Interesting. If it doesn't slide against a wall, may I suggest that you try leaning into it that way, and then doing the necessary? I find that there is much better control against a wall than on the floor. The movement can be more nuanced, and you can modify the pressure better. Let me know what you think.
If you have acute or chronic muscle or joint pain, then trigger point therapy may help
- Thread starter Frederick Foresight
- Start date
Well son of a gun, you're right, again. You dog you. Man than two minutes felt good. Had a motion making a T, more like a cross and then circular. Will hit a longer session later.
Any improvement? While my shoulder and lower back gotten a bit better, I'm still waiting for the miracle part. No magic yet, though. The trigger points are more dull than sharp, which is an improvement, and both areas feel somewhat better. Along with the rolling with pressure of the ball in one direction, as instructed in the book, I also place and hold pressure on the points for about 10 seconds or so; about as much pressure as I can tolerate. Hey, it "feels" like I'm doing something.
I'm also finally doing this physio exercise:
Initially, it was uncomfortable, even after a few weeks of trigger point work. But after a couple of days of doing this movement, it's now fairly pain free doing so. I know I should have probably been doing this rehab exercise a long time ago. It's just that I don't have much faith in physiotherapy. My loss, I guess.
Last edited:
For my shoulder pain and impingement this was and is magic. Took several weeks to see sustained relief but once it was there it has remained constant. Nearly zero pain when working out, just was doing overhead presses today in garage. No pain, no discomfort at all afterwards or the rest of the day. Two years ago I couldn't even get in position to do one rep of this movement. Really helped, ALOT.
Lower back a whole different story. It's still off and on, not so bad days, tolerable days, and fuck me this hurts days. I do like using the ball while standing against the wall as you suggested, and it feels pretty good after. Just can't seem to get anything to last more than a few hours. Just keeping at it. At this age there are two choices. Be old, fat and out of shape while being sore, or be old, fit and in shape, and be sore.
Lower back a whole different story. It's still off and on, not so bad days, tolerable days, and fuck me this hurts days. I do like using the ball while standing against the wall as you suggested, and it feels pretty good after. Just can't seem to get anything to last more than a few hours. Just keeping at it. At this age there are two choices. Be old, fat and out of shape while being sore, or be old, fit and in shape, and be sore.
Thanks for the video. I tried it and noticed that I had difficulty keeping my hand and elbow on my bad shoulder side touching the wall for as long as my good shoulder side. Not that I had pain. Just that my range was restricted a bit compared to the good side. I'm think I might face the wall and angle my body in such way that it pushes my bad side back, forcing a stretch. It's not exactly what Athlean-X guy suggests, but it may help the range of motion along.For my shoulder pain and impingement this was and is magic. Took several weeks to see sustained relief but once it was there it has remained constant. Nearly zero pain when working out, just was doing overhead presses today in garage. No pain, no discomfort at all afterwards or the rest of the day. Two years ago I couldn't even get in position to do one rep of this movement. Really helped, ALOT.
Lower back a whole different story. It's still off and on, not so bad days, tolerable days, and fuck me this hurts days. I do like using the ball while standing against the wall as you suggested, and it feels pretty good after. Just can't seem to get anything to last more than a few hours. Just keeping at it. At this age there are two choices. Be old, fat and out of shape while being sore, or be old, fit and in shape, and be sore.
I've given up on shoulder presses altogether. I did variations of it from time to time, and it never went well over time. So my vertical pushing motion will remain limited to chest dips on parallel bars where, surprisingly, I have complete range of motion. Well, maybe not surprisingly, since it doesn't involve overhead work.
Here's a video you may find to be of some value:For my shoulder pain and impingement this was and is magic. Took several weeks to see sustained relief but once it was there it has remained constant. Nearly zero pain when working out, just was doing overhead presses today in garage. No pain, no discomfort at all afterwards or the rest of the day. Two years ago I couldn't even get in position to do one rep of this movement. Really helped, ALOT.
