Rotator cuffs feel on fire.

[Dk]

Ive always had bad cuffs no matter what i do there is no way around it.

but lately its been horrible, when benching my rotator cuffs/outer chest get really hot and feel on inflamed kind of, not sure of the word.

And when doing side laterals there is a sharp pain right down the middle of my delt.

i took a week off, and not only did my right cuff stay hurt, my left also ended up hurting randomly, without even lifting. it was just in the middle of my week off and all my a sudden boom, left cuff hurts now to.

first day back, and i did chest, its bearable, but i can tell its gonna come back.

[Thechamp]

I had the same problem in both of my rotator cuffs. then i started doing rotator cuffs stretches 10min before my workout and after. Also when i'm done my workout i like to ice my shoulders for 10mins then apply a hot towel for 10mins. My Rotator cuffs are getting better everyday by dong this.

Here some Rotator Cuff Exercises!! Hope this helps

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[Kiem]

Are you using proper form for benching? Are you working your chest and shoulders on days too close together, without adequate rest? For now maybe stay away from pressing movements and see if things improve. Also, since you have always had weak rotator cuffs, start working on strengthening them so as to prevent future injuries. The below video are the rotator strengthening excercises I do on my shoulder days.

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[Baconbits]

From Dante (Doggcrapp)

With a large towel or broomstick I want you to hold it with straight arms for the entire time of what i describe in the following movement--a large "rolled up like a rope" beach towel works good but honestly a longer broomstick (without the bristles) works best in my opinion. Start out with it with a really wide grip (with straight arms) in front of you (on your quads) and with straight arms bring it up and overhead and then down and back to the middle of your back--STRAIGHT ARMS ALL THE WAY--this is going to be very difficult and hard the first couple times out and then will be "old hat" with time----and its going to be painful in a stretching pump kind of way---i want 50 reps each time you do this--one repetition is from in front of your face (all with straight arms) to up overhead and back, and then down all the way to the middle of your back and then back up overhead to in front of your face again (again all with straight arms)--the important part of the movement is the area overhead that is really tight--do all of this carefully/slowly---dont just whip it over and back---if your hand is slipping off the broomstick even with the widest grip, or you cant bring your arms over straight and the start bending on you, you have some serious shoulder inflexibility and need to work this hard and get up to speed (or you could just need a longer broomstick too)--again do all of these revolutions controlled and carefully--push into the stretch as you go along toward the 50 revolutions, your chest will be pushing outward and your shoulders rolling back--your shoulders are going to blow up with so much blood its going to be incredibly painfull pumpwise--Do this once a day at nite as many times a week as you can---sometimes I have people do it every single day---but every time you do it try to move your grip inward (thats the key)----its going to be very hard to do but try your best to move your grip inward for the next 2-4 weeks and your range of motion with shoulders will increase dramatically and any impingement and the majority of other problems should be gone in 2 weeks--also try to move your grip in as you are doing the 50 revolutions--start off with a stretching but relatively easy 10 to warm up some, then try to move your grip in even by a centimeter if you can for the next 20 revolutions and then at 30 try to move the grip in another centimeter--really try to push what you can do stretchwise once your warmed up here--trust me this sounds easy but your going to be muttering "**** you dante" after you get to your 25th revolution--Ive cured too many shoulder problems with this simple movement now its pretty ridiculous, and this and a menthol rub applied liberally daily and before sleep has cured alot of shoulder/bicepital tendonitis in trainees ---Heres a pic attached to this post so you can get an idea (thanks to a trainee of mine who cured his shoulders with this)--but remember the broomstick goes overhead and all the way back to the middle of the back (he just drew the start of the movement when you begin)

(ADDED)
arms straight the whole way--and if you cant keep arms straight you have to widen the grip and/or get a longer broomstick (dont be gripping the broomstick with tights fists--let it roll thru your fingers if it has to as you go up and back)--i only hold onto it with my middle and pointer fingers and thumb

[Lykalotopus]

I've had rotator issues over the years from various causes, a few too many hits in Rugby & a few too many left hooks kickboxing.

Did the streches, exercises, etc, all of which helped BUT the single biggest thing that has helped make them a LOT better has been.........

Learning to sleep with my arms at my sides, rather than under the pillow or near my head.

No BS. That was the single biggest thing. Got that info from a friend whos a physio & it worked.

[AlladdinSane]

Stretch like all the others said.

Do not underestimate therapeutic massage.

ART.

