Shoulder Pain - Impingement - How to Avoid?

[T-Bone]

With 3 months training under my belt, I find I get recurring impingement in both shoulders. I was lifting several times per week, with a several days a week off BJJ and MT.

Got it twice in a 3 month period. Ortho doc gave me Shots on both occasions. Did his stretching exercises 3 to 5 times daily, and used those rubber straps to strengthen the shoulder muscles.

I doubt it was from lifting since I have been doing that forever.

Okay, I am not the most flexible guy. I don't really know if I was over taxing my shoulders by doing all 3 activities... or if the issue surfaced by me training BJJ.

After this second incident, I took 10 days off. Shoulders feel good now. So I am wondering what I can do to prevent impingement. I will continue with the rubber bands exercises and the daily stretching.

If I stretched more, like yoga, basically, if I was more flexible, would that help?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

-T

 

[EGDM]

My shoulders bother me if I do too much BJJ with insufficient prehab. Grapplers have a tendency to hunch forward with their shoulders rolled in (tight abs and pectorals), which is generally bad for everything. You can work to undo this by keeping your neck/back straight and chest out when you're walking around off the mats, and focus on complementary exercises like rows and pull-ups with the scapula pinched. Also spend time in basic downward dog and cobra poses.

 

[jack36767]

With 3 months training under my belt, I find I get recurring impingement in both shoulders. I was lifting several times per week, with a several days a week off BJJ and MT.

Got it twice in a 3 month period. Ortho doc gave me Shots on both occasions. Did his stretching exercises 3 to 5 times daily, and used those rubber straps to strengthen the shoulder muscles.

I doubt it was from lifting since I have been doing that forever.

Okay, I am not the most flexible guy. I don't really know if I was over taxing my shoulders by doing all 3 activities... or if the issue surfaced by me training BJJ.

After this second incident, I took 10 days off. Shoulders feel good now. So I am wondering what I can do to prevent impingement. I will continue with the rubber bands exercises and the daily stretching.

If I stretched more, like yoga, basically, if I was more flexible, would that help?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

-T

Huh, an older person who suddenly starting training 2 martial arts that are brutal on the body anyway but doubly so for beginners because they haven't developed the technical strength needed yet is sore.. who would have thought?

Who would have thought shoulders. One of the most used muscles in grappling will get sore with repetitive use and taking time off makes it feel better.

I would give advice based on experience and research but that doesn't make me qualified to tell you according to your logic

 

[T-Bone]

Huh, an older person who suddenly starting training 2 martial arts that are brutal on the body anyway...

Looks like I have to drop muay thai.

-T

 

[j123]

With 3 months training under my belt, I find I get recurring impingement in both shoulders. I was lifting several times per week, with a several days a week off BJJ and MT.

Got it twice in a 3 month period. Ortho doc gave me Shots on both occasions. Did his stretching exercises 3 to 5 times daily, and used those rubber straps to strengthen the shoulder muscles.

I doubt it was from lifting since I have been doing that forever.

Okay, I am not the most flexible guy. I don't really know if I was over taxing my shoulders by doing all 3 activities... or if the issue surfaced by me training BJJ.

After this second incident, I took 10 days off. Shoulders feel good now. So I am wondering what I can do to prevent impingement. I will continue with the rubber bands exercises and the daily stretching.

If I stretched more, like yoga, basically, if I was more flexible, would that help?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

-T

For Muay Thai, are you pad-holding correctly? Meeting the punches as opposed to taking the full load.

Also with the combinations given, do you throw alot hooks?

 

[jack36767]

Don't do yoga T.. it's thousand of years old and traditional... therefore bad according to your logic. You should use crystals. And if you don't think they work.. you're just scared of evolution

 

[jack36767]

Looks like I have to drop muay thai.

-T

Or. You could fix technique, strengthenyour shoulders and work on your flexibility and suck up being a little sore.. but that might be too traditional and non evolved for you

 

[Dogstarman]

You strength train just started 2 martial arts that are traditionally rough on shoulders and are an old ass man, and you are having shoulder problems? Who would have imagined.

Also, didn't you say you knew how to relax when you sparred even though you have a couple of weeks of training? Maybe you should learn how to spar and learn good technique, but maybe it's not as innovated for someone like you though.

 

[T-Bone]

For Muay Thai, are you pad-holding correctly? Meeting the punches as opposed to taking the full load.

Also with the combinations given, do you throw alot hooks?

Pad work, I did not initially meet the punches... that took some getting used to. But now, I pretty much meet the punches.

Yeah, we throw a lot of hooks in our combinations.

-T

 

[jack36767]

You strength train just started 2 martial arts that are traditionally rough on shoulders and are an old ass man, and you are having shoulder problems? Who would have imagined.

Also, didn't you say you knew how to relax when you sparred even though you have a couple of weeks of training? Maybe you should learn how to spar and learn good technique, but maybe it's not as innovated for someone like you though.

