Internal shoulder rotation - question for Bill

[-Richie-]

Hi Bill

I received my Golf Fitness Coach DVD's and watched them last night, very well made and informative and gives me plenty to start working on.

My biggest issue from your tests is internal rotation of my right shoulder, which is down to a bench press 'blowout' four years ago. I had an MRI at the time and the surgeon diagnosed a small tear in the labrum (although they couldn't be 100% sure without scoping it) and after a good think about it, I decided against surgery as the pain subsided and it didn't seem to impact my everyday life. About two years ago I had a horrible problem with my upper back, when my rhomboid muscles went into continuous spasm, so I worked with a chiropractor a friend recommended and he sorted it out in about 5 visits and gave me some preventative measures to work on (stretches, posture corrections, not sitting hunched over on a airplane typing, those sorts of things). During that treatment he also looked at my shoulder and he reckoned that the lack of internal rotation was a ligament issue not cartilage and it could be 'stretched' to allow more internal rotation (he gave me an exercise to bounce if but I didn't keep it up for long, call me lazy, I was). The reality is because I never had it scoped, it's hard to say what the problem really is, be it cartilage, ligament, scar tissue, or whatever.

Your tests did highlight just how bad it is though. If I lie my back, I can rotate my left shoulder down to about 10º (angle between the floor and my forearm) and my right down to about 80º, that's not a typo, that's 80º.

Other than the recommended exercises in the DVD is there anything else you might recommend I do to try and improve this chronic problem?

Cheers

Richie

[Bill Hartman]

If you have a capsular tightness, traditional stretching methods may not be of significant benefit.

You'll need to assume a similar position to that described on my video, but strap the arm in place with the scapula stabilized so it does not move. Put a heating pad on the shoulder and let it stretch at a very low tension for 25 minutes, twice a day.

You need to get the capsule to "creep" to increase the range of motion.

You may find that this will make the shoulder very sore at first. You should also continue traditional forms of stretching.

I'd consider getting the shoulder looked at again just to rule out some other form of pathology or degenerative changes that could be aggrevated with the above.

Bill

[-Richie-]

Thanks, I should probably get another ortho look at it but my health insurance isn't as good as it once was, still good, just not as easy to work into the surgeon's office now I have a HMO.

In respect to the exercise you recommend, I found I could achieve a good stretch by sitting up with my upper arm perpendicular to my torso and level with my chest, supported on a chair with my back against a wall and allowing it to hang forward. Does that seem like it works or do you recommend lying flat on my back (I found it hard to ensure the shoulder didn't rock forward this way).

Cheers

Richie

[Bill Hartman]

It's okay if you don't mind standing that long.

Bill

[Ocfit1]

Hi Bill,
Very interested in Purchasing Upper Body Warmup. Tried to purchase online but I keep getting a text verification warning. I tried 3 times and I know I put the text in right. Can I call and order? My Email Address Howco27@yahoo.com

Thanks, Bryan

[Mike Robertson]

Bryan -

This link should help:

www.robertsontrainingsystems.c om/support.htm

If it doesn't, e-mail me directly at mike@robertsontrainingsystems. com and I'll tell you how you can pay direct via Paypal.

Thank you
Mike