shooting pain down shoulder through forearm.

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runningforthetrain
runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I answered my own question...but I'd like advice? I was trying for a MWF schedule of 5x5 stronglifts. My neck and shoulders and mid back were really tense, tight and my left shoulder neck area felt "messed up" at the end of last week. I decided I would not do Monday (yesterday). i went and had a deep tissue massage to loosen things up. (also yesterday). I didn't want to miss my new commitment (even though I still felt very sore today - I started to do squats with a small increase in the weight. I did two sets of 5. Then I reached down for the bar (bar was sitting waist height)-- not using the rack yet. Picked up the bar about a a foot -not much--- and felt an intense pain down my left arm- through forearm- shooting- that went away immediately when I set the weight down and stopped. It scared me. I am just going to stop until it has calmed down and isn't sore. I have fairly high tolerance for pain but, that pain caught my attention! Any advice or input for a starting lifter?

Replies

  • sbrandt37
    sbrandt37 Posts: 403 Member
    edited March 2017
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    The pain and tightens you describe sounds like what I had when I had a pinched nerve in my neck (that ultimately required surgery). Mine had nothing to do with weightlifting, but the tightness in the left shoulder and neck area and pain shooting down the arm were as you described.

    I recommend paying careful attention to proper form while lifting, including using the rack for your squats. Small breaks in form can lead to big problems.
  • dc8066
    dc8066 Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Pinched nerve, more likely. A chiropractor could fix it for you unless it's something else
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    assuming a pinched nerve --will that heal on its own? And if anyone has done home care -how long did your symptoms take to heal ? Thanks in advance for any ideas.
  • ChristineCoen
    ChristineCoen Posts: 16 Member
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    runningforthetrain wrote: »
    assuming a pinched nerve --will that heal on its own? And if anyone has done home care -how long did your symptoms take to heal ? Thanks in advance for any ideas.

    Whatever is going on, you may need a GOOD massage therapist or body work specialist to work on your rotator cuff, bicep tendon, and/or forearm to loosen up the muscles that might be causing pressure on whatever is triggering that pain. You can also do some mobility work on your shoulder in the interim to loosen some things up. If you're lifting heavy (or at all) it's important to learn how to mobilize the muscles, joints, and tendons that you are lifting. Something worth taking time out of your workout to incorporate. Those of us in the fitness industry who know the importance of that have paid the price and want to help others BEFORE an injury!

    Are you in NYC by chance? I can recommend an excellent specialist if so.

    Hope this helps!
    -Christine Coen
  • tjones0411
    tjones0411 Posts: 179 Member
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    I pinched a nerve last year working on my shoulders - it was in my shoulder blade, but the pain I felt was in my traps and all the way down my arm into my fingers. I feel like my pain tolerance is higher than average, but it was awful - seriously nauseating. I lived on ibuprofen for 4-5 days with total rest from the gym and it eventually healed on its own.
  • MonaLisaLianne
    MonaLisaLianne Posts: 393 Member
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    It could be due to a problem with a disc in your neck pinching a nerve but it could also be tendinitis. It sounds more like the latter to me especially since lifting incorrectly can cause/aggravate that. Suffered with shoulder/elbow tendinitis for about a year before it finally went away. For tendinitis there is a ton of info online - basically don't do anything that hurts. For a pinched nerve, I agree with previous replies - see a chiropractor.
  • dougii
    dougii Posts: 679 Member
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    I have been suffering with a pinched nerve from a herniated disk in my neck for months now. I am also a big fan of the SL 5X5 program. I no longer do weighted squats with the bar across my shoulders (as this may have caused the problem to begin with) but rather holding it in front at about chin level. Took a little to get accustomed to this but it definitely leads to way better form. My chiropractor recommended this switch as he too follows 5X5. Definitely do your squats in the rack. With a pinched nerve the pain does not go away when you let go of the weight; it can actually go on for days or weeks until such time as the disk is no longer pressing on the nerve bundle.
  • Cherimoose
    Cherimoose Posts: 5,209 Member
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    A herniated spinal disk can feel like that. Not sure i would start with a chiro, unless they were also an osteopath or MD.
    runningforthetrain wrote: »
    My neck and shoulders and mid back were really tense, tight

    Why do you think that was?
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    Cherimoose wrote: »
    A herniated spinal disk can feel like that. Not sure i would start with a chiro, unless they were also an osteopath or MD.
    runningforthetrain wrote: »
    My neck and shoulders and mid back were really tense, tight

    Why do you think that was?

    I think the area got aggravated from last weeks squats with bar on the back of shoulders and/or dead lifting too much weight for a beginner.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,867 Member
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    runningforthetrain wrote: »
    assuming a pinched nerve --will that heal on its own? And if anyone has done home care -how long did your symptoms take to heal ? Thanks in advance for any ideas.

    I had a herniated disk and pinched nerve in my c6/7 last summer...it took about 8 weeks of PT to get me right and even after that I had to take it pretty easy for a couple of months.
  • runningforthetrain
    runningforthetrain Posts: 1,037 Member
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    @tjones0411 Thank you so much! I just did 5 miles walk/run with the neighbor- so don't feel as down now about the stronglift pause.

    @dougii Thanks for this information! I so want to continue the stronglift program and have not heard of this option. I am going to proceed very cautiously. Right now giving it rest.

    I plan still on moving and stretching the shoulder area. Also -- going to go over to Sports Basement and pick up a foam roller...

    I would opt for an orthopedist rather than chiropractor but, I appreciate the replies.

    Thank you all for the help.

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