Bad Scapula/Shoulder - sPL/PE1 temporary subtitute

I have an issue with my shoulder which occurred six months ago because I crashed quite badly while skiing. The first month I couldn’t raise my arm above my head because it would hurt. It's got a lot better in terms of ROM but there is still some noticeable difference between my two arms when raising them above my head, no pain, just some discomfort in my scapula. Around 4 months after though I did start to feel pain in my shoulder. Now my shoulder is the real problem with the scapula still feeling some discomfort. 

Just over a week ago it really started to hurt quite a bit. But it's the first time that my shoulder had a problem with sPL/PE1. Should note that the pain has only been initiated outside of training. The pressure I can now feel on my shoulder and it hurts. My main concern is with sPL training as I can't perform the exercise at the moment without pain. What can I do as a temporary substitute until my shoulder becomes capable again?

Also with regards to F1 and H1 training in general, doing above the head shoulder placement either hurts or creates discomfort (either the PE or iM). So for a lot of exercises and mobility I have now decided to change arm placement (such as MN/PE1 having arms stretch out sideways), reduce or remove the weight being used or in terms of H1, regress, as I can't perform the PE2>iM properly. My arm of my good shoulder pulls my arm of the bad shoulder effectively making my arms wonky as they are pulled to a side with respect to my body (I can't do the iM symmetrically behind my body.)

Should I just continue like this, compensating and not forcing ROM? Overall, what would be the best course of action to take to fix my shoulder? And most importantly so as to not stop sPL training, what substitute exercise or mobility/rehab can I do for my scapula/shoulder?

Did you get treatment for it? If it was a bad enough that you could not raise your arm above your head for a month you would have caused some structural damage in the shoulder. What have you done for it in terms of rehab?

I mentioned it to my GP around 2 months in I think, but as I was regaining my ROM he said just to wait it out and see. Obviously now it is kinda bad and so I will get an appointment to check it out as soon as. On holiday and I move around quite a bit because of studies so will take a few months before I can get it checked.

For rehab I haven't been doing anything in particular, just the iMs in F1 and H1. As I said, initially it was just lack of ROM. The pain of this degree only appeared now. It happened when I was moving house and just moving stuff around, I knew it was hurting but I had to move out ASAP. Other occasions where the pain was triggered was while driving, arm with bad shoulder on top of the steering wheel. A shooting pain in my shoulder just came out of the blue as if a muscle was pulled apart, and then the soreness/pain would last a few days. This happened twice to me.

This is the first its lasted more than two weeks and has stopped my PE Foundation work. iMs were always a bit dodgy due to lack of ROM so I just went as far as I could without creating too much discomfort. Now of course I'm going to make sure no pain and no discomfort is felt.

As for structural damage. I think that's a certainty as my scapula sticks out just a noticeable tad more on one side than the other.

Thanks

I would pick exercises that you can do pain free. If that means going back to PE1 on everything then that is what you need to do. I have some of my shoulder patients who are weak and in pain to do scapula shrugs against a wall or an incline. You could do Incline rows on a high incline or RC/Pe1 with your buttocks on the ground. Push ups against the wall. Arch holds with your arms by the side.

Don't wait a couple of months as it could put you back 6-12 months. There is a reason why athletes seek treatment the day of the injury. They know it will take too long to rehab if they wait.

It's terrible what is considered normal. I went to physical therapy after breaking my collarbone and they got my to where I could raise my arm to shoulder level, and that was good enough. I said that my standard for normal was handstand pushups and they just laughed.

JimV said:

It's terrible what is considered normal. I went to physical therapy after breaking my collarbone and they got my to where I could raise my arm to shoulder level, and that was good enough. I said that my standard for normal was handstand pushups and they just laughed.

Yeah it's quite annoying when they don't understand that you feel debilitated. For "normal" circumstances its good enough and job done.

Just had my first session accommodating for shoulder problem. It went really well and I discovered some weaknesses within myself. These were the changes/observations:

sPL PE1 - performed this inclined with hands not as far apart. Less weight of course so really emphasized the shrugs on the top portion more than I ever had. Surprisingly felt almost as hard so found out I wasn't doing this PE to the best of my capability. This was good to know. Also included reverse motion of the PE (in a row position with rings), 5 reps per set, to try and mobilize my scapula more. 

sPL PE1<iM - had a problem now that the pressure of my hands supporting my position for the swivel hips would go to my shoulder a bit. Need to do something about this.

HBP PE2<iM - no weight was used and concentrated on slow fluid motion without pushing for more ROM. Pain free and felt good.

RC PE1 - had to make sure I got to the right height as going to low (and so not performing the PE correctly) would cause a bit of pain in my shoulder. PE was fine. Note that when I had my accident I couldn't do pull ups because of pain but rows were always fine.

RC PE1<iM - This one I went for the stretch more than I ever had before, actually trying to pull away from what I'm holding on to. There were cracking noises from my scapula the more I pulled away. This was a one off so if once it cracked it wouldn't crack again until I stretched further. So at max stretch all the cracking was done. Scapula didn't hurt at all but the exaggerated pulling was about to hurt my shoulder if I wasn't careful. 

From my session, right after and even today, my ROM from my bad shoulder seems to be normal or as close to normal, though I do feel of course that pain is lurking around the corner if I move through the ROM carelessly or too quickly. This I'm guessing was when I cracked my scapula when performing RC iM. My serratus anterior on the side of my bad shoulder is sore. My normal side is completely fine. So my ROM in push-up positions has also been affected. The shrugging emphasis on the lighter load version must have tapped into the ROM that my bad side had never gone through.

Scapula today feels dodgy though, not pain, but a strange discomfort, even at rest. 

From my session my questions would be:

1. I included the reverse sPL PE1 for the time being because I thought, my only doubt in the Foundation program is that there is a big emphasis on scapular protraction but not retraction. Like when people train the bench press so much without doing a good level of pulling movements, wouldn't this cause muscular imbalances? Or at least create bad posture as can be seen by elite gymnasts with their shoulders coming over like they've been bench pressing like there's no tomorrow?
2. The cracking sounds I heard from my scapula, is that ok? What should I do in respect to that? Also since this only happened now because I emphasized the stretch, is mastery of the stretching iMs achieved when no stretching can be felt anymore, no matter how much you try and stretch the lats? 
3. Am I going about this all the right way with the details I've given. The discomfort in my scapula could be from the cracking so should I wait more sessions to see how it goes or am I making things worse?
4. Exercises which I know I can't do full ROM because of pain/discomfort should be the ones I use for rehab? Like wall extensions etc

I googled rottator cuff exercises and found this link whereby I failed their tests with my bad shoulder: http://www.mensfitness.com/training/pro-tips/injury-free-best-rotator-cuff-exercises

My good shoulder can do it no problem. I might follow these guidelines to rehab my shoulder.  

Good to hear. Are you doing H1 as well? Don't worry F1 and H1 work the shoulder from all angles. The early RC hits the retractors a lot. Some

Yeah I am also doing H1 but I had to regress from PE2 to PE1 because of the iM. Was making good progress but as mentioned before, my arms behind my body would be shifted to a side as my good side pulls on my bad side. I passed PE1 first try but now the pain in my shoulder is enough for it to hinder the PE1<iM. Have to put my arms further apart and effectively try not to force anything as the pull on my shoulder starts to make it hurt. Slow and steady I know. So it looks like I'm going to be with this for quite a while  .