Injury Layoff, Now I'm Hurt Again

OK, need some advice here. I tweaked my rotator cuff a month or so ago, and I’m just starting to get back to lifting. I’m using weights well below maxes just so my body gets used to lifting again. All was fine last week, so I decided to go up a bit this week. My shoulder feels fine, but now I feel like I’ve really tweaked out my trap and neck (on the same side as the bum shoulder) and it feels like someone’s sticking a knife in my back where the shoulder blade is. It feels a bit better today, but still crappy. I’m scheduled to lift again tomorrow. Should I go down to sissy weights and train through it, or should I lay off all together until I’m not so jacked any more? Thanks for the advice…

your back trap injury might be because you overcompensayed using those muscles which support the rotator cuff. It’s a touch and go process as i’m going through a similar thing with bicep tendonitis. Try to find specific excercises that wont hurt and you can try laying off for a while and focus on other body parts. That’s what i’m doing. laters pk

Nick, get in for some ART (Applied Release Technique) ASAP. Do a search for Leahey under the past-article search engine (on the main page). And in the meantime, please take it easy. You’re prime for a real, all-out, full-blown injury.

First thing you need to do is strengthen your rotator cuff!!! I had this same problem, with a lot of it to do with my being tall and having a tendenancy to bend my head down. This would stress my back/shoulder muscles and inflame them causing pressure on a nerve back there. Best this to do is strengthen your shoulders and rotator cuff. Do a search on the mag for a few exercises to try. I took off of benching for a month or so and concentrated on my pulling exercises a lot more. I haven’t had anymore trouble with it and its been quite awhile.

Thanks for the advice, all- that’s why this is such a great community. I’ll take the advice to heart…

I highly reccomend you seek an ART practitioner. I just had two years of microtrauma to my left trap/delt relinquished in a mere two sessions with an ART specialist.

MBE: “The dork with torque since 1722.”

-Eric

Folks, thanks for the EDT suggestions. I’m fortunate enough to have a practicioner just up the street from me. What’s a ballpark figure for how much this should set me back? Thanks again for the help!