AC Joint Pain/Arthritis

[Randy Scheingold]

Hey everyone,

I've searched the forums and found a few threads on this, but none that ended with any concrete advice.

I have been experiencing AC joint pain (right shoulder only) for a while now (3 months). The pain is not unbearable, but is a constant annoyance. It doesn't inhibit mobility, but does hurt to full extend my shoulder. It is worse after bench days. But still not great on Press days either. Definitely has a negative impact on my sleep as well.

I went to the Ortho, who did an x-ray and confirmed it is the result of an old (high school) injury, aggravated by my lifting. He did recommend that I keep lifting, just watch it. Officially, he said it is AC Joint Arthritis, with some bone degeneration.

He offered a cortisone shot if it doesn't get better. I haven't done that yet.

I am taking Aleve following my workouts, which helps a little.

My form seems OK, and I do have an SS coach, that I meet with about once a month to check my form.

Thoughts on action plans here?

1) Take the cortisone shot? What will the impacts be to my lifting?
2) Will the starr rehab protocol work for something like this...it isn't a muscle tear, so didn't think so
3) I prefer not to give up benching and I can live with the pain....so I'm going to rule that out as an option.

Thanks all

[John Hanley]

Intimately familiar with this pain (via formerly sprained, now arthritic ac joints)

1) don't know
2) it'll do nothing useful
3) widening my bench grip helped a tiny bit...but eventually I just stopped benching. Oddly, dips give me no AC issues.

[Bryan Dobson]

Hey everyone,

I've searched the forums and found a few threads on this, but none that ended with any concrete advice.

I have been experiencing AC joint pain (right shoulder only) for a while now (3 months). The pain is not unbearable, but is a constant annoyance. It doesn't inhibit mobility, but does hurt to full extend my shoulder. It is worse after bench days. But still not great on Press days either. Definitely has a negative impact on my sleep as well.

I went to the Ortho, who did an x-ray and confirmed it is the result of an old (high school) injury, aggravated by my lifting. He did recommend that I keep lifting, just watch it. Officially, he said it is AC Joint Arthritis, with some bone degeneration.

He offered a cortisone shot if it doesn't get better. I haven't done that yet.

I am taking Aleve following my workouts, which helps a little.

My form seems OK, and I do have an SS coach, that I meet with about once a month to check my form.

Thoughts on action plans here?

1) Take the cortisone shot? What will the impacts be to my lifting?
2) Will the starr rehab protocol work for something like this...it isn't a muscle tear, so didn't think so
3) I prefer not to give up benching and I can live with the pain....so I'm going to rule that out as an option.

Thanks all

In July I had to have surgery to remove the joint capsule and the distal end of the clavicle. It would not heal on its own at that point.
This is a good time for you to drive the regular press up and avoid the bench press for a 6 or more months, in hindsite this is not a bad sacrifice. You may be able to avoid trashing it altogether. If it is a previous injury, it may continue to degenerate with time.
If you develop ostelosis it just wont heal, the end of the clavicle will continue to fracture before it is completely healed. That damaged end has to be cleaned up so that it does heal. If it is early in the injuries progress avoiding the bench or any kind of loaded abduction of the arm will allow the injury to heal and may prevent surgery. Sometimes surgery is the fastest way through the problem, oither times the surgery becomes neccesary because the injury is not properly rested.
Cortisone shot will help for about 6 weeks if it is applied to the exact location of the injury. The positive is it is a great diagnostic. But if you dont do anything about the injury it its a waste of time.
The conservative standard of treatment amongs most Osteos is 1. Modify activity, 2 cortisone 3. surgery

Narrow grip bench aggravated my situation. As I am relearning the bench movement after surgery I am learning to touch the bar higher and my elbows further out than I used to. I was an excessive elbow tucker with lots of old contact injuries and a previous clavicle fracture.

[Shaun]

I would definitely do some more research (including using this board) about a cortisone shot before you consider taking one.

[Randy Scheingold]

Thanks for the feedback guys. I've read some bad things about the cortisone shot, so will hold off on that.

Ironically enough, 10 weeks ago, I switched to benching only once per week so I could focus on Press for the upcoming SS Fall Classic. However....I switched to Close Grip Bench, thinking that change could help. As far as strength, its been great. I added about 15lbs to my Press (even with a 4 week reset as part of a move to TM)...and I have room for more growth. But, after reading this, maybe I'll switch back to Regular Bench for a while and try that. If that doesn't help, I'll try inclines.... if neither of those changes help, I'll try 12 weeks of ZERO benching.

Thanks again, and if anyone has more feedback experience....please share.