But but but... he knows a little bit about a little bit.. . And our greater experience doesn't make us more qualified according to him. He should automatically know right?

 

[T-Bone]

You strength train just started 2 martial arts that are traditionally rough on shoulders and are an old ass man, and you are having shoulder problems? Who would have imagined.

Also, didn't you say you knew how to relax when you sparred even though you have a couple of weeks of training? Maybe you should learn how to spar and learn good technique, but maybe it's not as innovated for someone like you though.

Generally, I do not spazz when I roll... maybe it's due to disciplined weight training over several decades. Don't know. I believe my injuries are primarily due to non rolling activities... but rolling adds to the injury too.

53 is not an "old ass," but I am not gonna get into a pissing contest over it.

-T

 

[jack36767]

Generally, I do not spazz when I roll... maybe it's due to disciplined weight training over several decades. Don't know. I believe my injuries are primarily due to non rolling activities... but rolling adds to the injury too.

53 is not an "old ass," but I am not gonna get into a pissing contest over it.

-T

You do understand that 53 is old ass when it comes to a combat art especially without the advantages of experience and grappling strength. It's not the same thing as general health..

 

[jack36767]

Today I ate Wendy's and watched Game of thrones

I also worked on foot sweeps after a slide bye or shuck bye. Finally getting the timing down. And over tie series

 

[T-Bone]

You do understand that 53 is old ass when it comes to a combat art especially without the advantages of experience and grappling strength. It's not the same thing as general health..

When he said it the way he said it, it sounded nasty.

That's one of the reasons I chose bjj... besides being very cool, it was something I would be able to do as I aged.

-T

 

[anaconda]

Honestly even if you were twenty years younger you'd have issues. Mt is the more likely culprit, but half guard and repeatedly going for underhooks could also do it if you're not used to it.

Get your diet in check, sleep enough, and reduce your training volume and build back up.

 

[Hairinmouth]

With 3 months training under my belt, I find I get recurring impingement in both shoulders. I was lifting several times per week, with a several days a week off BJJ and MT.

Got it twice in a 3 month period. Ortho doc gave me Shots on both occasions. Did his stretching exercises 3 to 5 times daily, and used those rubber straps to strengthen the shoulder muscles.

I doubt it was from lifting since I have been doing that forever.

Okay, I am not the most flexible guy. I don't really know if I was over taxing my shoulders by doing all 3 activities... or if the issue surfaced by me training BJJ.

After this second incident, I took 10 days off. Shoulders feel good now. So I am wondering what I can do to prevent impingement. I will continue with the rubber bands exercises and the daily stretching.

If I stretched more, like yoga, basically, if I was more flexible, would that help?

Any suggestions? Thanks.

-T

Go away.

 

[Zankou]

Just keep those arms in. They almost never have any reason to be extended in bjj. Keep them t-Rex, then no shoulder exposure.

 

[Was at Pride GP 2000]

When you lift weight are you doing butterflys? Dumbell presses?

Butterfly are the worst. Don't ever do those again.

The other thing is how heavy do you lift. Are you doing beach body movement or Olympic lifts?

At 53 you are a champ for walking in the door. Lot of turds will tell you that you are old but when they are 53 they will talk about when they used.to train how bad ass they were.

Just take it easy. Try not lifting weights for a month and see how you feel.

Also check out Steve Maxwell jiu jitsu for life.

 

[wordspeaker]

Huh, an older person who suddenly starting training 2 martial arts that are brutal on the body anyway but doubly so for beginners because they haven't developed the technical strength needed yet is sore.. who would have thought?

Who would have thought shoulders. One of the most used muscles in grappling will get sore with repetitive use and taking time off makes it feel better.

I would give advice based on experience and research but that doesn't make me qualified to tell you according to your logic

Stop being a douche, man. I get that this guy made an egg of himself in some other thread another time. But this is a reasonable question.

If you dont want to help him because you dont like him, dont say anything. But dont shit this place up with your negativity.



OP - I have had the same problem.

The problem for me was posture, which was hard to fix due to immobility in my upper back.

Basically, a mixture of stretching my back, foam rolling on my back and some strengthening of the scapula is gradually reducing impingement.

For what its worth, weights I was doing was contributing to the problem (self directed stuff with poor form in my case)

Avoiding movements that make the impingement sore was required.

I trained through it all, but at massively reduced effectiveness, tapping to all sorts or arm triangle situations before the chokes came on.

It did not go away till I enhanced the mobility in my upper back and concentrated on my day to day posture. It was a real battle for months and I still have to do a lot of maintenance work in my upper back to stop it flaring up again. I am hoping that as I strengthen the scapula and other supporting muscles in the areas I was immobile will reduces these maintenance requirements eventually.

I wish you luck, and recommend you find a good physio, and do what he says.

 

[DrJitsu]

I recommend yoga. Changed my life. Helps with flexibility, recovery, and injury prevention. I only do 20-30 min a day so it's not a huge time commitment.