[drdnj]

From Dante (Doggcrapp)

With a large towel or broomstick I want you to hold it with straight arms for the entire time of what i describe in the following movement--a large "rolled up like a rope" beach towel works good but honestly a longer broomstick (without the bristles) works best in my opinion. Start out with it with a really wide grip (with straight arms) in front of you (on your quads) and with straight arms bring it up and overhead and then down and back to the middle of your back--STRAIGHT ARMS ALL THE WAY--this is going to be very difficult and hard the first couple times out and then will be "old hat" with time----and its going to be painful in a stretching pump kind of way---i want 50 reps each time you do this--one repetition is from in front of your face (all with straight arms) to up overhead and back, and then down all the way to the middle of your back and then back up overhead to in front of your face again (again all with straight arms)--the important part of the movement is the area overhead that is really tight--do all of this carefully/slowly---dont just whip it over and back---if your hand is slipping off the broomstick even with the widest grip, or you cant bring your arms over straight and the start bending on you, you have some serious shoulder inflexibility and need to work this hard and get up to speed (or you could just need a longer broomstick too)--again do all of these revolutions controlled and carefully--push into the stretch as you go along toward the 50 revolutions, your chest will be pushing outward and your shoulders rolling back--your shoulders are going to blow up with so much blood its going to be incredibly painfull pumpwise--Do this once a day at nite as many times a week as you can---sometimes I have people do it every single day---but every time you do it try to move your grip inward (thats the key)----its going to be very hard to do but try your best to move your grip inward for the next 2-4 weeks and your range of motion with shoulders will increase dramatically and any impingement and the majority of other problems should be gone in 2 weeks--also try to move your grip in as you are doing the 50 revolutions--start off with a stretching but relatively easy 10 to warm up some, then try to move your grip in even by a centimeter if you can for the next 20 revolutions and then at 30 try to move the grip in another centimeter--really try to push what you can do stretchwise once your warmed up here--trust me this sounds easy but your going to be muttering "**** you dante" after you get to your 25th revolution--Ive cured too many shoulder problems with this simple movement now its pretty ridiculous, and this and a menthol rub applied liberally daily and before sleep has cured alot of shoulder/bicepital tendonitis in trainees ---Heres a pic attached to this post so you can get an idea (thanks to a trainee of mine who cured his shoulders with this)--but remember the broomstick goes overhead and all the way back to the middle of the back (he just drew the start of the movement when you begin)

(ADDED)
arms straight the whole way--and if you cant keep arms straight you have to widen the grip and/or get a longer broomstick (dont be gripping the broomstick with tights fists--let it roll thru your fingers if it has to as you go up and back)--i only hold onto it with my middle and pointer fingers and thumb

THIS IS BY FAR THE BEST ADVICE! I was considering surgery and this exercise/stretch worked like magic!!! The first few weeks will show you how bad your range of motion is (after years of bodybuilding)......but you soon become pretty damn flexible is a short period of time...

D

[Mister T 72]

I have major shoulder problems too.
Both rotator cuffs are torn,have frayed tendons and frayed connective tissue in both,and my collar bone is seperated from my shoulders.
I have had surgery on my right shoulder...a distal clavicle re-section...cleaned up the tendons and connective tissue and supposedly repaired the torn rotator cuff.

I am having a ton of pain in both shoulders ,but mostly in the one I have had surgery on already.ALL pressing movements are very difficult and painful.Chest and shoulder workouts are helland pretty nigh impossible to push myself with heavy weights.

I sure don't know what to do.....and surgery is NOT an option in the near future or even semi near future

[Boulderer77]

.

[tiramisu]

There are several answers to the question depending on the time and severity of the injury.

The first range of modalities for the newly injured is:
RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation.

Compression and Elevation don't apply well to shoulders but
Rest & Ice however are your best f'ing friends - early and often.

Once you have recovered from the initial "oh ****".
the next modality is
MEAT - Mobility, Exercise, Analgesics and Treatment.

The broomstick exercise (dislocations are a great mobility exercise). Restoring a full range of movement is important - BUT GENTLY! and slowly!

Exercise - The gay rubber band rotater cuff exercises may actually be required. At my worst it hurt to turn the steering wheel of my car. Once you've got some reasonable strength back a balance of standing press, bench press, and pullups (carefully and controlled will bring your strength back - alternate back and forth and try to balance the strength around your shoulder girdle. If it hurts back off 10&#37; and start again.


Analgesics - Rub A535 is my personal best friend as ibuprophen sucks and aleve doesn't appear to be available in canada.

Treatment - If you are a complete retard and have (like I did) allowed your injury to become chronic you want to read up on myofacial massage and art (active release therapy) or alternately you can forget the fancy terms and just aggressively massage against the grain of the muscle and tendon to release the adhesions (scar tissue) that have built up from previous stupid injuries that you didn't treat with respect. Every couple of days and ice afterwards.

