Shoulder surgery is one of the most painful and debilitating surgeries that we see people go through. Because of this and the comparable outcomes of physical therapy relative to shoulder surgery, we encourage powerlifters to exhaust all conservative options before having shoulder surgery.

1. Personal hygiene

2. Driving

3. Feeding yourself

4. Putting on and taking off shirts

5. Sleeping

6. Cooking 

7. Grocery shopping 

8. And much more

Contrary to popular belief, barbell training and powerlifting alone do not usually cause most of the “injuries” associated with the shoulder. Things like rotator cuff tears and tendinopathies, labral tears, “impingement,” etc. are all things that affect the general population. So it’s more likely that training volume, intensity, and barbell techniques are irritating a shoulder that already has some of this going on. And it’s more than possible to reduce symptoms and make a full recovery without surgery.

Dr. Rori Alter and Dr. John Petrizzo discuss common shoulder injuries that affect barbell training and strategies for managing and rehabbing them, including physical therapy, training modifications, medical interventions such as cortisone injections, and finally, surgery.

Need help with an injury or programming? Book a free consultation call with one of the PRS Clinical Coaches here!

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• Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com

• Email: podcast@progressiverehabandstrength.com

• Rori IG: @rorimegan_prs

• Alyssa IG: @alyssahope_prs