Shoulder impingment

AliNouveau
AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Anyone have any experience with this? I'm suffering with this in my right shoulder. I was told don't do anything that aggravates it right now, i.e. Lifting my arm to the side mainly and no upper body workouts especially no weight bearing like planks since that makes it hurt. I was told I can do lots of core and can skate just don't lift my arms up....should be fun balancing.

Just looking for a timeline really as to when I might get some relief. Experienced impingers might have some thoughts.
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Replies

  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    Yes, it took me about 4 months to start feeling better, but it's still not 100%. It can take up to a year or longer. I still did upper body, but only pulling and straight arm training. Lots and lots of scapular work. I started adding dips and push-ups back recently and had a flare up so I took them out of rotation again. You can do a plank as long as you can maintain scapular protraction. Doing scapular pushups are good too. The best thing I ever did was get a tendon strap. I move it up and down my arm depending on the movement I'm doing and where I feel it. I mostly place it right under my armpit, as high up on my arm as I can get.

    Have you had an MRI? If you just have bursitis and/or tendonitis you can take anti-inflammatories. If you have tendonosis, don't. Regardless, ice it a lot and rest it as much as possible.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,876 Member
    Are you getting PT? In my experience, that was pretty important. I had about a month of PT and then a few more months of PT at home/gym that I did on my own. In all it was about 4-5 months before I was able to resume normal lifting. I still have issues with certain movements almost 4 years later...like barbell bench press really aggravates my shoulder, so I stick with dumbbells.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    edited August 2018
    Ditto to PTT - mainly just to point out the types of movements to really avoid.

    You can do some stuff that may not hurt, but that causes wear and tear and will eventually cause pain.

    Search AthleanX on youtube for shoulder workouts - you can watch the examples of impingement stuff and good stuff.
    From that easily see how to lift those glasses to cupboard, or milk into fridge. if the PT route isn't realistic.
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,675 Member
    Another recommendation for PT. I injured my shoulder and just took it easy for several months. Eventually I realized the pain was still there, worse if anything, and I realized that I had lost a lot of mobility. So I went to an orthopedist who said it was either bursitis or torn rotator cuff. We tried shots but they did nothing. He then recommended physical therapy. I was heading toward a frozen shoulder by babying it too much. I did PT for a couple of months, then continued to do my exercises at home until I got most of my mobility back. Two years later it still hurts if I push it too hard, but I have the mobility I need.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    Thanks everyone. I do see a PT guy. Just need to find time which is hard right now. But he told me today to work on isolating the scapula. He figures I've compensated for years and now have a weakness. I was going for plantar fasciitis and my back. He suggested today I stop abusing myself. :)

    So looks like by the new year, fingers crossed, I'll be sort of normal. It's just so incredibly frustrating. I have greater than average range of motion so to lose some in just feel a bit lost
  • Courtscan2
    Courtscan2 Posts: 498 Member
    I've had it - I had bursitis as well, so had a cortisone injection and took it VERY easy on my shoulders for about 6 weeks and was relatively back to normal after that - although I did ease off the weights for a while to build the strength back up without causing too much stress. It's been 2 years since, and I am aware that my shoulders are prone to overuse injuries so I back off as soon as they start to feel impinged at all and haven't had a problem since.
  • ladyhusker39
    ladyhusker39 Posts: 1,406 Member
    I had the same injury. It can take a surprisingly long time to heal and we often start pushing too much too soon causing it to take even longer.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    I second the recommendation for an MRI. I had one muscle torn 80% and another 60%. I have had chronic shoulder impingement and bursitis most of my life but this pain was different. You have less to compare it to. If the pain is really bad and not getting much better, get an MRI. It is encouraging that you can do PT; when my muscles were ripped, moving certain ways caused levitation pain and PT was out of the question.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    lemongirlbc wrote: »
    I've had it - I had bursitis as well, so had a cortisone injection and took it VERY easy on my shoulders for about 6 weeks and was relatively back to normal after that - although I did ease off the weights for a while to build the strength back up without causing too much stress. It's been 2 years since, and I am aware that my shoulders are prone to overuse injuries so I back off as soon as they start to feel impinged at all and haven't had a problem since.

    "Had" bursitis? You can go a long time between flares if you are lucky but bursitis doesn't go away.
  • Motorsheen
    Motorsheen Posts: 20,492 Member
    I've had impingement issues too and went thru PT for it. (hurts, doesn't it?)

    I also had PT on my elbow at the same time.

    In the office, I was asked how I injured both my shoulder and my elbow.

    I told them the truth, I injured my shoulder lifting weights and I injured my elbow from filling out all of your insurance forms.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    I found out a friend at the rink has the same thing so we compared symptoms and advice. It's all the same.

    The loss of range of motion is really frustrating as is the fact it hurts to do most things at the rink, well drinks afterwards didn't at least.

    Thanks for all the advice. I have a Dr appt in Sept I'll ask then for at least an ultrasound as my pt suggested
  • Courtscan2
    Courtscan2 Posts: 498 Member
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    lemongirlbc wrote: »
    I've had it - I had bursitis as well, so had a cortisone injection and took it VERY easy on my shoulders for about 6 weeks and was relatively back to normal after that - although I did ease off the weights for a while to build the strength back up without causing too much stress. It's been 2 years since, and I am aware that my shoulders are prone to overuse injuries so I back off as soon as they start to feel impinged at all and haven't had a problem since.

