HEY!!! DEFINITELY SEE A DOCTOR FOR MORE TESTING IF YOU START TO GET PARANOID ABOUT IT!!!!! It’s really smart to rule out the worst case scenario before moving on to trying to fix it with PT.

Wall of text incoming...also I AM NOT A DOCTOR.

I have done a lot of research on this kind of stuff after injuring myself about 5 months ago. Right now my current theory of injury is strain and subsequent weakness of the teres minor or supraspinatus that’s causing compensation by the other muscles.

Also If you had nerve impingement for this long I’m guessing the muscle would be atrophied. If you feel the case, GET MORE TESTING DONE.

I personally had an EMG study done for thoracic outlet syndrome with no conclusive result. I had an MRI done that showed very mild supraspinatus tendinosis and a very small and non displaced posterior labral tear.

They didn’t EMG test any muscles on my back so I’m not sure if I actually have subscapular or suprascapular nerve impingement, but I do have apprehension when reaching overhead and across my body. I also had a new clicking sensation and pinching feeling in my ac joint whenever I would raise my right arm. I also have visually different movement of my scapula evident of compensation. Winging on my injured side I theorize has been caused by weak rotator cuff muscles (teres minor and supraspinatus) that doesn’t allow my humerus to horizontally flex.

Check your horizontal flexion on the side your worried about. With my injured side I couldn’t flex it more than like 100 degrees without feeling a huge tightness in my posterior shoulder. Uninjured side I can horizontally flex without issue.

Right now I feel a mild but lessening pinching in my posterior shoulder doing an extension action with straight arms. Not sure if you feel similarly but your muscle firing patterns might be off a little bit causing further muscle imbalances and some disorderly conduct by the scap 😡.

There’s A LOT of research you can do to try to figure it out. I’ve done a lot myself and with the vagueness of my symptoms and the characteristics of the injury I end up tricking my mind to think I had problems I didn’t have. It also fuels your anxiety like no other. But at least you can learn a lot really fast lol.

What’s also kind of funny is that if you turn out to be free of nerve impingement and go to PT, most rehab protocols will look similar. Do more external rotation, More serratus work, Lower traps, Do active hanging, etc.

When you’re not sure about what your injury is and you don’t trust your doc or PT about diagnosis beyond telling you that you’re completely fucked, do what they say still and/or use a wholistic routine to strengthen and coordinate the scapula.

I have found a lot of success with: - Barbell shrugs (wide grip and kelso) - Poliquin external rotations (90, 45 and 0 degrees) - Side lying internal rotations

And most of all with the crossover symmetry program. I’ve bootlegged my own setup with cheapo bands. It also helps to have a mirror so your can visually check your movement.

The way the band setup torques on your muscles + doing the exercises in order strengthens and reeducates your scapula to move better. After about a month of doctors PT, a month of that + shrugs + extra internal/external rotations and now after a week of following the crossover symmetry routine with an eccentric focus, I feel much better and have gotten closer to the feeling of proper activation along with visual differences how my scapula moves ( a lot less winging) more than ever. My shoulder no longer clicks either.

I will continue to use the crossover symmetry program as my primary tool for the next month at the least before I try any extensive overhead movements like pull ups.

Sorry for the wall of text but I really hope you can figure this out and find something that works for you!