UKC

Hi,

My shoulder gave an almighty crack a 18 months ago followed by immediate pain and reduce mobility. I assume it was impingement and that a tendon had been trapped (I did see a couple of physio's immediately after but they seemed of little help)

Following on...

I try to keep up with antagonistic work 3 days a week but my upper trap and pec on the affected side are always tight. The exercises I do are:

Tennis ball rolling pec and and upper trap

Internal rotator 3kg - 4kg 40 - 50 reps

T's and Y's with 2kg - 3kg 40 - 50 reps each

Push ups 50ish (more if I feel and twinges of tendonitis in my elbows)

Has any got any advice on if I might be missing any obvious exercises, why my shoulder/trap still has a dull ache and any decent physiotherapist to see in the Lincoln/Nottingham/Sheffield area?

Thanks!!

Stretching?

Push for an MRI. You may have detached a tendon but your other muscles are compensating for it.

Ooo sounds nasty I have considered seeing a doctor though. I figured I'd give antagonistic work another couple of months before potentially wasting NHS time. Also I figured tendon damage would result in reduced mobility and increased pain when moved in certain ways, neither of which I have, just tight muscles and a dull ache in my upper trap.

It gives temporary relief but hammering the muscles with foam rolling and a tennis ball seems to work better

I lost my feet on steep ice a couple of years ago and "fell" onto my axe leash with  quite a wrench to my shoulder. I was able to climb on but developed a "frozen shoulder" with reduced mobility that lasted about a year. Doc gave me two cortisone injections three months apart but suggested it would be time that would heal and that FS took about a year to resolve regardless. I could still climb, but with a left arm I couldn't raise much above shoulder height. I lost a visible amount of muscle on that side too. Back to normal now, and a fair bit stronger.

I hadn't realised the importance of mobility in the strength, stamina, flexibility balance and now use slow Pilates exercises on rest and recovery days and feel the benefit. The Pilates movements are the ones I'm thinking might help you -any site, book or class will show the relevant ones.

The dull ache in your upper trap sounds like referred pain.

I detached my supraspinatus tendon but didn't get a proper diagnosis until a year later. The initial pain went, did some physio, got back to being able to do press ups etc but something just didn't seem right with it and i had a niggling pain. Finally got an MRI and they diagnosed a complete rupture.

Got it repaired, followed the physio religiously all back to normal now.

Yea I'll give the exercises a couple of months longer and if I seen no improvement book in with my GP. I hope its just down to a tight pec. I've spent the morning using tennis ball to 'dig' into another are of my pec and my trap has started to loosen off. 

Of course my pec may only be so tight due to damage elsewhere.

Just wondering how obvious was the niggle? I have full mobility in the shoulder without any particular position causing more pain, it just 'niggles' more than my left side and is generally tighter.

Thinking back it was still sore and was limiting certain movements. I then felt a pop in my arm whilst climbing and went to the fracture clinic as i was pretty certain i'd torn my long head bicep tendon. It was whilst doing the MRI for that they found my detached shoulder tendon.

My bicep tendon had gone too but they don't repair them. If the bicep hadn't gone i'd still have my torn shoulder tendon now and it would never have gotten better.

Thanks again, if I see no improvement I'll see medical attention.

Lacross ball (or hard spikey ball) rather than a tennis ball, lift hips when "rolling" traps, pecs, also less rolling, the objective is to release/allow the muscles to melt around. Once relaxed move the arm, think snow angel.

T's etc. 40-50 reps sounds high. 10-15 reps and maintain good form. Same with push-ups.

To mix it up consider the following... Banded pull aparts (underhand grip), Pallof press (medium band), Turkish get-ups (light db/KB).

With all the exercises, "set" your back and lats before you start, ideally use a mirror, use lats to pull shoulders back and down, notice if they tend to hitch up to your ears during the movement - happens easily when traps dominate and you are no longer exercising shoulder stabilisers.

I had something which sounds similar. I tried several physios and multiple routines and finally came across this video;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lfge31AkBc&list=LL2x3RhLT0OqXnvUuoD0qg...

I don't know if it'll help you but 3 weeks on my 8 months of pain has vanished and my shoulders feel the best they have in 4-5 years. I got a massage ball and roller which helped massively in freeing up the pecs and traps. My shoulders are set back whereas they were rounded and all the tension which reduced mobility has gone. I'm a happy climber again

Ugg those little ball's hurt so bad atm! I'll give it a go though. 40 - 50 in 10 - 15 reps sets, generally 3 sets of 15 is what I meant

In doing some of that stuff already but there's a few more mentioned that I can incorporate into my routine. 

Thanks