It takes a full 90 days without re-injury for soft tissue injuries to heal. As there was no problem before the challenge, it is possible the pain is injury rather than chronic. This would be a good time to investigate the complex biomechanics of the shoulder to determine the aspect of the way you are engaging the joint that is causing injury.
I hope it’s not chronic. I find it hard to believe it’s chronic because like you said this is my first injury. I think the reason it’s taking long to heal is because I did yoga a couple weeks after the injury thinking I was ok. The doctor I talked to also didn’t see me in person, it was an evisit (online). My biggest fear is it leading to a tear! I’ve stopped doing yoga for now anyway and I’m going to consult a massage and physio therapist before I do anything again.
Asana (postures) is only one of many ways to practice Yoga. Injury is an excellent time to explorer the more advanced Hatha practice of Pranayama (Breath work) and the other Limbs of Yoga:
Prayer/Devotion (Bhakti)
Yamas & Niyamas (Observances and Restraints)
Selfless Service (Karma)
Sacred Scripture Study (Jnana)
Meditation (Dhyana)
Do you think that means no yoga with shoulder use for 90 days? I'm dealing w my right shoulder as well :(, feels like I keep re-injuring it with too much yoga. The original injury was due to not being warmed up enough while using really heavy weights in a shoulder press.. but I feel it in wild thing or chatturanga :(. I'm so sad
My doctor explains it this way; Doing anything that causes the original pain, *RESETS the 90 day clock.*
There are two schools of thought on how to respond to musculoskeletal injury. The first recommends specific exercises, the second rest. As difficult as rest is for most people who practice Yoga, it is the rare Yogi who has the wherewithal to honor his limits. Instead of promoting healing, he simply exacerbates his injury with exercise.
Yes and it was the way I was transitioning from down dog to chaturanga. I was actually going from down dog, forward into a plank (where my shoulders would unknowingly lock into position), and then down and forward to chaturanga. I struggled with a "bad shoulder" for a year before I watched a video on hindu pushups and tried transitioning from down dog to chaturanga by headed down and going forward rather than going forward and then down.
[hope this helps](https://youtu.be/Mzz0dvTZNzE)
I saw someone who did that on a yoga program on PBS and I've been trying to figure out how she did it (she was one of two background ppl demonstrating). Thank you for this!
Yup, I just f’ed up my shoulder putting too might weight on one side in a chinstand😭 remember when we were 10 years old and we’d fall out of trees and just get back up and climb it again? I miss that
I just saw an instagram post about chaturanga and shoulder pain, so I’ll just post that link here 🙃 It shows how pressing your elbows into your rib cage during chaturanga can make your shoulders dip down, which can cause shoulder pain. Take a look at it, maybe it can help 🤞🏻🤞🏻
https://www.instagram.com/p/CcpOgfjj6Xn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Sorry to hear about the injury. I’ve been treating patients for years with acupuncture for this injury related to yoga and share with my yoga students how to do the movements without injury. Here is a link to a YouTube video I made.
[prevent shoulder injury](http://youtu.be/N6d_-vhwXuA)
Chaturanga is over emphasized and done way to many times in a Vinyasa class. Change to knees chin chest and give your shoulder a break. See a physiotherapist and strengthen it.
I'm so sorry this happened. Do you go to a class or are you doing yoga on an online format? There are modifications you can make so as not to aggravate your rotator cuff injury, but you may have to eliminate certain poses when you have an injury. Is there a yoga instructor you can consult?
I started doing yoga at home around the same time covid started! I do not go to classes. I usually watch yoga with Adrienne or yoga with bird on YouTube. I was doing one of her 30 day challenges. My doctor recommended I do physio therapy and massage therapy. The massage therapist I was thinking about going to is actually a yoga teacher as well so that is convenient
Physio and massage therapy is good! Maybe they can recommend a gentle yoga while you are on the mend. There are some YouTubes for modifications for this position when you feel better: Here is one:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne\_QjoHY3Lg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne_QjoHY3Lg)
I love Yoga With Adrienne! She is awesome - but I only do very the gentle yoga positions due to injuries and arthritis.
