Upper extremity weightlifting injuries: Diagnosis and management

Abstract

Common upper extremity injuries in resistance training athletes include muscle strains, ligament sprains, pectoralis major tendon ruptures, distal biceps tendon ruptures, and chronic shoulder pain and capsulolabral injuries. While each injury is unique in its specific anatomic location and mechanism, each is preventable with proper exercise technique, safety and maintenance of muscle balance. Conservative treatment is the therapeutic modality of choice and these injuries generally resolve with workout modification, appropriate recovery, anti-inflammatory medication, and physical therapy. If conservative treatment fails, surgical intervention is often successful and can return the weightlifter to a level of performance near their pre-injury level.

Keywords: Injury; Injury mechanism; Injury prevention; Strength training; Weightlifting.

Fig. 1

The bench press entails a person lying supine on a bench and a weighted barbell is taken from a position of maximal extension at the elbows and lowered down to chest and then the bar is pushed back to full arm extension. The shoulders are abducted to a variable degree throughout this arc of motion.

Fig. 2

Reclining the torso 30 ° and avoiding behind the neck pull downs can help prevent shoulder injury.