Why does my shoulder hurt when doing pull-ups?
Jun 25, 2021
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Chen Yonghua
Introduction
Shoulder pain during pull-ups is primarily attributed to excessive exercise intensity or improper force application during training, leading to localized soft tissue strain. Additionally, incorrect technique may contribute to this issue—specifically, excessive stretching of local muscles and fascia, which elongates the fascia. This typically does not cause acute injury but may result in localized microtrauma.
Why does shoulder pain occur during pull-ups? Shoulder pain during pull-ups is primarily attributed to excessive exercise intensity or improper force application during training, leading to strain of local soft tissues.
Additionally, incorrect movement patterns may also contribute. These errors cause overstretching of local muscles and fascia, resulting in fascial elongation. While such overstretching typically does not cause acute injury, significant external force—especially when combined with substantial body weight—can lead to localized tissue damage, including fascial tears and tendon injuries, all of which may result in shoulder pain following pull-ups.
In particular, rotator cuff injuries can easily be mistaken for adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). If such symptoms arise, it is advisable to consult a hospital for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the shoulder joint to accurately differentiate between adhesive capsulitis and rotator cuff injury.
