Sorry, this post is quite long but it's actually very short! It's mostly instructions on a couple of stretches which bring in the pain i have in my shoulder/arm. I've tried to be as detailed as possible. Please, I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP.
Back in June 2007, so approx. 9 months ago, I was playing tennis. Nothing serious, and after 20 minutes into the game i felt a pain in my shoulder after a regular forehand. I didn't do anything special, it was just a normal forehand. I kept playing for another 10-20 minutes, then stopped. I've carried the pain ever since. I did physio in Oct. for 2 months (around 15-20 sessions?). The physio said it was my rotator cuff, though the pain i felt was more in my arm as opposed to my shoulder. And the problem was that I couldn't, and still can't, pinpoint the pain. it's just somewhere in my arm/shoulder, i don't know where.
Needless to say, I still have the pain, and I wanted to know if anyone's experienced a similar problem. I'll give instructions for two pulls which hit the pain for me (it's my right arm/shoulder btw):
1) sit/stand straight. Bring your right hand behind your lower neck, with your forearm behind your head and lightly against it. Your elbow should be pointing up (and by up i mean almost directly above you) at this point. Now, put your left hand behind your right elbow and push it down, bringing your right hand down your spine as much as you can. You probably do this exercise as a warm-up all the time.
2) Make sure your back is straight, your chest out, and your abs tight. Put the back of your RIGHT hand against the middle of your lower back (e.g. your knuckles are against your lower back and just past your spine, maybe an inch past your spine). Move your hand up or down so that your forearm is PARALLEL to the ground and your hand and forearm are in a straight line. Now bring your hand up slightly from the wrist, without moving your shoulder/arm/forearm (i.e. make your hand point slightly up). At this point my pain kicks in, but there's more i can do to bring more pain. Put your left hand under your right pinkie, and push your hand up, moving it even more higher without moving the forearm/arm/shoulder.
3) I think this one brings the most pain. Extend your right arm straight out in front of you so that your hand, forearm, and arm are parallel to the ground and in a straight line in line with your shoulder (as if there's someone your height right in front of you at an arm's extension and you put your right hand on his/her shoulder). Again, your arm is straight out in front of you. Oh, I guess an easier illustration would be to say: point at whatever is in front of you, with your forearm and arm extended as much as possible.
Now, bent your arm at your elbow, bringing your hand in front of your LEFT shoulder. The forearm and arm should make a 90 degrees angle at your elbow, so while your right hand is in front of your left shoulder, it's not touching it and is an arm away from it. Again, everything's parallel to the ground.
Finally (phew!), bring your forearm down as much as you can while keeping your arm and shoulder still as much as possbile. So now, arm is parallel to the floor and in line with your shoulder, your right elbow is pointing to your right/in front of you, and your forearm and hand is pointing down, making a approx. 45 degrees angle with the floor. It's now hurting at this point, but to bring in the real pain, pPut your left hand against the back of your right hand, and push it down, stretching the arm and shoulder. Now it hurts!
In all these exercises, the pain is somewhere from my shoulder to halfway down my arm.
Can anyone tell what my problem might be? Thanks for your patience.
PS. i found the picture for the first one: http://www.weightlossforall.com/images/shoulder%20triceps%20stretching.JPG
and
Back in June 2007, so approx. 9 months ago, I was playing tennis. Nothing serious, and after 20 minutes into the game i felt a pain in my shoulder after a regular forehand. I didn't do anything special, it was just a normal forehand. I kept playing for another 10-20 minutes, then stopped. I've carried the pain ever since. I did physio in Oct. for 2 months (around 15-20 sessions?). The physio said it was my rotator cuff, though the pain i felt was more in my arm as opposed to my shoulder. And the problem was that I couldn't, and still can't, pinpoint the pain. it's just somewhere in my arm/shoulder, i don't know where.
Needless to say, I still have the pain, and I wanted to know if anyone's experienced a similar problem. I'll give instructions for two pulls which hit the pain for me (it's my right arm/shoulder btw):
1) sit/stand straight. Bring your right hand behind your lower neck, with your forearm behind your head and lightly against it. Your elbow should be pointing up (and by up i mean almost directly above you) at this point. Now, put your left hand behind your right elbow and push it down, bringing your right hand down your spine as much as you can. You probably do this exercise as a warm-up all the time.
2) Make sure your back is straight, your chest out, and your abs tight. Put the back of your RIGHT hand against the middle of your lower back (e.g. your knuckles are against your lower back and just past your spine, maybe an inch past your spine). Move your hand up or down so that your forearm is PARALLEL to the ground and your hand and forearm are in a straight line. Now bring your hand up slightly from the wrist, without moving your shoulder/arm/forearm (i.e. make your hand point slightly up). At this point my pain kicks in, but there's more i can do to bring more pain. Put your left hand under your right pinkie, and push your hand up, moving it even more higher without moving the forearm/arm/shoulder.
3) I think this one brings the most pain. Extend your right arm straight out in front of you so that your hand, forearm, and arm are parallel to the ground and in a straight line in line with your shoulder (as if there's someone your height right in front of you at an arm's extension and you put your right hand on his/her shoulder). Again, your arm is straight out in front of you. Oh, I guess an easier illustration would be to say: point at whatever is in front of you, with your forearm and arm extended as much as possible.
Now, bent your arm at your elbow, bringing your hand in front of your LEFT shoulder. The forearm and arm should make a 90 degrees angle at your elbow, so while your right hand is in front of your left shoulder, it's not touching it and is an arm away from it. Again, everything's parallel to the ground.
Finally (phew!), bring your forearm down as much as you can while keeping your arm and shoulder still as much as possbile. So now, arm is parallel to the floor and in line with your shoulder, your right elbow is pointing to your right/in front of you, and your forearm and hand is pointing down, making a approx. 45 degrees angle with the floor. It's now hurting at this point, but to bring in the real pain, pPut your left hand against the back of your right hand, and push it down, stretching the arm and shoulder. Now it hurts!
In all these exercises, the pain is somewhere from my shoulder to halfway down my arm.
Can anyone tell what my problem might be? Thanks for your patience.
PS. i found the picture for the first one: http://www.weightlossforall.com/images/shoulder%20triceps%20stretching.JPG
and
