Rotator cuff misery

[raisingthebarbell]

I’ve been out of action with a rotator cuff injury for nearly 3 months now and despite physio, heat/ice, exercises etc it’s no better. And I just couldn’t figure out what to do in the gym that didn’t hurt it it so have stopped all WT except a weekly legs session

I need a plan to regain some of my lost upper body strength that doesn’t aggravate my right arm/shoulder. Is there anything I can do? I’m now running on my other workout days but not loving it and miss my WT sessions.

Any suggestions or advice?

I can only sympathise. I have RC in right shoulder and no amount of physio has helped me. It's been over a year and I know my right arm has lost its strength. A hydrocortisone injection did help but after about 3 months it wore off and pain worse again. Even lifting a full kettle is agony and I struggle to brush my hair at the back with my right hand. I just keep being told be be patient.

All that worked for me was 2 days of basically continuous ice/ibuprofen to get the swelling down, then very carefully working on movement range, and going back to ice and stopping for a couple of days as soon as I felt any twinge. Heat did nothing, and I think actually exacerbated it.

Once I could lift it again without pain, I started doing unweighted dumbell halos (two arms then one arm, then weighted). The stretch band stuff, arm dangling stuff didn't seem to give me any progress, which is why I tried the halos instead.

took a good 18 months to be completely gone, and I kept up the halos (I do 5kg single arm now) to build up my shoulder strength so it doesn't happen again.

I’m the same, three months. Shoulder impingement and rotator cuff involvement. Struggling to get tshirts on and off, etc. I am seeing a sports exercise therapist who has given me exercises to do. Lat pull,downs, seated rows, face pulls, holding a stick or towel above my head and going as far back as I can, halos….but still very painful. Don’t think mine is torn, but is in spasm? Actually she did say something about a tear.

I've been out of the gym for 1 year due to rotator cuff/shoulder impingement/bicep tendinopathy and the only thing I found that helps is TIME.

I never knew it would need SO MUCH TIME, though.

Hoping to get back into the gym by October and going to start with some flexibility but fast or sudden movements and my arm still hurts or gets 'stuck'.

I'm not convinced there is a fix!

The thing that worked for me was going to an osteopath, my shoulder joint had been knocked out of alignment by my injury (jolted going downstairs on the bus) and it needed the osteopath to reposition it. The difference was amazing after one treatment. The strength will take some time to come back completely but it made a big difference.

I’m the same mine has been painful since November. I rested it for 2 months and did physio but it’s still rubbish. I swim front crawl so have now decided to stop that all together for minimum 6 months. I’m also now doing no hands yoga videos as I realised flow was also causing it issues. And in the gym I’m only doing squats/lunges etc with not too heavy weights. Nothing using arms or shoulders.

I asked chat gpt for a rotator cuff rehab programme and started it yesterday - amazingly today it feels great, I have some DOMs ache in the shoulder but it’s def not irritated the rotator so I’m hopeful!

basically my plan is to only do rehab strengthening exercises and lower body work until it is better.

I had a hip injury for a while which took well over a year to heal and so I’m aware that these things take time - very frustrating as my main exercise is swimming!

such an annoying injury

No advice, but I feel your pain - I hate being injured. I hope you find a way to rehab your shoulder. I'm assuming you're able to see a physio who's expert in sports rehab? I pay to see a physio as I've found NHS ones not to be particularly effective for sports injuries (utterly brilliant for rehabbing a bone fracture I had, though).

Also, I think Adam Meakin - a UK physio v active on Instagram - specialises in shoulders. His Insta might have some functional tips?

You need a scan to see what the damage is. My husband had one and needed surgery. Otherwise everyone is working in the dark including your physiotherapist, osteopath.