Shoulder Pain/Injury

[Will Seavey]

Hello all,

So a couple of weeks ago I got a shoulder "strain" after doing Randy (75 snatches) and had some general shoulder pain (3/10) that started on the outside of the shoulder then drifted to the center of the shoulder and the side of the neck on 1 day. Full ROM the whole time, could make the pain get worse with shoulder shrugging. I rested and avoided any working out of the shoulder for 10-12 days or so, the pain was gone for 4-5 days or so before doing anything. I started out this last week going easy on the shoulder, not doing any exercises with the shoulder until a couple days ago. Did some strict pull-ups, push ups, and push presses towards the end of the week. Felt no pain, everything was good.

Today (Sunday), I did power cleans (3x5) and a WOD with some kettle bells. Pain has come back (mild so far) this afternoon behind and below the clavicle. If I shrug high, I can feel and hear something moving proximal to the humeral head.

So, couple of questions:
1. Time to check this out by a doctor. What muscle am I looking at here?
2. What type of arm exercises would still be safe?
3. Good references for shoulder rehab?
4. What kind of time frame could I be looking at?

Thanks everyone for the responses, I love the forum so far.

[Will Seavey]

Quick update, I work in a hospital and just had a doc do a quick exam. Not suprascpularis or rotator cuff, was a little low for that. Not doing a full exam he was thinking first rip, pulled or slightly torn muscle in there.

Any other suggestions/thoughts out there?

[Sean Rockett]

1 yes could be slap tear if clicking
3 and 4 depends on what you have

[Daniel Pope]

Will! How is everything going so far? Any results from the doc yet?

[Will Seavey]

Hey,

Still resting the shoulder. Working on mobility WODs a lot (kind of obsessed with that at the moment), abs, jumping, and some running. Avoiding weighted front squats because of the shoulder involvement.

Appointment with my DO (osteopathic doctor for those not knowing that abbreviation) O this coming week, will update when I know anything. I still have had some occasional right neck "stiffness" and some occasional mild/diffuse pain in between the neck and humerus.

Hoping it's not the SLAP tear, I did have a doc do an O'Brien's test which was negative, but we didn't do a full exam. He did palpate all the muscles in the area and a couple of other movements of the shoulder and nothing really jumped out. This was a quick exam and wasn't really a full appointment.

Overall, just resting the shoulder/upper body, no day to day movement elicits pain, but I think if I started doing cleans I would feel it pretty fast...

[Will Seavey]

Hey,

So got it checked out today. Not the shoulder (thank you!). All shoulder tests negative, his first thought was bicep attachment (that's a SLAP tear right?), but that was negative.

My pain is probably from the upper pectorals where they attach to the clavicle. His thought was some micro tears and I ****ed the area off, but didn't do any major damage. I probably ended up putting a lot of weight on that part of the muscle when my shoulders pulled forward out of good position. I was doing to much weight and lost form, this probably happened first with high rep Randy which irritated it and then I finished it off with the power cleans that were too heavy. My own fault and I should have known better.

His Rx: rest for 4-12 weeks, start back very slow with any movement around that area. Going straight overhead is OK, doing any exercises with internal/external rotation of the shoulder is fine.

My questions for you all: Front squats are probably out since they put weight on that area. Would back squats be OK? I'm looking just to maintain, not looking to push limits for a while.

Other types of exercises out: push ups, bunch press, power cleans/snatches
Are these out for a while?: burpees (if I worm them a bit??), wall balls?, kettle bell swings?, all of these??

I'm just trying to figure out what I might slowly work back into, I'm still going to rest the area for a few more weeks. Before I try any snatches or PC I am going to get more coaching, plenty to work on instead of those.

[Daniel Pope]

How's your progress been?

[Will Seavey]

Progress has been very good. Pain is gone have been doing some ring rows mostly. Been sticking to non upper body wods this week. Tried a couple low rep sets of pull ups and push ups and have had zero pain. Away from home next 4 days so won't be seeing a bar until Friday then I'm to try some bar only push press minus the clean.

Since my goal is mainly fitness and not trying to make it to regionals or anything I'm not in any hurry. Safety and not having a long term problem is important. I think I lost sight of that a little and ended up doingwworkouts I had no business doing.

It's all good though. Dan, like the podcast by the way.