Lifting with a damaged shoulder

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Okapi42
Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Sooo, everyone's saying weights are the way to happiness, but I'm just not sure they're for me.

I have nerve damage in my right shoulder - my accessory nerve was damaged during surgery a few years ago, and while I've got about 85% range of motion back for that arm, it is rather weak. I especially have trouble with my rotator cuff. I can't work overhead for long periods of time, it gets tired very fast during fencing, and with exercises like planks, my shoulder gives way long before my core does.

Naturally, I'd like to strengthen it - and maybe even try "proper" lifting eventually - but I'm also worried that overdoing it will cause more permanent damage. I had a scary moment last year where after a full day's hiking, my backpack had made it so tired it took two days of carrying my hand around in my pocket before my shoulder could take the weight of my arm again.

So, any suggestions? I've been to a physio, but while the exercises helped a little with ROM, my shoulder doesn't actually seem to be getting stronger. :-/

Replies

  • j75j75
    j75j75 Posts: 854 Member
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    I tore my rotator cuff in hs. What helped me the most was swimming...
  • lurcstet
    lurcstet Posts: 77
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    I tore my rotator cuff in hs. What helped me the most was swimming...

    I agree, swimming world be fantastic for gradual strengthening. I would be very wary with weights considering what you have. Although there are light workouts you can do to strengthen shoulders, particularly rotator cuff injuries.

    Also I would consider something like yoga?
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    I had surgery in 2007 to reattach cartilage to the joint on my left shoulder. My ligaments are too long for my joints and I am starting to tear it away again. It has to do with the way I sleep and not so much about lifting. Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth,,,,

    1 - Take the exercises you had with physio and keep upping the weight. You will know when you have reached your limit. Work slightly below what you feel is max until it feels easy and move up again. Keep moving up that way until you feel you can do more.

    2 - If you are feeling like you are doing to much, back off a little. When you have damage like you do working slowly is the key.

    Eventually you will start to feel the strengthening. When you feel comfortable start testing with things you are tiring at like planks, push up, etc. If you are not tiring as you were before try moving up to more difficult mores like an overhead press. I still have damage and I can currently OHP 45#. It's not easy but I know it will help in the long run.

    Keep working and you will get there.
  • Okapi42
    Okapi42 Posts: 495 Member
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    Hmmm, I'm not sure about swimming. Maybe in a supervised pool - when the shoulder fails, it tends to do so suddenly and dramatically, wouldn't want to sink!

    The trouble is that it's not really damage that can be repaired - there is simply no nerve signal getting through to a large amount of muscle, so the rest has to compensate for it, and I'm afraid there might be a rather low upper limit on the degree to which that is possible. :-/

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