Shoulder weakness / cracking and popping

Hi,

Ever since i got into going to the gym a few years back, my left shoulder (non dominant) has always given me a little bit of a hassle eg. fatiguing before my right shoulder; nothing too serious. Anyways, in march this year, while i was warming up on a DB bench press (probly 15kg DBs) it felt like my left shoulder locked up at the end of the press and cracked as the weight came down. I had shoulder pain from that for maybe half a week, however i stopped going to the gym for a month just to make sure everything had fully recovered.

However, fast forward to about a month ago, about 4 or 5 hours after getting home from the gym, my left shoulder started having a dull ache, and this pain was exacerbated by pressing down on where im pretty sure the AC joint is (3 inches or so along the top of the shoulder). However, ever since March (it could be before this, I may not have taken notice) my left shoulder has always clicked.

If i abduct my arm and then internally or externally rotate i feel a bit of a clunk, as though the humerous isn't fully stabilised in the joint. I also get a loud click if I do any lateral raises as well. Another thing I have noticed, is that if i abduct my arm out about 10/20 degrees or so, if can create a sulcus sign by flexing my delt, it kindve pushes the humeral head inferiorly and posteriorly.

I haven't lost any flexibility either, I can easily do a towel stretch without any pain, just a bit of cracking in the left shoulder during part of the motion.

It should also be worth noting that my left arm is not very symmetrical with my right side, especially in the posterior deltoids, and also the long head of the biceps.

Anyways, I was just hoping to get some input on what people might think it could be/similar stories. It seems to me like it might be a posterior delt / external rotator cuff issue. Im pretty unfamiliar with labral issues though, so if anyone could shed some insight on if it could be that would be great

Cheers,

Brendan

Hi Brendan - in situations like yours it is always very good to have your shoulder in "hand". An inspection of the shouder rythm - mm mass - and all the testing we can do. However - it does sound like you maybe have a shoulder instability - or be slightly hypermobile in this joint. Sub-luxations of the shoulder is not uncommon - and you did the right thing in resting - but unfortunately the sub-luxation keeps occurring - according to your description. I would have it looked at by a shoulder specialist for you to put together a strategy moving forward - strengthening etc. Good luck !!!

Cheers for the reply!

I've made an appointment for my local PT.

I do have one more question, I havent been able to find it anywhere and I can't really picture the biomechanics behind this. I bend my elbow to 90 degree, then abduct my arm to ninety degrees (kept in neutral rotation). If i then externally rotate my arm i get a clicking noise. This is the one move that i can always do that causes a consistant click in the joint.

Just wondering if anyone else has heard of this happening

Cheers,

Brendan

Hey everyone,

I posted here a while back about my shoulder clicking and what not. I was sent off to have a ultrasound and x ray done. X-rays came back normal. The ultrasound found that all my tendons were healthy, but my bursa was causing the clicking. The diagnosis that was most likely causing this was subtle glenohumeral instability. My one question is which rotator cuff muscle is responsible for this.

The only time it clicks is if I do horizontal abduction with my arm externally rotated. At the end of the movement, my shoulder makes a clunk, as though its anterior instability. My PT wasn't sure, because after applying a posterior force while i was doing the movement, the shoulder still clicked.

Just wondering if clicking during horizontal abduction is more likely to be an external or an internal rotator problem

Cheers,

Brendan