shoulder advice (rotator cuff - possibly tendonitus)

padraigcarroll

Alright Lads!

Well I managed to destroy my shoulders over time. I think its rotator cuff tendonitus.
Symptoms are...
when rotating arms shoulder clicks really loudly.
then over time started getting burning sensations in shoulders when started going heavy with db presses etc.
then burning sensation started lasting longer after workouts
after few months of burning...then started getting sore pains in shoulders that would last for 3 days, with a dead arm feeling.
it got so bad, if i left shoulders for a while and had no pain, now when i bench the shoulders give out.
so im out of the gym nearly 2 months and have lost 1.5 stone which is very annoying.
I know the prob is still there as i jerked right shoulder other day walking the dog and I could feel something!

now, from reading up and a quick chat with a guy who does sports physio, I was told it could rotator cuff syndrome, or tendonitus of the rc.

I was thinking of doing RC strengthening excercises for a few weeks, and then trying to bench again.

Has anyone had any similar probs?

J.S. Pill

I had a similar problem about a year and a half ago. I didn't get any burning pains or anything but my right shoulder was significantly weaker than my left one and would give out when I was doing a bench or shoulder press.

I can't offer you much in the line of advice as, from what you're saying, you really should see a physio asap about this - you probably shouldn't be relying on boards for medical advice!

padraigcarroll

probably not!
and I will most likely end up going to a specialist,
but if anyone else has had this I'd like their input. It's be nice to know what they did to fix the prob if anything!
Cheers m8.

brianthebard

Have you tried cuban presses or other rotation type lifts? I don't think they will make the pain better but in time they will strengthen you 'cuffs afaik.

Hanley

If you've already got inflamed RCs then cuban presses are probably gonna hurt. At least that's my exp.

Go see a physio man. It might not even be your RC. It could be something like a winged scapula.

brianthebard

Sorry should've made it clearer that they should be done after the OP sees an expert about this problem and the pain goes away. It was more so that they don't do it again.

Hanley

brianthebard wrote:

Sorry should've made it clearer that they should be done after the OP sees an expert about this problem and the pain goes away. It was more so that they don't do it again.

I got what you meant.

Basically I experienced something similar enough a few months ago.

It built up over the course of 3 months. At first it was a "swelling" feelign in my shoulder. Then it got to the stage where I couldn't rack or unrack a bench press cos of the pain. Pressing was no problem, just racking. I was AFRAID to rack it cos I knew how much it was going to hurt.

I took about a month off from pressing, 2 weeks into that I started doing rotational work. All was well and good for a while, but about 4 weeks after I started presssing again the same problem arose.

It turns out it was a scapular control problem and my bicep wa functioning in lieu of my rotator cuff. It was a relatively simple fix and it was something that would have bugged me for a long time if I didn't get the proper help.

brianthebard

Are there any other exercises of note to prevent this sort of thing?

Hanley

brianthebard wrote:

Are there any other exercises of note to prevent this sort of thing?

It wasn't so much a muscularweakness thing, as it was a complete lack of motor control. The muscles jsut weren't firing properly. So nothing really too specific that I can think of to prevent it I'm afraid.

padraigcarroll

thanks for the info and advice lads, appreciated.

I was planning on starting some cuban presses, light.
an article i read suggests doing them but only to shoulder height, always staying light in weight and increasing reps over time. lifting over the shoulders, they suggested was dangerous for causing reoccurrence of the probs.