General Health & Fitness, Injuries and SportsParticipatory sports, help with injuries and general health & fitness topics that don't fall under weight training, fat loss or nutrition.
[JOHN STONE EDIT] Last night a few of us were down in the VIP forum engrossed in a riveting conversation about... oh, pretty much nothing (as usual), when the subject of my Daily News update from yesterday (link) wormed its way into the dialog.
Chicanerous chimed in with what I thought was a spot-on observation and some very helpful insight based on his own experience with this sort of pain.
I received a significant number of emails and PMs yesterday from others who have experienced the same sort of pain I described, so I am (with Adam's permission) reproducing his helpful post in this thread.
I should note that I performed the test pictured below, and my results were identical to Chico's results... [/JOHN STONE EDIT]
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Quote:
Originally Posted by John Stone
A little, yeah.
I ask because I've gotten a piercing pain in that area a few times in the past. It's always deep in the musculature and at the bottom inside corner of the scapula. Though the pain is sharp, I can only pinpoint it once it starts to heal, as it becomes a specific dull pain on one vertex of the scapula before going away. The injury usually happens when I haven't warmed up the upper back enough before performing some kind of fast pull. I don't know if that describes you, but incidentally that side of my scapula is destabilized. That's just a fancy way of saying that some of the surrounding "small" musculature is weak or doesn't activate correctly (lower trapezius, serratus anterior, posterior delts, etc.), so the scapula doesn't track correctly on that side. I think this is probably the reason why I encounter that injury every once in a while.
When you're feeling a bit better, test your back and shoulder flexibility this way:
I made that graphic a year or so ago while trying to diagnose what felt funny with that side of my back. I knew there wasn't something exactly right about the way the shoulder and shoulder blade tracked (my left shoulder blade always moves in what seems like a more "solid" manner), but I couldn't figure out what exactly it was. I tried that test and found out that I get a stitch-like pain in that circled spot, which prevents me from moving my hands closer. It feels kind of like bone pressing into tissue and is not too pleasant, which is pretty much because that vertex of my scapula literally floats upward instead of staying down in that position.
I wrote all about it to Eric Cressey in an open Q/A session he had and gave him the picture and he said that, while he would prefer to look at some dynamic tests for it, what I described sounded like a textbook example of a destabilized scapula. He said this is common in people that constantly reach with one arm (e.g. computer mouse, stick shift, etc.). It's usually also accompanied by slightly greater external rotation on that side (if I remember correctly). The basic way to correct it is to include a healthy dose of prone trap raises, scapular push-ups, scapular retraction work, and wall slides, while correcting any anterior/posterior shoulder imbalance.
I have moderate shoulder pain as well after benching. I did the same test and I get the same results as well. I'll have to figure out what those exercises are and see if I can incorporate them into my program. Any tips?
I have had the exact same problem occur a couple times with me over the past couple of years when I've been lifting. I drove a stick shift for 5 years too ha. Looks like I need to try ad incorporate a few new exercises into my routine.
Thats an interesting post Chicanerous Ive recently been told by my physio that i have a winged scapular. I will be seeing her again soon, where i hope she will have a list of exercises to try.
I get mild pain on the AV shoulder joint and slight shooting pains across my chest, and a dull ache on the lower inner side of my left scapuar. The pain is not that bad to be honest as is already feeling a lot better after a few weeks of military press and scapular push ups. Going to look into the other exercises you suggested, i just hope i can get fixed.
When i try what you have shown in the pics, i get the same result. Also i can get 2" of my finger under my left scapular, i cant even get a finger tip under my right scapuar.
OH WELL.. Thats a hernia, a lumber puncture and winged scapular so far i wonder whats next ?
I have moderate shoulder pain as well after benching. I did the same test and I get the same results as well. I'll have to figure out what those exercises are and see if I can incorporate them into my program. Any tips?
Thats an interesting post Chicanerous Ive recently been told by my physio that i have a winged scapular. I will be seeing her again soon, where i hope she will have a list of exercises to try.
I get mild pain on the AV shoulder joint and slight shooting pains across my chest, and a dull ache on the lower inner side of my left scapuar. The pain is not that bad to be honest as is already feeling a lot better after a few weeks of military press and scapular push ups. Going to look into the other exercises you suggested, i just hope i can get fixed.
When i try what you have shown in the pics, i get the same result. Also i can get 2" of my finger under my left scapular, i cant even get a finger tip under my right scapuar.
Yeah, a winged scapula is not the same thing and definitely more serious in the scale of things, but I would think the exercises I listed would help you as well. I'd suggest clearing them with her, as there is the possibility that somehow they would be contraindicated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ki0sk
OH WELL.. Thats a hernia, a lumber puncture and winged scapular so far i wonder whats next ?
Here are a couple of good shoulder vids from the Dieselcrew guys. Some of the stuff is scapula specific, some just shoulder, but a lot of it is stuff I did to improve my shoulder/scapula problems:
This one I just saw linked on Defranco's site, and I'm definitely going to work this in. I've done a lot of YTWLs in the past as the end of workouts, but not as an upper warmup.
About 2 1/2 years ago I actually tore (partially) the muscle that holds the bottom of scapula flush to the ribcage. Hurt like a SOB. I PUKED after it happened it hurt so bad! After adequate healting time I was given a set of exercises that included soething silimar to the YTWL's seen in the video posted, only on a flat bench. Wall Push Ups with an extra inch push at the top of the movement. I was also introduced to face pulls (still one of my faves) and an exercise where at the top of a standard military press you press your arms and shoulders up another inch or so to really hit that area (scapular presses?) Always concentrate on keeping your scapula tight to your rib cage. Seems to have worked for me.
Also in that pic you posted Chic; I dont think that is all that uncommon. I think it has to do more with a flexibility issue as opossed to anything else. Notice your upper right arm is much more vertical than your left upper in the comparison picture.
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Another good one I meant to include. Scapular Wall Slides:
Keep butt and shoulders on the wall. Slide the hands up and down the wall while keeping the elbows and back of hands in contact with the wall. When you come to the point where one or the other wants to leave the wall, that's the end of your ROM. Repeat.
Destabilized scapula?
Linear Mode
