Injured rotator cuff

[Sandman]

I think I injured my rotator cuff while doing some (very light) incline bench presses. I was surprised because I was using the incline bench to cool down and my right shoulder started hurting.

Its not really painful, just very uncomfortable. After a night's sleep, it hasnt gotten worse, but it hasn't gotten any better either. I'm wondering what I should do to fix it and how long it should take to heal. Should I do rotator cuff exercises or just leave it alone? Should I ice it or apply heat?

 

[DocJ]

Describe precisely what you're feeling...exact location on the shoulder, what movements/positions seem to make it worse, quality of discomfort (burning, sharp, stiff, dull ache, tingling, etc).

 

[Sandman]

The uncomfortable feeling is in the front of the shoulder right above the armpit. It's between my pec and front delt.

It's around the "subscapularis" area in this picture

It's hard to describe because it's not really pain. I guess the best way to describe it is like an extreme stretch. It feels kind of like a very uncomfortable stretch. Thats still a pretty bad description. I've never worked out my rotator cuffs or had problems like this before but it's not a pain in my shoulder muscles.

I can feel it most when I raise my right arm up above my head and bend it to the left slightly behind my head.

kind of like this, but I dont have to push my elbow to feel the pain

I can also feel it whenever I do any rotator cuff excersise movements.

 

[DocJ]

Thanks for the detailed reply. Obviously there's no way for me to know exactly what's wrong without you being in front of me to examine but it sounds like it might be a mild anterior capsule problem. Have you ever had any shoulder dislocations on that side? Also, what rotator cuff exercises are bothersome?...internal rotation, external rotation, etc.

 

[Sandman]

I've never dislocated this shoulder and never really had shoulder problems. External rotation is bothersome, but not internal rotation. Shoulder horn movements are bothersome as well when i bring my fist to the top and especially when i bring my fist to the bottom, with my forearm parallel to my body and my palm facing the wall behind me.

The movements themselves arent really painful, it only becomes bothersome when I try to bring my hand slightly behind my back for any of these movements. If i were to do it with with my good arm it feels like i'm stretching, but it's just uncomfortable when i do it with the bad one. I've been doing these rotator cuff exercises a few times today (without weight) to see if it makes it any better. Each time, my arm actually gets kind of fatigued after around 5 minutes and I start to feel (very slightly) nauseous. I wasn't sure if that says anything, but i wanted to give as much info as possible.

 

[Melbourne]

It could be the biceps tendon, which is often mistalen as a shoulder problem. Or it could be a tear of the glenoid labrum.

If you search glenoid labrum you should be able to find good information about how it can be injured and fixed. Unfortunately, if it is torn, it means surgery. Its common among baseball pitchers or football players. It involves about a 12 month recovery. The first week or so after surgery hurts like a bitch.

See a doctor. Even better see a doctor who has a sports specialty. Get an MRI.

Don't train through it.

 

[evansss]

i tore my cuff slightly when i was younger by throwing too much on the milt. press. pain in the ass as you feel it in practically every lift besides legs obvi. Unless its really serious nobody is going to operate on it, there just going to say rest and try not to hit the weights as much. No science in that, its just IMHO

 

[Melbourne]

No, you shouldn't have an operation unless it is necessary.

It depends on the type and severity of the tear. It also depends on what you do. Baggy-arsed couch potatoes can live quite happily with a torn tendon because they never actually do anything. But if you want to throw, tackle or just push weights, you might want to get some expert advice. But no matter what the surgeon says, its never going to be 100%.

As for local doctors, don't you hate it when they say you should just stop going to the gym or whatever. I suppose I could do that, but then I'd end up looking like them.