Sub-acromial bursitis, or AC strain?

[Tom Lang]

First: 47yr, male, 190-195 lbs, on SS for about a year with some layoffs, delays, and form resets. Switched to a 4-day split a few months ago to add more recovery time. Here's my log.

Friday, I pulled a PR 1x5x300 dead lift. It felt great, and went up smooth. I had done some light squats before, and finished the day with some chins.

Today, my left shoulder is sore, right where the bursa appears to be when I poke my finger in there. I hadn't done any press (BP or OH) since Monday. The right seems okay. Both shoulders are, and have always been, noisy, but without signifcant pain. I had a type I AC strain in the right shoulder years ago, and some weird AC pain in the left shoulder about a year ago. See Rip's sympathetic comments http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=30127.

Anyhow, this sudden flare-up after a squat/pull day seems strange to me, especially I felt so good at the time. Has anyone experienced something like this? Does it sound like bursitis or AC strain?

Thanks for your comments.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

I found out at the end of last year that I had a bone spur in my left shoulder that was causing all kinds of pain and weakness in my upper body lifts. You should get checked out by two docs:
1. A Chiropractor
2. An Orthopaedic Doctor

Get an MRI. Find out what it is. If its soft tissue stuff, it may just need to settle down, or if its bad enough, it may need repair (aka something is torn badly). If its bony changes, then you are going to have to make a decision because that's not going to change back to the original form. You will either train around it and let the inflammation it is causing settle down (get some medicine for that), OR you will determine that the pain is unbearable and not "train-around-able" and thus needs to be repaired.

That's my suggestion.

[Tom Lang]

Well, that particular pain went away. Some mob work, rest, and vitamin I did the trick. I was able to do my presses today, plus some weighted dips. I've got some soreness now at the front delt origins on both sides, minor, and not unusual.