shoulder impingement, bicep tendonitis, or something else

S

strongline

Regular Member
Hi experts, hopefully you can help me here. I have been having shoulder pain for a while now that can be produced as below:
1. let arm drop naturally
2. bend elbow palm facing stomach 90 degree cross body, finger pointing toward the opposite arm
3. now raise arm forward to should level (keeping forearm in front of body). This where I feel pain around should, a tiny bit below shoulder joint to be exact, I guess where bicep tendon is
4. it also hurts when doing internal rotation

5. Doing flexion or abduction with arm straight doesn't hurt (or too little to bother me)

Sorry I failed to find a picture from internet to show the position. I have been doing rehab exercise for both shoulder impingement (such as hanging) and internal rotation (sleeper stretch), neither seem to help much.

Any idea?
 
If you want an accurate diagnosis, go to a physiotherapist or chiropractor.

If you want exercises to improve your shoulder in general, Badminton insight on youtube posted a great one with 8 or so exercises. I can't do the final one as it's too painful lol. Most of the exercises require a resistance band thing. I got a nice set from Amazon with 5 different resistances and a door anchor and stuff. They work a treat when I can be bothered to use them.

My shoulder pain came on after I tried to do a hard smash when the shoulder was not in the correct position in the socket. Since childhood I've been able to slightly dislocate both shoulders, and this isn't ideal for badminton because the angle where you prepare for smash/clear/drop is almost the same as where I place it to dislocate. I have to actually push it in a certain way for it to happen though.

3 years ago a Physiotherapist noted that my right shoulder was noticeably lower than my left one when I stand relaxed. No idea what caused it but it could have been from years of badminton. I also struggle to do lots of pushups. Used to manage 20 when younger, but now I can barely manage 8-15 before pain or exhaustion in the arm / shoulder.

There's an exercise where you put your elbow as close to your hip as you can, and then move your hand from left to right (right handed), while holding a resistance band. I struggle with this one the most. Also struggle with wall angels.

With regards doing exercises, you could be doing them wrong. Or it could just take you longer to see a benefit from them. Don't be like me. Do them as often as professionals tell you to do them.

This is the badminton insight video I was talking about. See if any of those help you out :)
 
Sounds like a rotator cuff issue (subscapularis, if I had to guess—but it’s rarely just one).

Shoulder problems can take a long time to come around — especially if you use it all the time. So if it is not improving on its own within a couple weeks of appearing, it is definitely wise to get a professionals advice (eg. Physiotherapist)
 
Thank you both! My shoulder pain is more a chronical one than acute (though it started only 2 month ago. I think it is caused by too much overhead racket swing exercise, which, ironically, was my attempt to correct my movement/posture for clear shots.) I am taking rest currently, also doing some stretches that don't irritate my shoulder. If this doesn't help, I will go to physio, just that I didn't have good experience with physio in the past. :-(

BTW, my pain is at front of upper arm, 1' below joint, if that helps to identify anything.
 
You will need to see a professional for an exact diagnosis.

In general, be patient with shoulder injuries. They can take 6months. You “probably “ have some tendinitis given the information of you being a bit over enthusiastic changing your clear technique - overuse syndrome. It wouldn’t surprise me if you were trying to do full length clears a bit too early with the new technique.



Apart from stretching, you could probably do some shoulder resistance band exercises - the very lightest/ stretchiest one - in order to exercise the small muscles of the shoulder to stabilise the rotator cuff. Remember these exercises are for both shoulders and not preferentially one shoulder.

Doing these shoulder exercises will definitely help for when you restart playing.
 
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I think you need to do the shoulder exercise to get relief form shoulder impingement. here are some of exercise I am mentioning
Found on a website.
Stretches and exercises
It is vital to follow any exercise plan that a physical therapist has set up. Anyone who has not booked an appointment with a doctor to discuss treatment should do so.

Below are a few possible exercises that a physical therapist might recommend to help heal shoulder infringement.

It is important to keep in mind that rest is vital to help the body recover and to avoid pushing too hard or doing too many of these exercises. If any new symptoms appear or existing symptoms get worse, a person should stop the exercise immediately.

Doorway shoulder stretch
To do a doorway shoulder stretch, a person can:

  • Stand in a doorway.
  • Hold the side of the doorframe with the affected arm, slightly below shoulder height.
  • Turn the upper body away from the arm to feel a slight stretch in the shoulder.
  • Hold for 20 seconds.
Shoulder blade flexes
To flex the shoulder blades:

  • Stand with the back straight and the arms at the sides with the palms facing forward.
  • Gently squeeze the shoulder blades together toward the back, holding for 5 seconds.
  • Release and relax.
  • Repeat 5 times.
Crossover arm stretch
To do this simple stretch:

  • Stand straight and lift the affected arm straight out in front of the body, below shoulder height.
  • Using the opposite arm, gently pull the affected arm across the body.
  • Hold the arm here for 5–10 seconds, then relax back to the starting position.
  • Repeat 5 times.
 
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