Excercises to recover from Shoulder Injury

[lvipscshooter]

OK I'm going to keep this one simple. What excercises to you recommend for recovering from a rotator injury. My right shoulder is still very tender and it hurts when I index on targets. Don't want to put the shooting on hold so I'm hoping to come up with some excercies to help heal.

Thanks for the input

[diehli]

If you're sure it's a RC injury, isn't at least one trip to a PT for evaluation and home exercises worth it?

Failing that, Google'll come up with a ton of results that'll be helpful. Main things: don't go heavy, stop if it hurts, ice.

[DocMedic]

OK I'm going to keep this one simple. What excercises to you recommend for recovering from a rotator injury. My right shoulder is still very tender and it hurts when I index on targets. Don't want to put the shooting on hold so I'm hoping to come up with some excercies to help heal.

Thanks for the input

Did you get surgery done and you are recovering from post-surgery? or is it something you injure alot, and just kinda of self-treat in the past? The shoulder is a tricky thing to rehabilitate specially at the GH joint, A little more information would be helpful, as how it was injured, if it was seen professionally, or if this is post-surgery recovery. I'm guessing since your asking this, Insurance wont cover a PT (which alot of medical insurance won't cover these days), as that would be my first advice to visit to get assessment done.

Edited May 17, 2010 by DocMedic

[Jadeslade]

Slow arm circles. (360 degrees-like a windmill)(if you don't have confidence-put your other hand on the joint and feel it as you rotate). Then slow arm circles with empty gun. Push ups-start with girl pushups, then just hold in up position, approach doing actual pushups very slowly-you must be confident they will hold-keep your elbows tight to the flank. Then some holding stretches from the pushups position-roll to the side and put you arm up high over your head and stretch-hold and then down. Then do that stretch with empty gun. Up downs are real good, too. Just don't overdo it-more reps frequently during the day rather than marathon work out. Ice down when sore. Good luck.

[Steve J]

Lie on your back and slowly do "snow angels". Try for full range of motion. You won't have it at first without pain. Try to gradually increase your range of motion over the course of several days by pushing through a little pain each time until you have full range of motion. I did this daily until the pain was completely gone. - disclaimer - this was intuitive to me and it worked for me, but I did not get it from a physical threapist or health care professional.

[rgkeller]

Shake Weight or similar movement.

You can do this in the shower.

[Jake Di Vita]

Get a diagnosis first. Then get a second opinion. Make sure your doctors know what the hell they are doing.

Secondly, learn how to press correctly. I'd recommend Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe and Lon Kilgore. Find a weight that you can do sets of 5 across with, start there and move up. It will hurt, it's up to you to decide whether it is ready to work or not - you'll know when it is. In short, if pain gets worse as you go on, it's not ready yet. If the pain is fairly dull and consistent, it's ready.

Chances are bench pressing is out for at least the foreseeable future.

Once again, most important get an accurate diagnosis from a competent shoulder specialist. Don't waste your time with a general physician or you'll wind up like my friend who was told after an X-ray that nothing is wrong with his shoulder....apparently the fact that soft tissue injuries don't show up on X-rays slipped past this "doctor."

The standing barbell press is absolutely the best exercise you can do for your shoulder.