Sore Shoulders

Monday. Bloody Monday. Shoulder. Bloody shoulder.

There has been a lack of fitness related content of late because yes, you guessed it, my shoulder.

I was welcomed into the Snap City Hall of Fame almost eight weeks ago and being an honorary member hurts more than ever.

Shoulder tendinitis of the right supraspinatus muscle.

In laymans’ terms, a rotator cuff injury to the lateral head of the shoulder.

Sorry, sorry, just a sore shoulder.

I have always suffered from a click in my right shoulder. Waking up, it was there. Going to bed. In the gym. It followed me around for a long time but I ignored it.

I would be clicking and cracking all day… errrryday.

Over Christmas, this soft click became a loud crack. I had taken some time off. Tension and stiffness, that’s all. Nothing to worry about…

Right…

A course of anti-inflammatories, a tube of steroid cream, a few physio visits and two month have passed, and I still haven’t been to the gym.

I’m also back to square one with my flexibility which clearly isn’t helpful given the shoulder situation.

But I should have listened.

Don’t just disregard a niggle for a niggle. Do some investigating. My shoulder was playing up, the cracking had become a grinding pain, and it was only when it literally could no longer support me that I acted.

I say literally because the last thing I did in the gym was abs. Planking. The easiest ab exercise… until you add in a dodgy right shoulder and heavily compromised right arm.

Not even the best Taylor Swift impersonator couldn’t shake off this pain.

I tried once. My shoulder gave way. I tried twice and even third time lucky failed me in my attempt to get abs.

“No amount of prevention is going to help a sore shoulder” I was told but this was only after I had taken warming up to new levels.

Kettlebells. Stretch bands. Foam rollers. Exercise balls. It was a shoulder session in its own right.

I’ve been to the physio four times now and it’s definitely helping. Consultation. Stretching exercises. Dry needling. Exercise. Repeat.

The pain has subsided but I also haven’t done anything physical so that will be the true test. I was advised to stop all overhead pressing movements too which I found quite interesting.

No military press. No OHP. No incline bench and no 90 degree pressing on a chest press machine for example. So now I have to find an entirely new routine while incorporating more rowing movements… and deadlifts?

 

Essentially, my injury is a rotator cuff injury but it’s being caused by a weak right shoulder muscle. My chest and front delt are being forced to compromise during certain movements meaning that they controlled most of the weight, protecting my shoulder. This caused my shoulder to roll forward and disengage my scapula.

My shoulder blades realigning would obviously be the ideal scenario. Adding rows to my workouts should strengthen my back and focusing on the squeeze in my lower back should pull my shoulder blades down and together which will hopefully solve the problem.

Abs are overrated anyways!