Shoulder Pain Stretching that Really Helped Me

[Andrew Joiner]

AddAIn my case I was diagnosed by my M.D. 8 years ago with shoulder impingement. He recommended a simple stretch that worked. I did the same simple stretch of and on for 8 years to prevent and treat the pain. Then that stretch stopped working. My pain level was getting worse. I was at 3 to 4 on the pain scale and I had trouble sleeping.

So I did some research on "Shoulder pain". Turns out a book written by John M. Kirsch, M.D., an Orthopedic Surgeon recommends hanging from a pull up bar. Lots of physical therapists recommend the
Dr Kirsch method.

This video at 6:30 shows the method-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI9KZVdFSmQ&t=21s

After a month or so it's really working. My pain level now is at a 1 and no trouble sleeping!
Not affiliated in any way. Hope this info can help.

https://youtu.be/bI9KZVdFSmQ (https://youtu.be/bI9KZVdFSmQ)

[Tom M King]

I've been doing the exercises in the 7 Minute Rotator Cuff Solution book for several decades, and have no shoulder issues. This book has been out of print for a long time. It uses light dumbbells, but rotator cuffs should never be pushed like muscles you normally work with weights.

https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/7-minute-rotator-cuff-solution_jerry--robinson/255726/item/3315714/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pmax_high_vol_scarce_%2410_%2450&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=&gclid=Cj0KCQjw2v-gBhC1ARIsAOQdKY32UxZ__J1fKhKdBAmUPPrp2feGa69dztsLy leTnT9Qpyd_UHT3a_IaAhuUEALw_wcB#idiq=3315714&edition=1935327

[Jerome Stanek]

I lived with shoulder pain for a year went to the doctor and had Xrays he said it was bursitis and got a shot. It helped a little but kept up so I finally got an MRI I had a Rotator cuff tear and had to have surgery. He had to remove a bunch of fibers that tried to heal itself.

[Dave Zellers]

As soon as I saw this new thread and that you had a link, I said to my wife, "I bet it's a link to Bob & Brad". Boom!

That site is great. That specific exercise has been helping my shoulder impingement too but I need to be more focused on doing it more often. It definitely helps.

That video is 3 years old and sadly Bob has recently been diagnosed with apraxia and can no longer contribute on camera but continues to work behind the scenes.

It's a really good channel with a wealth of information.

[Ron Citerone]

I had shoulder surgery on my right shoulder 8 years ago. Turned out great after a LONG recovery.
My left has been bad for a year off and on. I want to avoid more surgery so I saw Bob and Brad's video and bought the book on hanging

Did partial hanging and the exercises in the book and got some relief but not much. I think it then inflamed it more.

Resorted to old exercises from past PT and am making slow progress again.

[Dave Zellers]

Did partial hanging and the exercises in the book and got some relief but not much. I think it then inflamed it more.

That is very interesting Ron and proof just how individualized all this is. A good PT is so valuable but I really don't want to have to deal with all those office visits. I'd much rather deal with this in house, without all that travel if at all possible. You Tube can be fantastic for this but paying close attention is critical. Bob & Brad have a mantra re their advice and exercises- if it hurts, STOP. It shouldn't hurt, it should feel good as it realigns things and alleviates the pain.

I hope this thread has some legs. Shoulder impingement is so common as we age and I think for many, exercise and stretching can really help.

[Jerome Stanek]

Doctor told me not to lift or pull with that shoulder until after it heals from the surgery. He said I could make it worse.and tear another one. You have 4 tendeons that are called rotators and I tore one comlpetely and another 1/3 of the way.

[Ron Citerone]

That is very interesting Ron and proof just how individualized all this is. A good PT is so valuable but I really don't want to have to deal with all those office visits. I'd much rather deal with this in house, without all that travel if at all possible. You Tube can be fantastic for this but paying close attention is critical. Bob & Brad have a mantra re their advice and exercises- if it hurts, STOP. It shouldn't hurt, it should feel good as it realigns things and alleviates the pain.

I hope this thread has some legs. Shoulder impingement is so common as we age and I think for many, exercise and stretching can really help.

