Shoulder miss alignment due to injury-adding workout vids I'm using

[chiefjason]

Backstory

6 years of delivering furniture
14 years of handling bread by the truck load. Having to stack and down stack it.

That had taken a toll on my neck, shoulders, and back.

Then last fall I hurt my right shoulder taking a ladder stand down. The stand came apart. I could not let go and it fell and wrenched my right shoulder down and across my body.

I’m still working through that. I can feel it but today I was trying to show my wife one of the things I’m doing with the clubs to work that upper back and shoulder. She had to take a pic to show me how miss aligned and out of whack my shoulders are.

Great more work to go. This is even weight. What I feel is an even flex. But some of the muscles in my right shoulder are still not turning on.

There are things that look and feel better. But that right shoulder blade is obviously still giving my problems.

 

[heavydoc]

Ouch, hope you get it fixed soon

 

[45/70fan]

Have you been to a chiropractor?

 

[CZfool68]

Nice holster! 😁

In my experience over a certain age once you mess something up it kinda stays messed up. Fix it as best you can as quickly as you can, and then learn to adapt. Luckily for me I’ve only had a few major soft tissue and tendon injuries. They are not the same as they used to be, but they function fine in every day life and cause me no pain. Hope you find a way to straighten that out.

 

[chiefjason]

Ouch, hope you get it fixed soon

Been working at it almost a year. Its better and stronger but this has not been a good week. Which is probably why it looks worse.

Have you been to a chiropractor?

No but been considering it. I used to go to one until I had some serious problems with my neck. Figured bulging/herniated disks in my neck might need a break. And honestly, I was going to him for that pain and he never really talked about looking deeper at it over the course of several years. Didn't sit too well. He was happy to treat, but never seemed to worry about the deeper cause of my pain.

Nice holster! 😁

In my experience over a certain age once you mess something up it kinda stays messed up. Fix it as best you can as quickly as you can, and then learn to adapt. Luckily for me I’ve only had a few major soft tissue and tendon injuries. They are not the same as they used to be, but they function fine in every day life and cause me no pain. Hope you find a way to straighten that out.

I hear you. Like I said above, it's been a rough week. And it's hurting about 70% of the time right now. Sucks. Some weeks it's much better. Not sure what's causing it this week. And that injury made a mess of that shoulder and it's deep in there. It's like rice crispies in there a lot of the time.

 

[Cowboy]

Yeah stay away from a chiropractor and you can do one of two things.
1. Orthopedic doctor this is pretty obvious but some people don't like dr's.
2. Physical Therapist can look at it and give you an opinion on how to properly strengthen the issue without having a referral.

 

[chiefjason]

Doing some Digging and found this. Yeah that will get that muscle fitting. Adding this to work the infra spinatus. Need to get that turned on in my right shoulder.

 

[chiefjason]

Yeah stay away from a chiropractor and you can do one of two things.
1. Orthopedic doctor this is pretty obvious but some people don't like dr's.
2. Physical Therapist can look at it and give you an opinion on how to properly strengthen the issue without having a referral.

My last round with PT was really general. I got a worksheet of generic exercises. Which is why I have started trying to ID the muscles I’m having problems with then finding exercises to work that specific muscle. In this case the infraspinatus in my shoulder blade is not firing. And the teres major and minor as well. Pretty sure that’s what took the brunt of the force on my accident.

 

[Cowboy]

My last round with PT was really general. I got a worksheet of generic exercises. Which is why I have started trying to ID the muscles I’m having problems with then finding exercises to work that specific muscle. In this case the infraspinatus in my shoulder blade is not firing. And the teres major and minor as well. Pretty sure that’s what took the brunt of the force on my accident.

Might have torn some stuff.

 

[45/70fan]

Been working at it almost a year. Its better and stronger but this has not been a good week. Which is probably why it looks worse.


No but been considering it. I used to go to one until I had some serious problems with my neck. Figured bulging/herniated disks in my neck might need a break. And honestly, I was going to him for that pain and he never really talked about looking deeper at it over the course of several years. Didn't sit too well. He was happy to treat, but never seemed to worry about the deeper cause of my pain.



I hear you. Like I said above, it's been a rough week. And it's hurting about 70% of the time right now. Sucks. Some weeks it's much better. Not sure what's causing it this week. And that injury made a mess of that shoulder and it's deep in there. It's like rice crispies in there a lot of the time.

You need a different chiropractor. Mine figured out I had an inflamed disc when all the doctor wanted to do was push pain meds. He keeps me walking with my bum hip.

 

[Spartan]

 

[Chuckman]

There is definitely alignment issues. Do you have full range of motion? I know there is pain, but can you go through the full ROM in all planes?