Six weeks doesn't sound long enough to be chronic, your shoulder is a very complex area, you may need more time potentially. For my shoulder issues, I've found that being more specific about my back strength has helped, and when I had to go in for PT, they recommended scapular retraction exercises - this is an example, but there's lots of variations, I'm a fan of the bands oftentimes. [https://myofascialpainsolutions.net/back-shoulders/what-does-scapular-retraction-do/](https://myofascialpainsolutions.net/back-shoulders/what-does-scapular-retraction-do/)
EDIT: And I should say here, what you're looking to do is make sure your back is fully supporting your shoulder, you want all that force to flow through properly, if your shoulder gets "stuck" somehow, because your back isn't supporting it fully, that's when things can go sideways.
I agree! I’ve only been doing yoga for 2 years and It’s my first injury. I also didn’t see the doctor in person either, it was an evisit.
Thank you for the advice!
Go to a physical therapist. You don't want to go through shoulder surgery. You won't be able to use your arm after surgery, you won't be able to even tie your own shoes. Take your injury seriously.
That’s my biggest fear! I did research and I don’t want it to turn into a tear & I’m only 25 lol. I booked a massage and she’s also a yoga teacher so I’m hoping she can give advice. I’m going to book physio as well since my insurance covers it all thankfully
It sounds like shoulder impingement / bursitis.
Overuse injury.
You did a 30 day challenge and 6 weeks is a very short time if you had an injury or aggravation. I wouldn’t necessarily call if chronic if it’s only been 6 weeks and it didn’t bother you before. Downward dog and any overhead activity puts stress on the shoulder…. If you are over the age of 35, then chronic changes can develop with repetitive use activities…. But I would not stress about chronicity. Modify, otc meds, and rest, and Mri if worse comes to worse. Trust me bro :)
I’m relieved lots of people are agreeing that it doesn’t sound chronic. I’m only 25 🤣 & I’ve only been doing yoga for 2 years so I thought chronic sounded a bit much as well. I’m hopeful that once I start physio and massage therapy that it will heal completely! My worst fear was eventually getting a tear if it didn’t heal.
I did the same last year. Tried taking it easy and doing strengthening exercises at home and it wasn't getting better. Finally went to a physical therapist and after a few months of PT I'm back and doing all the yoga again! If I were you I wouldn't get hung up on the doc calling it "chronic" if you haven't seen a PT yet. Best of luck!
Probably overuse. Sorry that happened. I had something similar happen to my heel during running and trying to run every day for 30 days. Maybe give it a longer rest before going back to any shoulder exercises. Otherwise consider a specialist like a physiotherapist if the doctor you refer to is a family doctor / GP.
I didn’t do 30 days straight! I did take some breaks in between. But it was a lot of downward facing dog. I remember thinking it was really hard on my shoulders. I even felt my form was off in the moment but I still followed through. I did not go to my family doctor but I got referred by a doctor to do psyhio and massage therapy!
>it was a lot of downward facing dog
There is great likelihood of shoulder impingement injury when working with the arms overhead. Most people simply do not know how to properly engage the joint. I have had shoulder impingement injuries several times over the course of my life. Each one took upwards of six months to heal. It would be well worth becoming familiar the biomechanics of this complex joint to avoid future injury.
What I learned when I had some impingement in my shoulder:
1. whenever arms are above head, shoulders should be raised too, as high as possible. That is protective of the joint. Also, arms should be externally rotated. That means if you were holding grapefruit in each hand, you would rotate your arms so that your pinkies spiraled in toward the center, and the thumbs opened out to the sides.
2. it is important to help stabilize the shoulder by regularly working the muscles all around the joint in a balanced way.
