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shoulders/back

sussle

sussle

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Oct 11, 2009
8,432
7,825
113
i'm sure this topic has been done to death here, but here goes anyway: having some recurring pain in my upper back, just inside the shoulder blades... mostly on one side but lately on the other as well. doesn't hurt when paddling, actually hurts most laying down in bed...have a buddy who tells me that years of paddling creates an imbalance in the muscles in the upper back/shoulder area, where some muscles are more developed than others and the pain is a consequence of that imbalance. have not been to the doc coz it's easier to live with it, but was wondering if there is any credibility to this theory and if so, what i might do on my own to correct such an imbalance?

fyi, my first reaction to any joint/muscle/soft tissue aggravation is to stop lifting weights for a while and that does indeed usually help what's ailing me. in this case, have stopped lifting for about a month, and the pain has subsided but definitely still there. i do have the impression that surfing contributes to it....so any shoulder/back maintenance advice for the mature surfer (i'm 60 y/o) would be appreciated.

thanks!
 
Chocki

Chocki

Phil Edwards status
Feb 18, 2007
6,555
7,110
113
Planet Earth
sussle said:
i'm sure this topic has been done to death here, but here goes anyway: having some recurring pain in my upper back, just inside the shoulder blades... mostly on one side but lately on the other as well. doesn't hurt when paddling, actually hurts most laying down in bed...have a buddy who tells me that years of paddling creates an imbalance in the muscles in the upper back/shoulder area, where some muscles are more developed than others and the pain is a consequence of that imbalance. have not been to the doc coz it's easier to live with it, but was wondering if there is any credibility to this theory and if so, what i might do on my own to correct such an imbalance?

fyi, my first reaction to any joint/muscle/soft tissue aggravation is to stop lifting weights for a while and that does indeed usually help what's ailing me. in this case, have stopped lifting for about a month, and the pain has subsided but definitely still there. i do have the impression that surfing contributes to it....so any shoulder/back maintenance advice for the mature surfer (i'm 60 y/o) would be appreciated.

thanks!
Click to expand...
gmb.io

Exercises To Fix The Most Common Aches & Pains

Free Download: Neck, Shoulders, Elbows, Wrists, Spine, Hips, Knees, Feet
gmb.io gmb.io
 
M

Mr J

Michael Peterson status
Aug 18, 2003
2,261
1,468
113
Regional Vic, Australia
I get muscle knots in my back from surfing and general life. Not to the point of pain though. You could try a good remedial massage therapist - they will apply manual pressure to cause the knots and spasms to relax. The trouble with these self massage products such as rollers and spiky balls is that it is difficult to locate all the knots and get such devices in there. Plus if you are not used to that sort of deep tissue massage (sometimes called myotherapy, its all the same thing to me), you might not know how much pressure to apply.

Its also very difficult to relax the muscles requiring therapy while administrating self massage, so I believe in the value of therapist.
 
sussle

sussle

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Oct 11, 2009
8,432
7,825
113
will give this stuff a thorough review - thanks all!
 
Autoprax

Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
68,682
23,337
113
62
Vagina Point
The two Accuballs pressed into the shoulder blades on your back while doing windmills with your arms are a game changer.

Same with the boomstick stuck into the armpits and the traps.

I'm experimenting with body tempering too

 
sussle

sussle

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Oct 11, 2009
8,432
7,825
113
Autoprax said:
The two Accuballs pressed into the shoulder blades on your back while doing windmills with your arms are a game changer.

Same with the boomstick stuck into the armpits and the traps.

I'm experimenting with body tempering too

Click to expand...
Looks pretty hardcore.... And probably something that should be done with a professional. I just lift to maintain muscle tone.... These guys look like they are on another level altogether. Are you a powerlifter?
 
Autoprax

Autoprax

Duke status
Jan 24, 2011
68,682
23,337
113
62
Vagina Point
sussle said:
Looks pretty hardcore.... And probably something that should be done with a professional. I just lift to maintain muscle tone.... These guys look like they are on another level altogether. Are you a powerlifter?
Click to expand...
No.

Just do the accuball then.

Those guys are innovators in soft tissue work because they have to be.

Self release is easy, safe and practical.

I love getting body work done but I need to do this stuff all the time to keep moving.

Let you nervous system tell you how much pressure to apply.
 
sussle

sussle

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Oct 11, 2009
8,432
7,825
113
Autoprax said:
No.

Just do the accuball then.

Those guys are innovators in soft tissue work because they have to be.

Self release is easy, safe and practical.

I love getting body work done but I need to do this stuff all the time to keep moving.

Let you nervous system tell you how much pressure to apply.
Click to expand...
oh, "self-release" - is that what you kids are calling it nowadays? :p
 
sussle

sussle

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Oct 11, 2009
8,432
7,825
113
obslop said:
pull ups
Click to expand...
you really think pull-ups help heal shoulder problems? pull-ups is one of the things i quit doing this summer coz it felt like a contributing factor to shoulder aggravation. my standard m.o. for dealing with joint/muscle issues is to stop everything, see if it starts to get better, than slowly phase back in resistance/weights/bodywork et al. would be happy to resume pull-ups if i thought it would help.
 
O

obslop

Rabbitt Bartholomew status
Feb 4, 2002
8,044
1,512
113
san diego, CA
sussle said:
you really think pull-ups help heal shoulder problems? pull-ups is one of the things i quit doing this summer coz it felt like a contributing factor to shoulder aggravation. my standard m.o. for dealing with joint/muscle issues is to stop everything, see if it starts to get better, than slowly phase back in resistance/weights/bodywork et al. would be happy to resume pull-ups if i thought it would help.
Click to expand...
not heal but prevent. repair/remediate your injury and then keep those shoulders strong.
 
H

hotCheetos

OTF status
Mar 28, 2020
294
358
63
i take a lacrosse ball and stand against a wall and do the self release that way. really helps work out those muscle knots from paddling
 
VonMeister

VonMeister

Duke status
Apr 26, 2013
20,251
6,977
113
JOE BIDENS RAPE FINGER
There's no such thing as a muscle imbalance...... but there are repetitive use injuries and your pain is common with surfers especially as we age. The soft tissues tend to lengthen as we get older which can lead to site aggravation under stress. When you're active you're not going to feel the pain as much because generally activity causes this type of pain to subside. Managing it is the easy cure. When it's bad take it easy.

Paddling posture for surfers is holding the upper back in extension which does put stress on the upper back. You can reduce this by paddling with your face closer to your board.

Pull ups and deadlifts along with lots of other exercises strengthen the muscles of the upper back which adds some injury protection caused by weakness or age related degradation. Stretching or a lacrosse ball feels good but down nothing for injury or pain prevention.
 
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GromsDad

GromsDad

Duke status
Jan 21, 2014
54,797
16,676
113
West of the Atlantic. East of the ICW.
obslop said:
pull ups
Click to expand...
Too much of a good thing...........not a good thing. When I was dealing with shoulder problems I discovered that static hanging was the cure for my issue.

Hanging turned into pull ups as the shoulder healed and I got stronger. Worked my way up and was pushing myself to do more and more. Back around Thanksgiving at the end of a workout I was at 13 and should have stopped. Determined to get to 15 I pushed it. On #15 I felt something tear. Either a muscle or tendon tore that connects from the ulner nerve area to my middle and ring fingers. The pain centers about 4 inches from my elbow. Whatever I did has been a very long and painful healing process.
 
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