Strange shoulder pain question

[intelsana]

This might be slightly off topic but I have a question about shoulder discomfort/pain. I already made an appointment with an orthopedist but its not until end of the month. I know no one here is a doctor and I am not looking for a diagnosis from anyone. I wanted some insight to see if someone else here has experience that kind of pain.

I'm a beginner/intermediate and recently started doing Jillian Michaels beginner shred. I usually use videos like Mari Winsor pilates, exhale, and yoga. When I started doing jillian micahels beginner shred which has shoulder presses, I noticed that I have discomfort on my left at the joint where the shoulder meets the upper arm (so on the other side of the arm pit). I think it might be the rotator cuff. Now this has never happened before and it's not a sharp pain. It's discomfort that goes away after a few hours. It only ever happens when I do shoulder presses and raises. Could this be because my form is off? I try to brace my core and not strain any muscle.

It's a weird thing to explain to a doctor....I don't have the pain/discomfort now and I definitely don't have trouble doing any daily activities.

Anyone else experience something like this? Any ideas on full body workouts without shoulder presses that I could do while I am waiting to see a doctor?

[Betty Boop]

Try a Google search using: "cause of shoulder pain when doing raises and presses." There are a lot of articles on what you have described.

[TuesdayTaylor]

I've had similar pain and actually recently made the pain much worse and started getting nerve pain in area you mention. If you don't have answers or help from the doctor, I would suggest a good physiotherapist looking at your shoulder and helping you do some exercises to repair that area.

I injured myself when doing sloppy shoulder raises. I was actually using only 3 pound weights but I was also using an elastic resistance band at same time and I think my form suffered. The PT gave me some therapy to help with the inflammation and then some exercises to open up the shoulder area.

[Kyra]

It's not a weird thing at all, and it's almost certainly not because your form is off. (Although, not having seen you do a shoulder press, who knows? That said, your description of your symptoms suggests a pretty common shoulder complaint.) Good luck with the ortho; hopefully s/he will just do a couple of special tests (non-invasive) and get you in for a few sessions of PT.

In the mean time, I suggest avoiding doing anything that aggravates the shoulder. The more aggravated it gets, the longer it takes to get better, and the greater the chance for a more serious injury.

[Jane P.]

Some of us just can't do shoulder presses with much weight. The shoulder is a real sensitive joint since it moves in so many directions. You just may have to be really careful with shoulder moves, and skip some completely.

My first shoulder injury came from the flinging motions of aerobics. I wasn't holding any weights at all.

[bfit]

My husband had something like this, and it was an "impingement syndrome". His was helped with physical therapy, but he still doesn't do very heavy weight on overhead shoulder moves.

[mimikz]

I hurt my shoulder ~1.5 weeks ago and it's hard for me to believe how little it took to have such intense pain. I wasn't exercising, but cleaning an inferior white board in my classroom, scrubbing above my head. I have been using Jillian's Beginner Shred as a warm-up for kettlebell and TRX exercises without issue since it came out. In my 25 years of formal exercise, I have never had shoulder problems. This has given me a new appreciation for anatomy limitations and everyday functional fitness.

I saw a doctor 2x, had a few physical therapy appointments and thankfully have been released with some at-home exercises that I do faithfully. I'm feeling much better and can't wait to heal fully to get back to my love of kettlebells and TRX.

Much luck to you and hope you feel better soon.

Mimi K

[Kyra]

Originally Posted by bfit

My husband had something like this, and it was an "impingement syndrome". His was helped with physical therapy, but he still doesn't do very heavy weight on overhead shoulder moves.

Yes, it does sound a lot like subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS), but one cannot diagnose that sight unseen. I currently have a patient with pain that presents the same way and that is not the issue, at all. But given age and activity level... would not surprise me.

And the Rx is the same in any case; PT exercises for the strength/ROM deficits (which can be unique to the person) and staying pain free. Maybe overhead pressing will not be in OP's future but hey, there is more than one way to work the same muscles.

[Joni O]

Hmmmm. Based on a littling googling, I think that might be what I have. After heavy lifting the first 6 months of this year, I starting having pain right where the diagrams show. I had a couple of good massages with someone experienced in PT, and that helped work out the tightness. I backed off the weights and started doing Hamelin d'Abell. That didn't help. It still hurts a bit, and I've barely been working it at all.

Good luck. I hope yours feels better soon!

[Jewels5]

I'm not sure if this is the same thing, but I had similar pain to what you are describing and thought for sure it was rotator cuff tendonitis. It turned out after seeing a physical therapist that it was actually bicep tendonitis that was limiting my shoulder use. The exercises the PT was giving me were causing more pain (I think the weight was too heavy...and it was very little weight). I finally stopped going to physical therapy and used my Classical Stretch episodes that focused on frozen shoulder and it helped. The exercises are very gentle and I was able to get my range of motion back. Also I massaged the area with the small therapy ball like Jill Miller uses and that helped. I could not raise my arm to the front or to the side. I hope you figure out what it is. Half the frustration is not knowing!