Hello !
Unfortunately, about 2 months ago (approximately), I somehow injured my right shoulder during a chest day. I did my usual warm-up, and the first exercise was a variation of the bench press on a machine where I had a full ROM. I didn’t feel anything during that exercise. When I moved on to the second exercise, the incline machine press, the pain started during the first working set. I don’t remember exactly what the sensation felt like, but it wasn’t as if my shoulder was “locking up” or anything like that—it just hurt, so I reduced the weight.
That day, honestly, my right shoulder felt like it was burning. That evening, I woke up and my shoulder felt like it was on fire, so I put a bag of frozen beans on it to help calm it down. I also tried using cold compresses that day.
I tried to do some research on what I could do and what exercises might help, but, well, I'm not a medical professional so I tried to do my best researching online, so I chose some physiotherapy/rehab exercises I found online. I took about 1–2 weeks off from upper-body exercises and then gradually started training again.
I know you might be wondering why I haven’t gone to a physiotherapist or another specialist during all this time. Honestly, I simply can’t really afford it. I did go for a massage because it was cheaper. Where I live, in order to get a medical check-up, you have to go through your family doctor. Since I’m originally from another county, I would have had to travel back there, and at the time I had university, so it was pretty difficult. Then, after that, you have to go to the hospital, where, if you want the examination to be free, you have to wait around 3 months. Then you need an X-ray, then another consultation, and it’s a loooooong process of going from one place to another and so on :(( I’ve been through something similar before with my lower back.
Before I started going to the gym, right after my birthday, I was hit by a car while crossing the street, and my left shoulder was dislocated. I did physiotherapy afterward, although it was my first time dealing with something like this and the doctor didn’t really explain that I needed to keep doing those exercises afterward and so on. About two months later, I started going to the gym with some friends from my dorm. I didn’t really train shoulders, and when I did, it was quite rarely because I was afraid of dislocating my left shoulder again.
Now, most likely, in order to protect my left shoulder, my right shoulder—the one I’ve kind of messed up now—ended up taking most of the load and eventually gave out.
Honestly, I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong, and it’s becoming overwhelming. I still can’t financially afford to see a physiotherapist, so I’m trying to figure things out myself. Maybe I need to add something, remove an exercise, replace something with a different exercise—I really don’t know.
At the gym, when I train chest or other muscle groups, I try to do everything slowly. If I feel pain, I stop and reduce the weight, or I try to brace/tighten all of my muscles :((
Right now, the pain is around the front/top of the AC joint (I hope I’m not getting the anatomy wrong, but basically that little bump where the shoulder starts). Unfortunately, I can’t attach a picture here, but if I can post one in the comments, I will.
I feel pain during incline pressing and when I bring my elbow very far behind me (I have a relatively large ROM), although that one isn’t as painful. I also feel pain when I bring my arm toward my upper chest—this is probably around 7/10 pain.
If I lie on my side or on my left shoulder in bed and put my arm next to my ear, then try to raise my entire arm overhead, it becomes quite difficult to lift it, and the pain is around 8/10.
If you have any recommendations on what I could or should do, I’d really appreciate it. I do warm up and don’t immediately jump into my working sets.
Someone recommended that I try isometric exercises. I haven’t done many of them—what do you think about them, and are there any exercises you would recommend?
If you have any questions, I’ll answer them. I’ll do anything—I just want to get my right shoulder back to normal.
I also asked Claude AI to give me some tests to try to figure out what might be wrong. From the tests it gave me, I think I only passed about two of them, but that was around a month and a half ago. Honestly, I could probably do them again.
My current warm-up:
- 2×10 Cat-Cow Pose
- 2×10 The World’s Greatest Stretch (I do a slight variation, but it’s similar)
- 2×10 Shoulder External Rotation (cable)
- 2×10 Single-Arm Face Pull (cable)
- 1–2×10 Scapular Retractions
What I’ve added to my warm-up:
- Scapular Push-Ups — 1×10
- “Loaded external rotation and internal rotation of the glenohumeral joint” — 2×10 (with a resistance band or cable)
- Loaded serratus anterior work via shoulder protraction — 2×10 (with a resistance band or cable)
- Banded posterior movement
- Pendulum — 2×10–12. I use a 10 kg dumbbell with a strap, and honestly, my shoulder feels better afterward. If I “simulate” an overhead press, it seems to hurt less.
What I want to integrate:
- Banded Wall Slides — when I first injured my shoulder, I incorporated these the following week, but they hurt and were extremely difficult (although I was using a black/heavy band). Recently, I tried them again because I found several different resistance bands at my gym, and they seem much better now. They’re still difficult, but nowhere near as difficult as when I first tried them, and I can do more than 10 reps.
- Banded External Rotations — 5-second hold
PS: During lateral raises, I don’t really feel much pain in my shoulder. During pressing movements, I do feel some discomfort. Sometimes the pain also travels toward my neck/trapezius.
EDIT: I posted the video in case you notice anything about my right shoulder; I was trying to figure out if I have any instability in my shoulder blade, but I don't know.