Degenerative shoulders and weight lifting???

[Orchidflower]

Since I was thrown over a car when I was 21, the problems with my one shoulder started just recently. It took over 40 years to come to a head it seems, but the one shoulder is starting to cause some pain and weakness.

I just had a bone density and no problems--except where I landed on the concrete, so it's my right hip and right shoulder. I guess I'm lucky that's all it is.

I have found I can jo ign the pool for the hip and that has helped alot.

But can I lift weights for the shoulder still?

Will lifting weights cause this shoulder more problems or build the muscle around the bone and help it?

Anyone on this board have the same problem and know the answer? I'm not pulling up much on the internet about this, so am turning to fellow board members.

 

[haha]

Since I was thrown over a car when I was 21, the problems with my one shoulder started just recently. It took over 40 years to come to a head it seems, but the one shoulder is starting to cause some pain and weakness.

I just had a bone density and no problems--except where I landed on the concrete, so it's my right hip and right shoulder. I guess I'm lucky that's all it is.

I have found I can jo ign the pool for the hip and that has helped alot.

But can I lift weights for the shoulder still?

Will lifting weights cause this shoulder more problems or build the muscle around the bone and help it?

Anyone on this board have the same problem and know the answer? I'm not pulling up much on the internet about this, so am turning to fellow board members.

I think you may want the specific advice of your Doc on this issue.

Ha

 

[eytonxav]

Since I was thrown over a car when I was 21, the problems with my one shoulder started just recently. It took over 40 years to come to a head it seems, but the one shoulder is starting to cause some pain and weakness.

I just had a bone density and no problems--except where I landed on the concrete, so it's my right hip and right shoulder. I guess I'm lucky that's all it is.

I have found I can jo ign the pool for the hip and that has helped alot.

But can I lift weights for the shoulder still?

Will lifting weights cause this shoulder more problems or build the muscle around the bone and help it?

Anyone on this board have the same problem and know the answer? I'm not pulling up much on the internet about this, so am turning to fellow board members.

I think you should get your shoulder checked out by the Dr or perhaps a physical therapist to see what is realistic for you to do. If you currently have pain and weakness in it, this is not something that should be diagnosed over the internet. That said, there are a lot of exercises using elastic tubing and light weights that could be used to build your shoulders up, but whatever you do go slow and go light and see a professional first.

 

[JOHNNIE36]

Go right to an orthopedic specialist. Don't mess around. They can tell you if it's a muscle problem, bone, something else or a combination. They will be able to tell you if physical therapy will help or if you are wasting your time. Maybe surgery is required. My orthopedic surgeon does x-rays right in his office and can make a quick disgnosis. Maybe further testing like an MRI would be required.

 

[2soon2tell]

OF,

You may have degenerative joint disease caused by the injury to your shoulder when you were young.

I injured my shoulder at age 24 and was well into by 40's before the degenerative arthritis became a big problem leading up to total shoulder replacement. I would find a good orthopedic doc right away who specializes in shoulder problems.

2soon2tell

 

[W2R]

I agree about checking with your doctor.

I have an old knee injury from falling off a loading dock in 1997. I have been trying to build up muscle on it, using the leg extension machine, to protect the knees. They do seem to work better now with a little less pain, and to be more stable, but there seems to be a limit as to how much weight I can do on that machine. I started at 10 pounds and seem to be stalled at 40 pounds (whereas, on the leg curl machine that doesn't bother or affect the injury, I have worked up to 105 pounds). I also tried the leg press machine at a low weight but gave up on that one because it was very painful and results were not encouraging.

So, if you are determined not to see your doctor and to do this anyway, I would urge you to start with VERY LOW WEIGHTS on machines that use your shoulder. Use the lowest possible. See if it increases your pain too much. Increase the weights way, way more slowly than you otherwise would. Always, always, always pay attention to what your body is telling you.

 

[Lisa99]

See your doc before continuing the weights. If you have a rotator cuff problem any amount if weight can complete a partial tear.

 

[Ronstar]

OF -

I echo what others have said - see a doc. I tore my rotator cuff about 15 years ago and didn't go to the doctor even though I was incapacitated for awhile. And it didn't heal back to normal. My chiropractor noticed it when doing an adjustment - my right shoulder does not hit the floor when I'm laying on my back. Its pulled forward. The doc told me I should not do bench presses because they will tighten the chest muscles and pull the shoulder forward.

 

[Moemg]

You enjoy swimming and that's a great exercise for the arms and shoulders . I would be very careful with too much lifting without checking with a Orthopedic Physician or at least a Physical Therapist .

 

[mystang52]

1) Definitely see the doctor.
2) I never fell over a car, but I have had serious shoulder injuries. The last one was simply overuse/partial tear. After PT and a cortisone shot, I was pain-free. With my doctor's blessings, I resumed weight lifting. I started at VERY low weights; as I built up a modicum of strength I similarly increased the weights very slowly and gradually. However, I will not go much more than where I am now as I do not want to push it.
Bottom line, once you improve a little - and with doctor's approval - I think light weight lifting can actually help, in the long run.

 

[Orchidflower]

Great responses and I am grateful to get the feedback. Thank you all. This could be more serious than I thought.

And I am starting with a Chiro appointment tomorrow a.m. and making an appt. with my Dr. after that.

I was at a social Friday night and an ex-physical therapist told me to swim alot--especially the back stroke--to build up the shoulder, and, also, warned me not to push it too hard with the weights. I guess I will have to concede on this one and do what I'm supposed to (drats!). I was looking forward to reshaping my upper body quicker with weights...sigh.

The physical therapist did say that--for the degenerative hip--jogging in the pool was a good thing, tho.

Not much pain at all except when my shoulder gets cold in Winter...oooowwwwie, hurts! Even at night with the ceiling fan on, I pull a sheet over the one shoulder to keep it warm whereas the rest of me is out in the open. My entire left side is ok. The right hip and right shoulder I have to bundle up all year long and make sure they don't get any chill at all.

I really shouldn't gripe, because a nurse at Georgetown Hospital in DC where I was taken after the accident told me that I'd get arthritis in my body "somewhere" around my 40's (I was 21 then)...and this really didn't cause much problem till my 60's. But I sure wish this accident never happened. It did end my motorcycle hobby, tho.

And I can't help but wonder how much pain all those retired football players go thru? Must be bad. No wonder they pay them so well.