Another trick is to take a ball (tennis ball or whatever you have on hand) and roll on it against the wall. This is all myofascial massage really is and again you are trying to break up knots and adhesions that may be the source of some of your pain and inflammation.

Note that calcium builds up in the ACL joint in your shoulder from injuries and you can get narrowing or a hook. This calcium can often (there is a point where you simply need surgery) be reabsorbed by the body if inflammation is reduces and aggressive massage is used. An MRI would tell you what you are dealing with and whether you have reached the point of no return. Physical therapies can do a lot for you if you use them appropriately. Most physiotherapist are borderline useless in terms of getting patients strong. They seem to focus on ice and ultrasound crap but rarely seem to understand that you might actually want to be strong.


An MRI with a good sports clinic and an athletic therapist are probably 2 things you want to look up if you are serious. I went through half a dozen useless physiotherapists and ended up doing most of my research on my own.


The general approach above hasn't got me back to 100% yet in both arms but I'm 100% in the right shoulder and 90% in the left and improving while continuing to improve my lifts From about 70% in both shoulders 6 months ago. The one I sleep on is still a problem so the earlier advice of letting it heal while you sleep is likely good.

I have however added a minor strain in my left quad from missing a squat and a minor pull in left bicep tendon from bad power clean form. (lol). At least I know how to avoid having them go chronic at this point while continuing to develop strength.

Good Luck.

[drdnj]

Hands down, this has been the best thing for me as well. As soon as I made an effort to teach myself to sleep with my arms at my side, the shoulder problems started to heal.

Hmmm Thats a cool thought!
I am going to try that......

[Boulderer77]

.

[#8]

Flat bench will ruin your shoulders. Use incline presses only when benching.

[Dk]

Flat bench will ruin your shoulders. Use incline presses only when benching.

thats what im told.

But it really burns the most when im doing incline, dont feel it when doing flat

[#8]

the stretches the other guys recommended are most important and you should make sure you do those. but steer clear of flat benching it is only going to make your problems worse.

[Praetorian]

Ive always had bad cuffs no matter what i do there is no way around it.

but lately its been horrible, when benching my rotator cuffs/outer chest get really hot and feel on inflamed kind of, not sure of the word.

And when doing side laterals there is a sharp pain right down the middle of my delt.

i took a week off, and not only did my right cuff stay hurt, my left also ended up hurting randomly, without even lifting. it was just in the middle of my week off and all my a sudden boom, left cuff hurts now to.

first day back, and i did chest, its bearable, but i can tell its gonna come back.

You may want to check your form on benching. 99% of rotator cuff injuries from benching are due to incorrect technique.
1. Do you have a decent arch
2. Are you driving from the legs
3. Are you up on your traps
4. Are you elbows tucked
5. Are you dropping the bar low enough
6. Are you pushing away
If you arent doing all these you need to rethink things.
P

[Praetorian]

the stretches the other guys recommended are most important and you should make sure you do those. but steer clear of flat benching it is only going to make your problems worse.

There is nothing wrong with the flat bench press...if done correctly!!
P

[#8]

there is nothing right with it either.

[Praetorian]

there is nothing right with it either.

If performed correctly the bench press builds the chest better than any other chest exercise...period!
If performed incorrectly it takes the blame for a host of injuries and other nonsense.
P

[#8]

If performed correctly the bench press builds the chest better than any other chest exercise...period!
If performed incorrectly it takes the blame for a host of injuries and other nonsense.
P

im not arguing with you, the bench press is a great exercise....when performed on an incline....

[Praetorian]

The flat bench works much better at overall pec development.
P

[#8]

discovered by the germans in 1904, they named it San Diago. Which of course in German Means "a whales vagina".

[45's]

hi, i had shoulder problems for the last 6 or so years, was so bad at one time that i couldn't even use my arms for just about anything except wiping my butt and trying to eat. I tried icing my shoulders, using heat, strectching the shoulders, seeing chiroprators, doctors ect.. , the biggest thing and the hardest thing was not doing anything for a few months and letting my shoulders slowly heal. Once the pain was minimal i decided to try acupuncture and it honesty did help quite a bit, enuff to start slowly and lightly lifting weights again, then i saw a A.R.T. specialist and helped too. So if you want to try something different you can try acupuncture.

[Praetorian]

ART works very well. Also ask your Doc for script for Pennsaid...it was developed for people with arthritis in the knees but is now used on many type sof joint inflammation. Rub 10-20 drops on the affected area 4-5 times per day. It contains DMSO as a transport and will help immensely.
P

Rotator cuff remedy:
1. Time off
2. ICE
3. ART
4. Pennsaid
5 Oral NSAIDS (limited use only)
6. Correct training technique

[Stonewald Rockwater]

rotators need time off, then start light, dont do anything that antagonizes them. youll learn to know what does