    "Had" bursitis? You can go a long time between flares if you are lucky but bursitis doesn't go away.

    Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa - if the bursa is not inflamed, there is no bursitis. Without meaning to be pedantic.
  • MikePfirrman
    MikePfirrman Posts: 3,307 Member
    Gradually working my way up to shoulder hangs fixed my shoulder impingement. I know quite a few others that fixed it the same way. I'd consult with a PT but I used the cable pulls in the gym on very light weights to help me pull my arm up very gently and gradually. I would not recommend shoulder hangs to start but working your way up gradually using something like the cable pull machine.

    https://www.gottahavefit.com/hanging-shoulder-pain-non-surgical-cure/
  • jdscrubs32
    jdscrubs32 Posts: 514 Member
    Another recommendation for a PT which I see you are going to. I had tendinitis in my left shoulder and took a while to heel. All good now thankfully. PT gave me great stretches to do which I have kept up for overall shoulder health. If you work in an office and your job mainly involves sitting down looking at a computer screen, maybe have your work station looked at by an Ergonomist. Also I would recommend taking up Pilates which has great shoulder stretches. Until your shoulder is 100% leave out OHP, Chin Ups and Pull ups and only go to parallel on bench, rows, etc. Floor press is a good exercise to do while rehabbing.
  • mom23mangos
    mom23mangos Posts: 3,070 Member
    MikePfirrman wrote: »
    Gradually working my way up to shoulder hangs fixed my shoulder impingement. I know quite a few others that fixed it the same way. I'd consult with a PT but I used the cable pulls in the gym on very light weights to help me pull my arm up very gently and gradually. I would not recommend shoulder hangs to start but working your way up gradually using something like the cable pull machine.

    https://www.gottahavefit.com/hanging-shoulder-pain-non-surgical-cure/

    Yes, I did a lot of dead hangs and active hangs in the first couple of months.
  • CarvedTones
    CarvedTones Posts: 2,340 Member
    lemongirlbc wrote: »
    CarvedTones wrote: »
    lemongirlbc wrote: »
    I've had it - I had bursitis as well, so had a cortisone injection and took it VERY easy on my shoulders for about 6 weeks and was relatively back to normal after that - although I did ease off the weights for a while to build the strength back up without causing too much stress. It's been 2 years since, and I am aware that my shoulders are prone to overuse injuries so I back off as soon as they start to feel impinged at all and haven't had a problem since.

    "Had" bursitis? You can go a long time between flares if you are lucky but bursitis doesn't go away.

    Bursitis is inflammation of the bursa - if the bursa is not inflamed, there is no bursitis. Without meaning to be pedantic.

    Interesting; I just googled and it appears you are correct. My context is from doctors talking to me about mine, which is chronic, when diagnosing shoulder or hip pain. I also have systemic arthritis, so they are diagnosing whether it is soft tissue (bursitis) or the joint itself (arthritis) and I have been told it doesn't much matter which it is since they treat them the same and neither is going away. I had always assumed that meant for everybody.
  • JBApplebee
    JBApplebee Posts: 481 Member
    I had it for a long time. 3 years ago I had surgery to clean out my shoulder & re-sect my clavicle. Now I'm pain free. Wish I would have done it a lot sooner.
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,521 Member
    I've battled a shoulder problem brought on by swimming. A couple of years ago, I though my swimming career might be brought to an untimely end by this problem. NOT SO!

    Mainly, I needed to 1) strengthen certain shoulder muscles with input from a PT (not requiring many visits, just learned the exercises and then did them on my own at home. 1) Improve my stroke technique with help from a swim coach.

    @CarvedTones recommends getting the MRI. The MRI does nothing if it is not read by the right expert. (And medical centers love ordering them because it's profitable.) I've become crabby about these things, asking questions like: how will you use this test to determine my treatment? What precisely are you looking for?
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    My X-ray, MRI, and arthroscopy all showed NO problems in the shoulder.

    Considering this was work comp - this led to a lot of disbelief.

    Surgery was when the rotator cuff tear was found, and some damage and calcium deposits in just the wrong place for rubbing but not seeing on x-ray.

    I'll ditto MRI not being first step for usefulness in many areas, as many friends with shoulder issues had same problem with their MRI's looking clean.

    Therapy and testing where pain is can also help troubleshoot what may be going on, if the PT itself doesn't improve things.
  • AliNouveau
    AliNouveau Posts: 36,287 Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    I've battled a shoulder problem brought on by swimming. A couple of years ago, I though my swimming career might be brought to an untimely end by this problem. NOT SO!

    Mainly, I needed to 1) strengthen certain shoulder muscles with input from a PT (not requiring many visits, just learned the exercises and then did them on my own at home. 1) Improve my stroke technique with help from a swim coach.

    @CarvedTones recommends getting the MRI. The MRI does nothing if it is not read by the right expert. (And medical centers love ordering them because it's profitable.) I've become crabby about these things, asking questions like: how will you use this test to determine my treatment? What precisely are you looking for?

    Someone told me irancalles swimmers shoulder. Which is funny because I am so not a swimmer

    My PT suggested getting an ultrasound done but only because he likes seeing the pictures. He said it's not needed and would be a bit of a drain on the system. But if by the time of my physical in a month it's no better I should get one. I'm in Canada so all that's covered. But as he said it would be good just to check things out

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