Rotator Cuff Injury

Anyone have experience with this? I think I may have hurt it...been 4 weeks since I've been able to lift pain free...only hurts when I bench or lift over my head.

How can I prevent this? How can I treat it?

Very low weight with 10-15ish repetitions in the range of motion that cause pain, anti-inflammatories, and rest.

Originally Posted by why

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Very low weight with 10-15ish repetitions in the range of motion that cause pain, anti-inflammatories, and rest.

So you still can workout using exercises that cause you discomfort if you keep the weight relatively low? This is beneficial to healing this kind of injury. Am I understanding you correctly?

Severe pain or pain lasting more than a week or two = see a doctor.

Common treatment would be NSAIDs and exercise therapy. You may need to speak with a PT.

Now for my anecdotal experience. In undergrad, my left shoulder used to hurt me in the gym when doing barbell bench and sometimes shoulder presses. It went on for a long, long time. I simply did other exercises which didn't bother me (at all). Eventually I went to the doc and had an X-ray done and was told I had evidence of a healed stress fracture on my clavicle.

Now I'm not saying you have a fracture. Rather, I am saying that you never know what is wrong.

^^^^

So you shouldnt avoid using range of motion exercises that cause mild discomfort?

Originally Posted by redcaimen

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So you still can workout using exercises that cause you discomfort if you keep the weight relatively low? This is beneficial to healing this kind of injury. Am I understanding you correctly?
It gets blood to the area, but mostly it's to prevent atrophy and a possible frozen shoulder.

Originally Posted by Jumbie

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Common treatment would be NSAIDs and exercise therapy. You may need to speak with a PT.
...who will charge a fortune to have playtime with rubber bands.

Originally Posted by redcaimen

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^^^^ So you shouldnt avoid using range of motion exercises that cause mild discomfort?
Don't extrapolate this to all joints. Rotator cuff injuries aren't like every other injury and what's often good for them isn't good for every other joint.

Not as far as I am aware. In the past, a lot of conservative treatment was centered around not using injured joints and muscles.

Now, early mobilization seems to be the modus operandi.

Originally Posted by why

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...who will charge a fortune to have playtime with rubber bands.

Or who can actually teach him a few targeted, specific movements that he can do on his own instead of him dicking around in the gym with some 5 pound weights and screwing something up.

PTs aren't all evil. They aren't doctors you know.

Originally Posted by Jumbie

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Or who can actually teach him a few targeted, specific movements that he can do on his own instead of him dicking around in the gym with some 5 pound weights and screwing something up.
That's usually the modality for most PTs. I don't need someone to charge me for an injury, I'm perfectly capable of that on my own. PTs should be relegated to post-op and serious cases where rehabilitation is necessary. Unfortunately, they're now the mechanism for orthopaedists to charge patients while simultaneously not treating them. It's a great business model.

Originally Posted by why

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That's usually the modality for most PTs. I don't need someone to charge me for an injury, I'm perfectly capable of that on my own.

Fine.

I'll give the standard Health and Body answer to 95% of all questions - "Eat more protein."

Originally Posted by Jumbie

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Fine. I'll give the standard Health and Body answer to 95% of all questions - "Eat more protein."
I should add then when I say low weight and 10-15 reps I don't mean multiple sets per day with a periodized macrocycle. Just make sure that the joint retains its basic mobility and is capable of overcoming normal resistance.

Originally Posted by why

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It gets blood to the area, but mostly it's to prevent atrophy and a possible frozen shoulder.




Thanks. Like the OP I have had a nagging problem with my right shoulder. Its not as flexible as my left and Mil Press and Dips(when I go just below parallel) cause what I would describe as mild pain - nothing dramatic. Wide grip pull ups are also a problem.

I'll see if a little high rep blood flow exercises will help.

I would do a search for the rippetoe rehab article that was posted here not long ago.

Otherwise:

1. ice - 3 times a day for the first 4 days (or so), no more than 20 minutes each time. after, ice immediately after working out.

2. gentle stretching - never with your arm straight out; always with the arm lodged against a wall at a 90 degree angle.

3. books - some fantastic books out there that will break down icing, stretching, and multiple variations of rotator movements. I recommend the 7-minute rotator cuff solution

4. anti-inflammatories like Voltaren Rapiden - very controversial, you'll have to figure this out for yourself

5. post-icing rehab (rippetoe) - start out light and rather than avoiding the exercises that caused the injury, do them - something about range of motion and scar tissue

6. Physical therapy - I say don't waste your money. he/she is going to start out with ultrasound and lead into interstitial (spelling?). I do like the interstitial machine, but I would recommend buying one of the small ones, get some gel and set it at such a low level that you can just feel it slightly tingling. Otherwise, this machine, used improperly, ******** you up - destroying cells rather than delivering blood to them.

7. cardio - get that blood flowing.

Originally Posted by somatoform

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I would do a search for the rippetoe rehab article that was posted here not long ago.

The Bill Starr rehab? http://www.strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=700

I have had rotator cuff injuries multiple times. The only thing that seems to work is strict time off - every time I tried to go back early, even protecting it (basketball), I would re-injure it. It is safe, and probably advisable, to work out around it, being careful to do only those exercises that don't put stress on the injury. When the pain is gone, you can go back. But not before - at least that has been my experience.