I’ve been doing rehab on my right shoulder for the past year. At some unknown point in the past, I stopped using the correct muscles to move my shoulder blade and started using much less efficient ones. This has resulted in tension and pain in the muscles on the right side of my neck, upper back, & chest. As I started doing more aerial and partner acrobatics, the instability in that shoulder became more and more pronounced.
I saw The Circus Doc to get started in the right direction on my rehab. She’s wonderful and I highly recommend her! Having to use very light weight to get those little, under active muscles working is HARD! But you can’t move forward without occasionally taking a step back. If the foundation isn’t solid, your progression will always be limited.
I hadn’t been able to do pull ups for quite a while, because there was a point in the middle when my shoulder blade wasn’t able to move through it’s normal range of motion. It would get stuck, so I would get stuck. I discovered a few weeks ago that I can do pull ups again! I think what finally got my shoulder blade moving normally enough again was a combination of things.
I’ve been practicing Hypopressives since February, and it seems that getting those deep core stabilizing muscles active and stronger has allowed other muscles to make a jump in their strength and function. Thomas also did some manual therapy/release work on the muscles connected to the shoulder blade, which has allowed it to move more freely. These things combined with my rehab exercises and continuing to challenge my body doing aerial & partner acro have allowed me to finally progress.
This is just one example of how it’s rarely as simple as “just do the thing and over time it will get better.” So many pieces have to come together and the foundation has to be solid. This is why it’s so beneficial to have an expert to guide you through the process. Even us professionals need outside guidance sometimes!
I’m in my 3rd week of doing pull ups and can already do sets of 5! 🙂 I can do them with a pronated grip, but that position is hardest on the shoulder joint, so I’m currently working on supinated grip. Neutral is easiest on the joint, but I don’t currently have a bar set up for that.
Want to learn more about Hypopressives or talk about getting your pull up? Email me.
💜 Kyla