Lower back a whole different story. It's still off and on, not so bad days, tolerable days, and fuck me this hurts days. I do like using the ball while standing against the wall as you suggested, and it feels pretty good after. Just can't seem to get anything to last more than a few hours. Just keeping at it. At this age there are two choices. Be old, fat and out of shape while being sore, or be old, fit and in shape, and be sore.
The only reason I watched it is because it was there when I went on YouTube. I thought it would be just more of the same because I've watched a number of shoulder problem videos. However, this guy suggested to work the lat area. I felt no pain or discomfort in my lats at all even while working out. But I tried it. The upper lat below my bad shoulder and along the "ridge" was incredibly sensitive whereas my lat on the other side had no such discomfort. It was an eye opener. Since starting the ball rolling thing, it is a bit desensitized, but there is still work to be done.
Eye opener #2: The thoracic spine. He suggests getting on a roller to address that area because it has bearing on the movement and position of the shoulder blade, which in turn affects the shoulder. Again, I've had no issue with my upper or mid back whatsoever. But I decided to give it a try. Since I don't have a roller (I may buy one this weekend), I used my trusty lacrosse ball right on the spine and the erectors. I unintentionally used a bit too much pressure, because the pain was almost breathtaking, more so in some spots than others. I was very surprised, since I didn't think I had any issues there whatsoever.
I've been working these 2 new areas since yesterday, and the pain/discomfort has dulled down a bit. I plan to continue.
If you decide to give the lats and the thoracic spine area a try, let me know how it goes.
Oh, and you have the same ball that the guy uses. Perhaps you're related.
I used a foam roller quite extensively some time ago. Did get some relief ove time. Should probably get on it again.Here's a video you may find to be of some value:
The only reason I watched it is because it was there when I went on YouTube. I thought it would be just more of the same because I've watched a number of shoulder problem videos. However, this guy suggested to work the lat area. I felt no pain or discomfort in my lats at all even while working out. But I tried it. The upper lat below my bad shoulder and along the "ridge" was incredibly sensitive whereas my lat on the other side had no such discomfort. It was an eye opener. Since starting the ball rolling thing, it is a bit desensitized, but there is still work to be done.
Eye opener #2: The thoracic spine. He suggests getting on a roller to address that area because it has bearing on the movement and position of the shoulder blade, which in turn affects the shoulder. Again, I've had no issue with my upper or mid back whatsoever. But I decided to give it a try. Since I don't have a roller (I may buy one this weekend), I used my trusty lacrosse ball right on the spine and the erectors. I unintentionally used a bit too much pressure, because the pain was almost breathtaking, more so in some spots than others. I was very surprised, since I didn't think I had any issues there whatsoever.
I've been working these 2 new areas since yesterday, and the pain/discomfort has dulled down a bit. I plan to continue.
If you decide to give the lats and the thoracic spine area a try, let me know how it goes.
Oh, and you have the same ball that the guy uses. Perhaps you're related.
Apparently, I shouldn't be doing exterior rotation exercises, which many therapists recommend, and which I just started a short while ago:
It can get confusing.
It can get confusing.
As recommended by the guy in the last 2 videos, I first started using the lacrosse ball on the ridge of my lats, and along my thoracic spine, using the spinal erectors to guide the ball as I pressed against the wall. I noted this in my second to last post. The sensation is no longer anywhere near as sharp as when I first started.
Also, I got a roller to replace the ball, and am using it mostly for the lat on the side of my bum shoulder, and a bit along the cervical spine, which seems to have settled. The lat is better, but there is still some more work to do.
I also do some of the wall stretches he recommends, as well as hanging from my pull-up bar, and my shoulder is doing noticeably better. I have no inappropriate sensitivity in my shoulder joint when doing any of my exercises. And although I have always had full range of motion, there is less twinging in the shoulder joint when I splay my elbow beyond 45 degrees, which I never do for any exercises anyway. Ah, the sweet road to (partial) recovery.
Oh, and I stopped doing the external rotation L-fly exercise, as he recommended in one of his videos.
Last edited: