Sh*t Doctors Say (The GH Arthritis Edition)

[Mr. Bro]

I am new to SS and appreciate all the resources. I purchased The Barbell Prescription after listening to Sully on a podcast and have been following the novice master LP. During a visit with the ortho to get a cortisone shot to alieve shoulder bursitis, he cautioned me against heavy bench and presses. I was told that unlike the knees and hips the shoulder is not a load-bearing joint and if I continued to put under loads the arthritis already in my shoulder, will progress rapidly and I will be looking at a total shoulder replacement in the next 5-10 years. However, when I listen to Ripp on the podcasts he talks about how muscle supports the joints and more muscle equals less joint issues. My question to the experts on this board "what is my best course of action?" I am 45 with a brachial plexus injury on my right side, a parting gift in 2003 after 10 years in the Army. The injury means that the shoulder muscles on my right side are weak and some are not innervated, the gh arthritis in the right shoulder means I can not get into a low bar squat position so I use the safety squat bar, press and bench are weak but do not cause pain. Thank You!

[Will Morris]

I am new to SS and appreciate all the resources. I purchased The Barbell Prescription after listening to Sully on a podcast and have been following the novice master LP. During a visit with the ortho to get a cortisone shot to alieve shoulder bursitis, he cautioned me against heavy bench and presses. I was told that unlike the knees and hips the shoulder is not a load-bearing joint and if I continued to put under loads the arthritis already in my shoulder, will progress rapidly and I will be looking at a total shoulder replacement in the next 5-10 years. However, when I listen to Ripp on the podcasts he talks about how muscle supports the joints and more muscle equals less joint issues. My question to the experts on this board "what is my best course of action?" I am 45 with a brachial plexus injury on my right side, a parting gift in 2003 after 10 years in the Army. The injury means that the shoulder muscles on my right side are weak and some are not innervated, the gh arthritis in the right shoulder means I can not get into a low bar squat position so I use the safety squat bar, press and bench are weak but do not cause pain. Thank You!

The best course of action is this: you did not report anything here that gives you permission to be weak, nor does some shoulder pain absolve you of a responsibility to be able to interact with anything in the world that is above 90 degrees of flexion in your shoulder. Do what you can, with what you have.

[Mr. Bro]

Thank You