Shoulder Pain - Bouldering

Hello,
Over the past Labor Day weekend, I spent four days bouldering aloing the Front Range and have developed sharp pains in my right shoulder. Typically, after hard, multi-day bouldering sessions, I get sprained/overworked muscles that last a few days then go away. However, this time, my shoulder has become painful and is getting worse as time goes on. Specifically, it hurts to lift my shoulder above chest level with no end in sight regarding the pain. The pains are becoming more worse and sharp, and, Advil barely works to decrease the pain.

My question. Has anyone else experienced these symptoms, and, if you have, what did you do to remedy the pain? I'm afraid it's turning into something serious.

Thank you

Sounds like it could be "shoulder impingement", whivh is basically an unstable shoulder joint, and as a result when you lift your arm the shoulder moves out of the socket and pinches a nerve above it.

There are lots of PT exercises available on the internet if you search.

I have this in my right shoulder from a separated clavicle. The typical PT exercises did not work so well since I don't have my own weights and hitting the gym just for that was logistically problematic, and the therabands were hard to get the intensity right on. I have talked to people who had good results with them apparently however.

What worked for me was holding a hammer straight out in front of me and spinning it back and forth till my arm felt like it wanted to fall off. Start with a really heavy framing hammer and work up from there. Pushups were also a critical component, and I do them regularly now. I have stopped spinning the hammer.

See a physical therapist.

Could also be tendonitis in the rotator cuff.

when you boulder hard for four days straight, you have to think of it like going to the gym and lifting your max for four days straight. you will be guaranteed an injury, so take it like a normal injury and take some time off and then slowly begin doing some light exercises to work the specific area. i have found that one of the best ways to prevent climbing injuries is working your antagonist muscle groups on your off days.

Thanks for the replies and advice. Indeed, pushing two days at Flagstaff Mtn, one day at the Tortue Chamber, and Monday morning at the Terrain Boulders brought havoc onto my joints. Plus, I'm not as young as I once was......

Indeed, I've snapped finger pulley's and shock-loaded shoulder joints before, so, this is par for the course. It's just different because the pain is super intense this time. I'll probably bite the bullet and visit the doctor.

Again, as always, thanks for the replies.

Cheers

Just recovered from long head of biceps tendonitis / impingement, which has the similar symptoms as you describe. I highly recommend doctor / PT route, shoulders are complex, fragile things, and multiple issues can contribute to this pain.

Spent 2 months off the rocks, just PT, ice, and shoulder rest, then started with easy toprope. Even with a little bit of pain, I noticed that climbing helped, rather than hurt, as long as I was disciplined and used it more like strength therapy than actual climbing.

Now that my shoulder is almost completely healed (6 mos) I find stretching is critical. I realize now that my shoulders and pecs had been super-tight for quite a while, and believe that I probably could have avoided the injury altogether had I been regularly stretching and keeping my climbing joints / muscles limber and balanced.