Shoulder pain from Safety Squat Bar (SSB)?

[kcjason]

I've been exclusively using the SSB instead of LBBS for eight months now. I developed some pain around the shoulder AC joint area about 5 weeks ago that I'd never experienced before. The pain is perhaps slightly in front the AC joint area, as well as maybe an inch or two toward the outside shoulder from that area. It doesn't hurt all the time, but it's sore if I move my shoulder the wrong way (mostly if I push my shoulder forward or down, or reach behind my back). I didn't notice it develop after any specific set, but figured I must have not kept proper form during benching. So I initially cut back benching, and then cut it all together. It hasn't seemed to improved, but I had been squatting and benching on the same days.

Lately I've begun to think my shoulder pain is perhaps due to poor form with the SSB. I don't think I've ever really concentrated on keeping my shoulder blades back and pinched like in LBBS, and instead I've just sat the bar on my shoulders and focused on the leg movement. I think I let my shoulders just round forward along with probably my upper back, and I've noticed more shoulder twinging now when finishing the squat at the top. I tried holding my shoulders back today like a LBBS...it felt weird with more difficulty keeping from getting pushed forward at the bottom, so I know this was different than I was doing it before. It's too early to say if it helped, but I guess my next step is to either stay strict with the shoulders back or maybe just go back to LBBS for a while to see how the shoulder responds.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar with SSB to know if I'm maybe on the right track for resolving this.

[mgil]

Have you done any shoulder rehab or mobility work?

[kcjason]

Have you done any shoulder rehab or mobility work?

No. When I thought it was from benching, I kept benching a bit lighter weight making sure to keep form solid. I didn't really feel that was aggravating it, but stopped all together a couple weeks ago when it also didn't seem to be improving. Otherwise, I just try to flex and move the shoulder throughout the day some. If I flex it through the painful positions, it seems to hurt at first but then less as I do it. I figure it's best to keep it moving through the range of motion as long as it's not immediately making it worse.

[kcjason]

Have you done any shoulder rehab or mobility work?

No. When I thought it was from benching, I kept benching a bit lighter weight making sure to keep form solid. I didn't really feel that was aggravating it, but stopped all together a couple weeks ago when it also didn't seem to be improving. Otherwise, I just try to flex and move the shoulder throughout the day some. If I flex it through the painful positions, it seems to hurt at first but then less as I do it. I figure it's best to keep it moving through the range of motion as long as it's not immediately making it worse.

[mgil]

Maybe hit up a PT of note and get some helpful movements? Not saying it isn’t the ssb but I’d see if it is a movement issue first. It’s possible that the lack of stretching from not doing LBBS and the required external rotation has tightened up that joint some.