 

[chiefjason]

Might have torn some stuff.

Given the mechanism of injury, I guarantee there was. I was taking a ladder stand down. The top section got hung on a limb. When I pulled it, it came off and the bottom 2 sections fell. That pulled my upper body down and twisted my elbow down and across my abdomen. Which wrenched my right shoulder blade around really bad. When I do that same motion now it still hurts a little.

There is definitely alignment issues. Do you have full range of motion? I know there is pain, but can you go through the full ROM in all planes?

Depends. Can I move it around? Yes. I'm doing the club mills. I can lift things over my head. I can do pull ups. But it does hurt on occasion. Lots of popping and grinding in the rotator cuff. Now with stretches is where the limited mobility really shows up. I did the sleeper stretch on my shoulder last night. Left hand could go to the floor. Right hand stopped about 6" off the floor.

So there are 2 problems combining. Years of abuse at work on my rotator cuff. And the injury to my shoulder last fall.

Good news is that dumbbell exercise above really targets the muscle I'm wanting to get turned back on. I did it last night and this morning before my workout. Feels better. Less pain and feels like that muscle is trying to work more now. I'm guessing that area turned off to compensate for the injury. My working out has strengthened a lot of the area but that one might have been turned off so much that it was not getting stronger. Time to fix that.

 

[chiefjason]

You need a different chiropractor. Mine figured out I had an inflamed disc when all the doctor wanted to do was push pain meds. He keeps me walking with my bum hip.

I've been considering trying to find one. Would love to find one that did the message therapy combined with the chiro.

 

[Chuckman]

Given the mechanism of injury, I guarantee there was. I was taking a ladder stand down. The top section got hung on a limb. When I pulled it, it came off and the bottom 2 sections fell. That pulled my upper body down and twisted my elbow down and across my abdomen. Which wrenched my right shoulder blade around really bad. When I do that same motion now it still hurts a little.



Depends. Can I move it around? Yes. I'm doing the club mills. I can lift things over my head. I can do pull ups. But it does hurt on occasion. Lots of popping and grinding in the rotator cuff. Now with stretches is where the limited mobility really shows up. I did the sleeper stretch on my shoulder last night. Left hand could go to the floor. Right hand stopped about 6" off the floor.

So there are 2 problems combining. Years of abuse at work on my rotator cuff. And the injury to my shoulder last fall.

Good news is that dumbbell exercise above really targets the muscle I'm wanting to get turned back on. I did it last night and this morning before my workout. Feels better. Less pain and feels like that muscle is trying to work more now. I'm guessing that area turned off to compensate for the injury. My working out has strengthened a lot of the area but that one might have been turned off so much that it was not getting stronger. Time to fix that.

OK. Reason I asked is the asymmetry in the right looks like it had been dislocated, and with those you often cannot get full ROM.

I have horrible mobility/flexibility in my shoulders, I am always working on those.

 

[chiefjason]

@Red Marley

Adding some exercises to the above dumbbell work. I'm trying to do most of these daily for now. I'm still doing my TRX straps, kettlebells, and low back/core work. Where I can I add these in there, adjust the routine, or some of this is duplicate with some routines.










this is one I've tried to get more conscious of. Setting my shoulder blades before working out. Some of your injuries can come from not starting with your shoulders in the right position.

 

[Red Marley]

Thanks Jason. I need to get with a consistent program!

 

[Dirtydirtysouf]

Chief how close to Winston Salem do you live? I've got a buddy that helped me get my left shoulder moving again (torn labrum). He helped with massage and a strengthening protocol for my shoulders. It's been a 3yrs since he started with me and I went from a painful 135# to 315# bench press. I'm just 50# away from my old PR before I hurt myself. If you decided to contact Steven let him know Donovan sent you.

Here's his site https://www.flexpointtherapy.com/

 

[chiefjason]

Wife has been telling me it’s looking better and feels better when she works on my shoulder. Feels better on my end as well. So took a pic today and you can see some of the definition and filling in on the right side.

Added the adjustable dumbbells with the incline bench to my rotation. I really like some of the exercises that opens up. It also allows me to increase the weight for different exercises.

A couple things I’ve picked up along the way. Try to figure out which muscle is having problems and find exercises to target that muscle. Big compound movement can allow muscles to hide and other muscles to compensate for them. If you can’t flex the muscle on its own hard enough to nearly cramp it we’ll be harder to build that muscle. So learn to turn the muscle on that you want to work. Again, targeted exercises.

Been changing my diet as well. More calories and more good carbs to help build muscle.

 

[Dirtydirtysouf]

After looking it ur pic I see u need to really work ur rear delts a ton more. Look at doing banded face pulls or bent over face pulls with DB's or light barbell.

