It's not lack of desire or stick-to-it-iveness, I can do that. It's my shoulder bones. Ever since I was in my 20s I made the attempt to get strong and look decent. Even back then when I'd work out the upper body my shoulders would click and snap and grind. It's always right under the shoulder blades and the spot where the clavicles meets the sternum.
My old family doctor told me I was too young for arthritis but I'm thinking he was wrong all those years ago.

I started with very, ridiculously light weights over the past two weeks with biceps, triceps, shoulders and upper back. My shoulder blades feel like they're on fire and the clavicles are all crackly especially when I shrug. We're talking Rice Crispies here.

Tylenol does help.

When me and my wife first got together I would ask her to rub my shoulders while I laid down, the right one was the worst. She eventually got tired of my complaining and gave me a real nice bit of pressure, like doing CPR but on my right shoulder. It cracked so loud and felt like a burning feeling for about 3 minutes and then I didn't have pain in that shoulder for about 7 years. I keep asking her to try that again but she's fearful of hurting me. I guess I'll have to make her mad.

Any suggestions for at home treatments or relief. I'd really like to not have to stop trying to work out again. I'm getting pretty weak.

I found that periodic professionally administered steroid shots in my shoulder make it functional again.

Inactivity and sedentary posture decay, as well as failure to stretch have hastened my demise.

I believe that weight training is optimum but body weight exercises are sufficient. So, I try to perform a few upper body exercises every day.

You can try CBD to help with the inflammation. Just make sure the dose is high enough to actually help you, 50-200mg. It’s treated more like a supplement so you take it daily and I would plan on a month to feel results.

If you upper body is giving you problems start working your lower. Calfs, tibialis, hamstrings and quads. I do lower body twice a week. Most of these exercises will also work your core and even some upper body as you use it to move things around and keep balance.

Focusing on lower body including my lower back changed my life. Don’t hurry, it takes time to build up strength.

I am sorry to hear that you are going through this

I have been working with the a PT off and on for a few years now to help with my shoulder issues.

Mine have been bothering me since I was young compound the fact that I still/used to over train, bad form, played college sports, along with the military, law enforcement etc... has not helped.

Try using resistance bands both the rehab type and the ones that look like giant rubber bands. It has helped tremendously in my workouts.

I have also realized that I cannot lift using normal routines/exercises, so I use angles.
When using machines, I sit sideways on the bench, or at an angle. I also do positive and negatives in the hopes of strengthening my shoulder blade areas (Ex. Shoulder press: Push the weight up with one arm, but use both arms to lower it.

A great trainer/PT to watch is Jeff Cavaliere on you tube. He has some great videos, techniques for individuals who are injured, older, etc..

Even my PT recommends him. He is so down to earth and explains things to the layman.

I am still trying to get back overseas, back to combat arms along with trying to re-enter law enforcement so I am battling a steep curve for a 50 year old.

What do you do all day? Depending on how you spend your time, ergonomics and small changes to your daily routine can sometimes make a difference. I have a fairly sedentary job and I find moving my computer set up from one side of my desk to the other every couple of months greatly reduces upper back and shoulder issues.

Telling you something I'm sure you already know - you need to get back to a doctor and find/address the root problem. Trying to suppress pain and work through is just setting yourself up for failure and more trouble later.

quote:

Originally posted by mrapteam666:
A great trainer/PT to watch is Jeff Cavaliere on you tube. He has some great videos, techniques for individuals who are injured, older, etc..
.

Thanks I'm checking him out.

Mark,

I have similar issues with my shoulders.

I love to row but the strain on my shoulders is significant and limits my distances.

I also have a lower back issue due to Degenerative Disc Disease.

I have found that taking collagen not only helped my shoulders but also my lower back.

They still twinge a bit but the clicking, popping, and aches are reduced.

Sounds like your SC joints are inflamed and/or worn. (sternoclavicular) This results in sublaxation, which is creating the clicking and grinding you are hearing. This is more common with folks that have suffered blunt trauma injuries to the shoulder areas(s), but can also be brought on by osteoporosis and arthritis. (as well as years of overuse in some types of manual labor)

Schedule visits with an Orthpod and an Osteopath. The answer probably will be found somewhere between those two.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Graniteguy,

Hey Mark. Don't give up brother. Make an appointment with a good physical therapist or ortho to try and figure out if it is structural or an imbalance. Once you figure that out then you can hopefully target and address that weakness. It can take some time so be patient but persistent. Rome wasn't built in a day. There are plenty of exercises to choose from that will limit your exposure to injury. I second Jeff Cavaliere as an excellent resource.

Patriot

Thanks for posting the tip on collagen
I have been doing research on it but I have not met anyone who takes it.

I am going to add a little collagen to my regime.

I have similar issues with my shoulders and also my lower back. I have an imbalance from the whole hernia mesh debacle then hurting it on a homicide investigation.

Thanks friends.

I started collagen today and I'll check into going to orthopedics.

Have you tried egoscue/the more "jockish" types of yoga?

I had some similar problems when I first started up with the weights again.
I powered through with the workouts and went in for deep tissue massages about once a month for 6 months and now it's gone.

I agree with Patriot.

I use Dr. Axe collagen:

https://draxe.com/

Hey Mark. Yoga has also been very good for my shoulders. Very low impact and great for stretching. I am currently doing a golf specific program that has worked well. There are a lot of good ones on Youtube, but if you would like to check out the one I am doing I can let you borrow my login info and you can check it out for yourself. Shoot me an email if interested.

Mark, I know your pain!! 6 years ago I was told I needed them replaced, knew it would be the end of my plumbing business.

I had a massage therapist at the time that I saw regularly for my back, a family friend and I was in to see him for my back. While there I told him what I was up against.

He asked to check them out, what made them hurt (so I raised them and pointed to the spots that hurt, he worked on each spot and then my whole shoulder and like magic, my shoulders felt at least 15 years younger!!

He has kept me in business ever since!!

quote:

Originally posted by dave7378:
Hey Mark. Yoga has also been very good for my shoulders. Very low impact and great for stretching. I am currently doing a golf specific program that has worked well. There are a lot of good ones on Youtube, but if you would like to check out the one I am doing I can let you borrow my login info and you can check it out for yourself. Shoot me an email if interested.

I'm probably going to be down for a minute or two. The body aches started today. I think the omicron got on me.

quote:

Originally posted by wreckdiver:
Mark, I know your pain!! 6 years ago I was told I needed them replaced, knew it would be the end of my plumbing business.

I had a massage therapist at the time that I saw regularly for my back, a family friend and I was in to see him for my back. While there I told him what I was up against.

He asked to check them out, what made them hurt (so I raised them and pointed to the spots that hurt, he worked on each spot and then my whole shoulder and like magic, my shoulders felt at least 15 years younger!!

He has kept me in business ever since!!

Back in December, I had an end of work season chiropractor appointment. I could not raise my right arm above parallel with the ground. He shocked me and popped me and loosened it right up. Maybe I should go back.

It sounds like you might be developing recurring cases of Impingement Syndrome. I was diagnosed with an impingement some years ago and it took about 15 sessions of PT before I had 98% use of my arm/shoulder. Sounds like PT might be the avenue I would recommend...

I hope you don't have the Cron...and if you do, I hope its minor.

I used to see a Chiro...he used to pop my shoulder blades and it would help. The issue I had is I needed to keep seeing him. Just couldn't afford it...or the time from work to see him as often as I needed.

I kid my wife that I should send her to Chiro school...so we have one in the house....LOL. And we also joke that if we ever get stoopid rich, we'd hire one full time along with a chef.