Shoulder pain from side sleeping...any solutions?

combover

Member
I slept on my left side forever, until the point I couldn't lift my left arm above my shoulder and now the same thing in happening to the right now that's I've switched sides of the bed.

This is severely impacting workouts. Shoulder press is a fantasy for me.
Rotating my shoulders sounds like a microphone up to a bowl of rice crispies.

I've google "how to train to sleep on back" and things of that nature. There's techniques, there's pillows, etc.

Anybody experience anything similar? Any solution that worked for someone?
 
I slept on my left side forever, until the point I couldn't lift my left arm above my shoulder and now the same thing in happening to the right now that's I've switched sides of the bed.

This is severely impacting workouts. Shoulder press is a fantasy for me.
Rotating my shoulders sounds like a microphone up to a bowl of rice crispies.

I've google "how to train to sleep on back" and things of that nature. There's techniques, there's pillows, etc.

Anybody experience anything similar? Any solution that worked for someone?
Wish I could give you a secret, but sleeping on your back is the only thing.

Both of my shoulders are frozen. I am
able to sleep on my back for a couple hours maybe once a month. I just can’t sleep on my back. Stretching/mobility exercises are the only things that can help. Hopefully you are young and can get ahead of it before you let it go too far.
 
A get a dead arm from side sleeping and I get pain in lower back from front sleeping and I get pain in my neck from back sleeping coz I can never get the pillow angle right for my head support.

Back sleeping is probably the best position for your problem if you can manage to figure out what pillows you need for your head/neck support but I've always been under the impression that most people toss and turn during sleep naturally and never stay in 1 position all night.....
 
I've tried a few things to sleep on my back but it's so fucking hard. I'm ~40 so shit is starting to fall apart.
I've scoped some pillows on Amazon, might try some out.

I've been trying this half-cocked side sleeping this but I think it's making things worse. This shit sucks my dick.
 
I've tried a few things to sleep on my back but it's so fucking hard. I'm ~40 so shit is starting to fall apart.
I've scoped some pillows on Amazon, might try some out.

I've been trying this half-cocked side sleeping this but I think it's making things worse. This shit sucks my dick.


I've got sleep issues too bro so I know what you're talking about.

You need to do more back laying though if you've got shoulder problems.

You can resolve it with different pillows for head/neck support and comfort...
 
I'm not from the anxiety generation, but I feel like that's what's happening right now as I lay trying to fall asleep on my back right now
 
Used to have the same issue then upgraded to a fancy pants memory foam mattress. Less of an issue now among other fun things....

Also a 5min morning stretch routine. Getting old is fun.
 
Uh oh.... have you had any imaging done on your shoulders? I'm only asking because I've torn my rotator cuff and had similar symptoms. Hope it's not that but dang....maybe look up some physical therapy exercises and see if they help?
 
On a serious note, I do sleep on my side and get this, I do band pull aparts with a red band 3x a week and have upgraded to the black band

I also do dislocated everyday, and one courtesy of Matt winnings you tube channel, where you take a light dumbell 2.5-5lbs and lay on the floor with your arms above your head at 90° angles and rotate the arm to be below your head and back staying at 90° through the movement, if that makes sense I usually aim for 20-30 reps
 
Wow I didnt realize this was common.
40 plus and my right shoulder is getting fukd from sleeping.

I've got Dr appt it was so bad...

Guess I need to try some pillows.
 
Small pillow stuffed under the upper arm of the shoulder you aren’t sleeping on will put that shoulder in a better position. Also helps when seated on a couch.
 
Uh oh.... have you had any imaging done on your shoulders? I'm only asking because I've torn my rotator cuff and had similar symptoms. Hope it's not that but dang....maybe look up some physical therapy exercises and see if they help?
Actually, no mri, but I had a doc appt last summer, they x-ray'd and had me do some movements, she said I didn't have a tear and it was probably tenoditis.

On a serious note, I do sleep on my side and get this, I do band pull aparts with a red band 3x a week and have upgraded to the black band

I also do dislocated everyday, and one courtesy of Matt winnings you tube channel, where you take a light dumbell 2.5-5lbs and lay on the floor with your arms above your head at 90° angles and rotate the arm to be below your head and back staying at 90° through the movement, if that makes sense I usually aim for 20-30 reps
Good looking, I'll search for the youtube vid. I'm ready to try some different movements that what I've been doing.
I have bands that I use at home. When I try to use them in my office, it looks like I'm jackin off at my desk so I don't do that too much lol.

Every single gym session starts with using cables to turn my shoulder in and out and warm it up. Then I grab a 45 lb plate and bend slightly and do circles with the plate, then i switch directions of the cicle. It helps stretch it out a little and create some room.

I feel like shit is just all bunched up in my shoulders. I sleep on my side with my hand up by my face, then my body weight on that all night and it's all kinds of fucked.

BPC and TB500 have been very helpful.
 
Actually, no mri, but I had a doc appt last summer, they x-ray'd and had me do some movements, she said I didn't have a tear and it was probably tenoditis.


Good looking, I'll search for the youtube vid. I'm ready to try some different movements that what I've been doing.
I have bands that I use at home. When I try to use them in my office, it looks like I'm jackin off at my desk so I don't do that too much lol.

Every single gym session starts with using cables to turn my shoulder in and out and warm it up. Then I grab a 45 lb plate and bend slightly and do circles with the plate, then i switch directions of the cicle. It helps stretch it out a little and create some room.

I feel like shit is just all bunched up in my shoulders. I sleep on my side with my hand up by my face, then my body weight on that all night and it's all kinds of fucked.

BPC and TB500 have been very helpful.

Another good one is to grab a plate, bumpers work best as they're large even in the lighter weights, but can be done with a 25lb regular oly plate, is a front raise except you go all the way over head and really squeeze your upper back at the top like you're pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades, but as with all feont delt chest exercises you will want to balance it with an equal amount of rear delt upper back work, which is where the pull aparts will really shine or face pulls whatever feels better for you
 
My shoulder and collarbone and sternum are sore. I have what sounds like air releasing from my shoulder area. I like to hug the pillow and kind of put my head on my right shoulder. It caught up with me. I am thinking of wearing some kind of brace to limit my movement and how far I hunch my shoulders together when hugging that pillow.
 
Only thing that worked for me is dense comfortable pillows and lay like your are falling asleep in lawn chair lol or better for us to understand like your in an incline press position. Maybe a bit less than 30deg but if I sleep on my back I get apnea issues worse than my side that's how I found the slight incline helps alot. Hell maybe even get an adjustable bed

Also I have found the more I work chest the worse it is because the muscles are tight and pull my shoulder forward more. Balancing rear delt with chest day helped me alot but was not the fix
 
Only thing that worked for me is dense comfortable pillows and lay like your are falling asleep in lawn chair lol or better for us to understand like your in an incline press position. Maybe a bit less than 30deg but if I sleep on my back I get apnea issues worse than my side that's how I found the slight incline helps alot. Hell maybe even get an adjustable bed

Also I have found the more I work chest the worse it is because the muscles are tight and pull my shoulder forward more. Balancing rear delt with chest day helped me alot but was not the fix
I'm.gunna give this a try tonight, I do band pull parts or facepulls twice a week and while it does help to retract the scapula and pull my shoulders back it hasn't fixed all the issues either
 
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