Ask Coach E
Episode 2

Welcome message from Coach E 

I’ve had chronic right shoulder pain for 8+ months, worsened by lifting my arm sideways above shoulder height, push-ups, or heavy doors. Sleeping on my stomach also hurts, and pain sometimes extends down my arm. What can I do to fix this, and should I continue training?

I'm going along great in the routines and then trigger my initial injury (painful and literally a pain in the neck - feels like my arm falls off). It's been a long diagnosing process but I have posterior shoulder instability (with sometimes subluxation). I have been dealing with this for almost 10 years and really want to break the cycle! The injury was a result of many micro traumas from aerial silks.

What exercises in your shoulder rehab and neck pain solutions should I avoid? Working on thoracic flexibility (with roller specifically) has seemed to undo some stability as well as any of the shoulder rotation robots. And rhomboids...

And of course what exercises do you specifically recommend? What I have made great gains are on on scapular mobilization and serratus anterior awakening.

My left scapula wings. I'm a swimmer so the winging scapula is not ideal. Can you tell me the best 3-5 exercises to strengthen the scapula and stop this happening?

Do you have any supplemental recommendations?

Once starting several of your programs about 3 weeks back I notice the ability to flex different areas I don't generally think about - shoulders etc - plus I get a lot of popping and clicking in various joints. Is this is normal?

Dear Coach E,
What an opportunity - thank you.
The non-specifics - please forgive. I have been stretching for decades and for example can hardly touch my toes and certainly no shoulder mobility to do an overhead squat. Although I can now do a simple squat with heels on the floor. Elbows and wrists and recently left hamstring and hip similarly challenged.

I do crossfit regularly and am committed to doing a ring muscle up. I am three weeks into a 16 week program of strength and skill focus for the Muscle Up. This is the Ultimate Muscle Up Program by Meghan Calloway.

Specific question:
My elbows (particularly left - I am left handed) are painful at full flexion and have golfers elbow type symptoms.

What can I do for persistent tailbone pain (coccydynia) when PT hasn’t helped, and I’m hesitant about injections?

In May 2024, I noticed that I was having discomfort after sitting for a period of time. The pain was in my lower back and legs. Symptoms and pain increased to an 8 level. A MRI was issued and revealed that I have facet hypertrophy in my lumbar spine. I started working with my physical therapist, along with my daily ROM Coach routines. In addition to the daily ROM Coach, I complete the "3 Minute Full Body Isometric Muscle Activation Routine" video daily, I also have been adding the Painkillers routine for the lower back. My pain has improved, but I still get pain after sitting. It's like I plateaued?

I’m working through your Hip Pain Solution course for my left hip. But I also have pain in my left knee (possibly patellar tendinitis or bursitis) and pain in my left shin and ankle (which might be referred pain from my hip).

How should I prioritize my different issues?

Should I continue to focus on the hip? When should I tackle my knee? And when for my shin/ankle? All at once, or one after the other?

Many thanks!

Julienne

I have been diagnosed with supraspinatus tendonitis and probably long head of the biceps tendonitis. This crept up on me over the past year. I am a club level tennis player, on court 4 to 5 times a week for apx 2hrs each visit.

I am following your Shoulder Pain Solution and am in the phase solutions 2 of the programme.

when practicing Curious cobra I still have a dull pain(6) in the biceps muscle throughout most of the ROM. Should I omit this from my routine?

I have also felt the same with the shoulder rotation robot, but only in certain ROMs. The floor robot is no problem now, should I return to that instead.

Just FYI :- Any forward raise activity is an issue especially if holding a weight, (say 1kg yoghurt pot.)