 

[Chuckman]

@Dirtydirtysouf , if he was 'just' holding the weight or holding a flex anterior his rear delts wouldn't feature. Picture only to show my back with pulling my shoulders back to squeeze my rear delts. I bet if he holds that weight up and posterior his rear delts would 'pop'.

 

[chiefjason]

Trying to replicate the first pic to check for any change. @Dirtydirtysouf I’ll check those vids out for sure. Another thing I’ve learned is that fixing one thing tends to expose other things.

And I can tell you for certain my front delts are trash and probably part of my rotator cuff problem. My right one sucks. Been working on it but I can only deal with 5lbs in front and side raises. As the pain leaves I’ll pick up the weight though.

 

[BowWow]

 

[Chuckman]

Trying to replicate the first pic to check for any change. @Dirtydirtysouf I’ll check those vids out for sure. Another thing I’ve learned is that fixing one thing tends to expose other things.

And I can tell you for certain my front delts are trash and probably part of my rotator cuff problem. My right one sucks. Been working on it but I can only deal with 5lbs in front and side raises. As the pain leaves I’ll pick up the weight though.

Instead of weights, try a band or cable for front raises. The tension is more stable. How much weight can you handle for military press/overhead press? Those are great for ant delts. Really, anything that moves your arm up in front or over your head.

 

[chiefjason]

Instead of weights, try a band or cable for front raises. The tension is more stable. How much weight can you handle for military press/overhead press? Those are great for ant delts. Really, anything that moves your arm up in front or over your head.

I'm considering rigging up a cable system for some of my weights. Amazon sells plenty of them.

I have some bands I just don't like the resistance. There seems to be a short period for a real load and a lot of the movement is too easy. Stretch them out and you get less range of motion at the end. But I used them a lot initially when things were really bad. It just feels like I get a better workout with weights so I usually move to them as soon as I can.

I'm doing Arnold presses and overhead while seated on the bench. 20-25 lbs depending on the day and how the first press feels. My kettlebells for overhead presses are 15 lbs.

 

[Chuckman]

I'm considering rigging up a cable system for some of my weights. Amazon sells plenty of them.

I have some bands I just don't like the resistance. There seems to be a short period for a real load and a lot of the movement is too easy. Stretch them out and you get less range of motion at the end. But I used them a lot initially when things were really bad. It just feels like I get a better workout with weights so I usually move to them as soon as I can.

I'm doing Arnold presses and overhead while seated on the bench. 20-25 lbs depending on the day and how the first press feels. My kettlebells for overhead presses are 15 lbs.

Pat McNamara really digs the bands; I think it's this video he explains why. If the movement is too easy, there's not enough resistance. One of my bands gives 50# of resistance; I can't press that overhead, at all.

I mix with bands/cables, dumbbells, and sandbags. I get what you are saying, though. I use bands/cables mostly for chest and back, and dumbbells for biceps and shoulders. Not everyone digs bands, and that's OK.

 

[chiefjason]

Found this vid too. I’ve done a similar movement but gonna as this in with my dumbbell work. Doing it without weight I can feel it working some of the prone areas.

I’ve got some problems in that area on my right shoulder for sure. Found a website work some good exercises I might work in too.

 

[JRV]

Sounds like you’re doing it all right. Work mobility under load, avoid pure static stretching, and integrate cable work (dumbbells change effective load based on gravity, cables don’t).

Don’t forget that it’s all a system. Working on injured levitator scapulae, rhomboids, or delts can stress tight pecs or lats that are overcompensating.

 

[chiefjason]

Got out today and pushed the dumbbell workout pretty hard and started writing down a routine for it I’ll post later.

This is from the video above. This is a version of the W lift I think. First is the lift with the external rotation at the end.


Then the extension out.

 

[chiefjason]

Just got a PM about this thread and thought I would add a couple of my routines here.

This is a full body routine I do with dumbbells. Takes about an hour. I used this one to work lots of muscle groups but only did one set of each movement. Usually a 10 rep set.





This is my current routine I’m working on. 6 day routine. Push, pull, and legs. This gets me doing multiple sets and spreading the work out over the week. Things are getting better so it’s time increases the sets to push the muscles more. Each one takes 30-40 minutes.





And keep in mind, I’m not killing myself with weight. A lot of 20-25 lb weight on the dumbbells. Legs I’ll up it to 70-80 for squats and deadlifts. The first page has the weights I used penciled in. At almost 50 I’m not getting swole working at home. Just trying to get back to normal and keep what I have.

I’m using bowfkex adjustable dumbbells and an adjustable bench.