Shoulder pain

[Jr_Geezer]

So, yeah, I think I'll hold off on the cortisone shot for a bit, especially after a cursory use of the search function on the forums here!

Any thoughts (from anyone) on how recovery from something like this proceeds? I've gone through 2-3 workouts, squatting and deadlifting as in a typical LP and close-grip bench for ascending sets of three up to 60-70% pre-injury weight. Shoulder doesn't really feel any different than before I started the workouts again (I had taken about a month off). I understand that tendons respond slowly and take a while to heal but when should I start to feel some improvement or when should I start to think maybe this is more than an inflamed tendon? I have done a few presses with a narrow grip with an empty bar, but those just didn't feel right so I'm sticking with just bench for now.

Thanks.

[Will Morris]

So, yeah, I think I'll hold off on the cortisone shot for a bit, especially after a cursory use of the search function on the forums here!

Any thoughts (from anyone) on how recovery from something like this proceeds? I've gone through 2-3 workouts, squatting and deadlifting as in a typical LP and close-grip bench for ascending sets of three up to 60-70% pre-injury weight. Shoulder doesn't really feel any different than before I started the workouts again (I had taken about a month off). I understand that tendons respond slowly and take a while to heal but when should I start to feel some improvement or when should I start to think maybe this is more than an inflamed tendon? I have done a few presses with a narrow grip with an empty bar, but those just didn't feel right so I'm sticking with just bench for now.

Thanks.

For tendinopathy, heavy, slow resistance training was shown to be more effective than eccentric only training and had better compliance and patient satisfaction at 12 weeks.

[Jr_Geezer]

For tendinopathy, heavy, slow resistance training was shown to be more effective than eccentric only training and had better compliance and patient satisfaction at 12 weeks.

Thanks for the input, Will. I’m not sure I understand exactly what that mean for me. Continue with CG bench, as that has both eccentric and concentric shoulder movements? Other movements to add? Continue with sets of 2-3? Add weight as pain allows?

[DeanT]

FWIW - I've been dealing with tendonitis in my shoulders for a couple years now. Same exact spot as you...supra something something tendon. Presses really sucked...especially after low bar squats. I also really hated taking the bar out of the rack when benching heavy singles. I finally bit the bullet and purchased a Thompson fat pad bench and a mono-lift attachment for my rack. This has really helped with my shoulder pain. I just hit a lifetime PR on the bench at 360 at 49 years old. I credit much of this to my shoulders feeling significantly better.

[Jr_Geezer]

FWIW - I've been dealing with tendonitis in my shoulders for a couple years now. Same exact spot as you...supra something something tendon. Presses really sucked...especially after low bar squats. I also really hated taking the bar out of the rack when benching heavy singles. I finally bit the bullet and purchased a Thompson fat pad bench and a mono-lift attachment for my rack. This has really helped with my shoulder pain. I just hit a lifetime PR on the bench at 360 at 49 years old. I credit much of this to my shoulders feeling significantly better.

That's a hell of an impressive bench there Dean, outstanding work. At 57, I'd be happy with 225. I've hit the two plate mark before, but injury seems to get in the way of progress after that (the injury not necessarily being related to the bench).

Right now my top priority is to not make my shoulder any worse. Next priority is to make it not hurt as much. Third is to make progress on bench and press again. And I'm still not sure of the best way to go about meeting those hopefully not contradictory goals.

[Will Morris]

Thanks for the input, Will. I’m not sure I understand exactly what that mean for me. Continue with CG bench, as that has both eccentric and concentric shoulder movements? Other movements to add? Continue with sets of 2-3? Add weight as pain allows?

Do you have a particular portion of any of the lifts that hurts? Or, do you have ranges of motion where the lift does not hurt at all?

[Will Morris]

What is the fear of "making it worse"?

[Jr_Geezer]

Glad to have you back in the thread, Will, thanks for your input and observations.

What is the fear of "making it worse"?

Well, about a month ago I had a slight pain in my shoulder, didn't know exactly what caused it. Then during a set of benches, something popped or snapped or went crunch or whatever, and the pain got significantly worse. That's what I want to avoid, another episode like that, now that I'm making some progress in my recovery. I did three doubles at 125 today and things are feeling not bad right now.

Do you have a particular portion of any of the lifts that hurts? Or, do you have ranges of motion where the lift does not hurt at all?

If there's a particular range I would say irritates the shoulder the most, it would be the last 2-4 inches before the bar touches my chest. Above that doesn't seem to be an issue, although to be honest, I'll need to pay closer attention next time to be sure I'm remembering correctly. With the press, it's the initial 4-6 inches going up and the same range coming down.

[Will Morris]

Glad to have you back in the thread, Will, thanks for your input and observations.



Well, about a month ago I had a slight pain in my shoulder, didn't know exactly what caused it. Then during a set of benches, something popped or snapped or went crunch or whatever, and the pain got significantly worse. That's what I want to avoid, another episode like that, now that I'm making some progress in my recovery. I did three doubles at 125 today and things are feeling not bad right now.



If there's a particular range I would say irritates the shoulder the most, it would be the last 2-4 inches before the bar touches my chest. Above that doesn't seem to be an issue, although to be honest, I'll need to pay closer attention next time to be sure I'm remembering correctly. With the press, it's the initial 4-6 inches going up and the same range coming down.

When someone has a painful range of motion like that, I will overload the painfree range of motion with as much weight as I can, and for lifts going through the painful range of motion, i will reduce the volume to 2 reps per set with whatever pain, gumption, and anger will allow them to do. I have them make incremental increases on those. Or, especially for pain at the bottom of a bench, I have a lot of success with using a slingshot. Pain with the bottom of a bench doesn't preclude one from benching.

[Jr_Geezer]

When someone has a painful range of motion like that, I will overload the painfree range of motion with as much weight as I can, and for lifts going through the painful range of motion, i will reduce the volume to 2 reps per set with whatever pain, gumption, and anger will allow them to do. I have them make incremental increases on those. Or, especially for pain at the bottom of a bench, I have a lot of success with using a slingshot. Pain with the bottom of a bench doesn't preclude one from benching.

Thanks, Will, very useful information. I’m about to start my workout and I’ll post back how it went.