says you cut on it if you can't sleep at night or if strength is seriously degraded.
For what it's worth, I just continued doing my presses with no reset, rest, back off, or anything. The NSAID prescription and ice for 30 days helped a lot. My reaching strength is still pretty puny. I wonder if some DB lat raises would help? I cringe when I ask that cuz I now look down my nose at the gym rats standing in front of the mirror doing all sorts of silly DB stuff.
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thx, lou t
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Well, call me stoooopid.
It's about 18 months since my "accident" doing dips. I thought my shoulder was stronger and healthier. I thought I'd try some incline bench. First 2 weeks, fine. Third week, my right shoulder caved. Couple bros got the bar off of me.
Back to doc, MRI, blah, blah. I'm having shoulder surgery this Wednesday to repair a full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon, and possibly another tear. And whatever other clean up is needed.
I've read all that I can find on here about rehab, and watched Rip's vid, and plan to be aggressive as hell about my own rehab.
However, my first question now is simply about the activities of daily living. For those who have had surgery, can you tell me about living with the sling? How long before you could drive, get on your computer, fix breakfast for yourself, etc.?
Thanks for reading, folks.
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