• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

Partial Thickness Tear of Supraspinatus Tendon

piecone

New member
I started to feel a 'twinge' in rear delt area when doing flat DB flyes, which then morphed to sharp pain when bench pressing (BB & DB), flat or incline. Got a scan done which revealed partial thickness tear to supraspinatus tendon, so not muscular as first thought. Pain manifests in rear delt area which is strange given where tendon attaches. I have full range of motion but feel pain when doing a 'reverse' flye action.
Both GP and Physio advise that surgery not necessary (although keyhole surgery can immediately fix), as time will see this heal (provided I don't over do-it, and I strengthen RC muscles).
Has anyone had any experience with a partial tear like this? Will time heal it & if so, how long (I am no spring chicken)?
At my gym, owner has provided me with some advice & exercises and physio gave me theraband exercises.
 
Yes, time will fix it if you're patient and consistent with your rehab exercises.
Conservative (non-surgical) treatment of RC tears is to be preferred in as many cases as possible.
Follow the physio's advice and treat the exercises as a religion - morning and night, and be afraid of the boogyman if you forget to do them.
Get on a pharmaceutical grade Chondroitin supplement and take heaps - the cheap ones don't work and small dosages don't work. Begin taking fish oil supplements also if you don't already.
There's no finite time on something like this and it does take longer as you age, but if you treat the instructions like your training you'll be back healthy and lifting sooner.
 
Thanks for that - it is assuring to know. I get a little down sometimes when this injury affects my training - it's hard to work around this when it is an integral part of a lot of upper torso work.

I am getting a consult from an orthopaedic surgeon just to be sure, as a physio from Orthosports reckons that ultrasound is poor diagnostic tool, with MRI being best bet.

I'll take your advice and be religious with the rehab exercises.
 
What did the rest of your program look like?
Mentioned a whole heap of pressing movements but not much pulling.

Otherwise listen to Ugly. External rotation with bands/tubing will be your best friend for a while
 
Legs were leg press & squats followed by 2 calf exercises. Back was usually deadlifts, rear pull-downs, cable rows & bent over rows (I'd drop one each workout).

Biceps were typically EZ bar curls followed by either cable curls or concentration curls. Triceps were 'skull crusher' extensions and cable push-downs or sometimes bench dips instead of one of the other 2.
 
Top