Shoulder Pain: The Solution & Prevention 5th Ed

John Kirsch MD | 181 pages | 2019

I came across this book after damaging my shoulder practicing monkey bars in preparation for the Wolf Run obstacle race. It was recommended on the Bob & Brad YouTube feed where I had been looking for exercises to fix ongoing shoulder pain which was interfering with my lifting and other activities.

Shoulder Pain: The Solution & Prevention is a quirky little book that feels like it was put together by a passionate amateur who wrote and edited the copy, took all the photos and pulled the layout together.

That said, there is a long section of testimonials from people claiming that the protocol worked wonders for them and saved them from surgery.

The principle idea is that most shoulder pain is caused by subacromial impingement pressing upon the tendons of the rotator cuff, causing inflammation, pain, or even tears. Frozen shoulders can also be caused by impingements.

Kirsch argues that hanging from a bar in a full dead-hang will, over time, cause the bone to remodel creating more space and eliminating the impingement. He theorizes that humans have evolved to hang and that is is a required activity to maintain optimum shoulder health.

An additional benefit of hanging is that that it will stretch out the spine.

He augments hanging with some dumbbell movements, including arm extension (raising the arm backwards) which I have not seen practiced elsewhere but also makes a great deal of sense.

Other coaches and authors in the weight lifting space advocate for hanging to develop grip strength, back mobility and decompress the spine after performing squats. In general, I can see no down side to trying this protocol and would certainly try it before risking any invasive procedure.

As is always the case, I followed the protocol most carefully while I was in pain. It took a good six months for my shoulder to heal itself. I didn’t seek any medical intervention, and I cannot directly attribute the recovery to this protocol – rather I think it would serve as an excellent preventative measure, and I do still hang between sets of squats when the gym is quiet.

I recently had a physiotherapist look at my shoulder and he did see a blockage along the line of the shoulder blade four years after the injury. After he worked on it, my mobility was improved. I don’t know if this would have sorted itself out if I had followed the protocol with more dedication.

In conclusion, Shoulder Pain: The Solution & Prevention is a quick, easy read. It has a slightly amateur feel to it, but a lot of positive testimonials. What it proposes is simple and logical and makes a great deal of sense from a preventative perspective. I guess depending on the severity of an ongoing condition, it can help, but as the author himself states, “the hanging exercises will not relieve all shoulder ailments.”

Unrelated to the book, if you like the caveman images I am now generating with Midjourney, check out my Instagram feed @caveman_musings.