Agreed Dave. I am exercising/stretching my shoulder trying to avoid PT and more surgery. Having been through surgery once, I will exhaust other methods first. I am in a better place having done my routine for a little over a month. The hanging and 3 exercises in his book worked a little, but adding other exercises and less hanging is showing better results. My strength is way better, but progress with pain is slow. Keep us informed on your progress.

[Michael Weber]

Thanks for posting that link. We go to a local hospitals fitness center (Golden Sneakers, so free) to walk and use the fancy machines. But I can’t do anything that involves shoulder movement under strain as it irritates something in my right shoulder causing increasing pain. I’m going to try that starting today.

[Michael Weber]

Just got back and here’s what went down. I did 3 attempts for ten seconds each, resting a few seconds between each. Then repeated after a few minutes rest. It was surprisingly difficult and a bit painful as unaccustomed muscles in the upper torso and shoulder area were stretched. I could feel my spine stretching and even some lower vertebrae moving (aligning?) on the first attempt. I used most of my 185 pounds by keeping my feet just lightly touching the floor. I’ll keep it up for a while and see what happens to the mild shoulder pain.
PS, I just raised my right arm as if raising my hand in school. I felt something pop that didn’t repeat if raised again. Interesting.

[Jason Roehl]

I’ve come across some helpful exercises. When I started my current job, I was saving every minute of sick time I could because I thought for sure I was going to need shoulder surgery. I had driven a snowplow truck that had a suicide knob on it. At first it wasn’t a problem, then it would hurt for a few hours after a plow session, then a few weeks after plow season, then it just hurt all the time.

For me, it was my left shoulder, so reverse if necessary. Lay on right side, left elbow held against left side, bent to 90 degrees, hand in a fist (or holding a light weight). Raise hand from as close to floor as it can be to where the forearm is parallel to the floor and hold for a few seconds. Repeat, increasing the hold time and reps over time.

The other exercise I found helpful is to set up like you’re going to do a lat pull with a free weight. For the left shoulder, that would mean left foot on the ground, right knee and right hand on a bench. Keep the left arm straight with a medium weight in hand, and instead of lifting the weight, make circles with it like a pendulum in both directions.

The other thing I found helped was to use my fingers to dig into my shoulder to break up scar tissue—I had myself almost in tears doing this. I started at my current job almost 8 years ago, but after having done these things, haven’t had any shoulder pain for 5-6 years. A old friend had visited and he had been through the exact same pain (exact spot). His was due to bench press competition, and the doctor told him that it was an imbalance in strength from his chest to his lats that caused the bicep tendon to slip out across the front of his shoulder and get irritated. He told me about the exercises and the doc going hard after the scar tissue.

[Andrew Joiner]

The only stretch I did for the first 8 years to prevent and treat the pain was a posterior capsule stretch. It was like a miracle cure. It's at 16 minutes into this - https://youtu.be/ibkBes3lebc -At first I could not even touch my shoulder without pain. My DR said just go as far up as you can without pain and hold it for 30 seconds. Each week I could go a little higher as things got stretched. Eventually I could do it like the video with only a little discomfort.
It's easy to do sitting or standing. However I overdid it. It started hurting more to do this old reliable stretch.

Hanging was easy to start very lightly. I put my bar height low so I hang 20% of my weight at first. Now after a month or 2 I'm at 3-4 full body weight hangs of 30 seconds each daily.
A tip for grip strength. Rub beeswax on the bar every few days:).

I made my pull up bar from a pipe clamp on studs in my shop doorway. Easy to get the right height.

[Lee DeRaud]

Shoulder impingement is so common as we age and I think for many, exercise and stretching can really help.
Had a bout of that about 10 years ago on the right side. In my case, I think it was the trifecta of bowling , golf, and motorcycle riding (street) over decades that finally reared up and bit me.

Cortisone shot (X2) plus PT took care of it, maybe four months end to end. The interesting thing I learned was that the cortisone show\t was some small number of milligrams of cortisone (which takes weeks to do anything useful), but it's delivered in a 30cc lidocaine bolus. Let's just say that the effects of THAT are immediate and gratifying if the guy on the back end of the syringe knows what he's doing.

[Tom Bender]

Mine is from side sleeping. I can sleep on the other side but now that is starting to hurt. I can sleep on my front but get a stiff neck. Sleeping on my back is good except for getting punched in the shoulder for snoring. Guess I'll try some exercises.