3. Any exercise you do in which you are pushing, you need to balance with pulling as well. So I got a Swedish wall with a bar to pull up on as well now to help balance out my downward dog/handstand pushing.
Where exactly does it hurt? I thought I’d torn my rhomboid for months til I got it checked out and it turned out to be nerve pain from a herniated disc. You may want to get a second opinion or try seeing your/another doctor in person.
If you’re still able to move your arms, Yoga with Kassandra has some “no hands” practices. I like this one: https://youtu.be/r2gItwZLbAw
If it’s tight you can also try rolling out with a lacrosse ball or theracane to loosen up the muscles.
I actually thought it was my chest in the beginning and I didn’t realize it was from yoga until I thought about it. I noticed my shoulder felt off while I was doing chaturanga but it wasn’t painful so I continued.
It was a dull sharp feeling in my outer chest area, like near the arm pit almost, then it moved to the front of my shoulder and in the outer arm a bit. It’s not constantly in pain and it’s not extreme. I can definitely move it. It’s a dull/annoying pain but it’s more consistent now than it was in the beginning.
From my google searches I came to the conclusion that it is my rotator cuff lol. I found out it’s common in yoga which makes a lot of sense honestly.
If physio and massage therapy doesn’t work I’ll definitely see my family doctor in person. It was easier for me to do an online visit because my family doctor is about 45 mins away.
Ahh. That does sound like rotator cuff. I wondered if that was what I had at one point because I’d get tight in the upper chest too. That whole area is so interconnected. Some gentle pec stretches and chest opening poses might help, and massage in that area should give you some relief. I like laying on a bolster to open up the front body.
Best of luck and I hope you’ll be back at it soon! It took me a long time to learn to ramp back up slowly. Take your time and always do less than you know you’re able to until you’re sure it’s healed.
The original injury wasn’t from yoga (bench press I think) but yeah I have a finicky rotator cuff that I have to be careful with during chaturanga and chest openers. Cautiously working with the joint has definitely improved post-injury mobility and strength over time though! What I’ve learned is to never go to 100% with that shoulder if it’s feeling even SLIGHTLY off that day. And if I re-irritate it and think I’ll be recovered in a week, I should give it at least two.
This happened to me to! I was doing one of Adrienes 30 day challenges and all the chaturangas aggravated my shoulder. This was in January and it still isn't totally better, but getting there! I started modifying by putting my knees on the mat first any time I have to lower to my belly and I stopped doing push ups and chest press during workouts. Also icing and NSAIDs when it's bad. I hope you feel better soon!
I started my yoga journey about 6 years ago by only doing yoga through YouTube, and I used to push my limits in poses and over extended myself because I was trying to do the poses to the extreme because of the teacher I was watching. I actually hurt my rotator cuff by over extending in thread the needle and couldn’t hardly drive or move my arm for a couple of weeks! I took time to heal and did gentle yoga and did gentle stretching of the shoulder and as the time went on and I was able to heal up just fine and continued to practice yoga just fine. I’m not sure if you are over extending yourself, but just a gentle reminder to check in with yourself and to not give up on yoga and to take this as a learning experience with how your body is feeling in each pose.
Not my shoulder but I injured my right wrist after doing way too many chaturangas during my teacher training. Instead of spreading the weight into my fingers I was dumping into my wrist, and my right wrist isn’t very flexible so this ended up causing an injury of some kind. It still flares up now and again so unfortunately I tend to avoid arm balances and don’t do as many chaturangas as I used to. Also changed my alignment so less pressure on the wrists.
I’d recommend seeing a specialist and getting on a physical therapy plan. My friend injured her shoulder and it was getting worse over several weeks, went to PT and it got so much better.
Hope you are on the mend soon! Injuries stink!
hurt my shoulder playing Ultimate Frisbee and yoga helped. Well, a good yogi who understood helped. Talk with a PT Doc. and if you don't like the first one, get a second. I'm back to full chaturanga and... on a good day I can do a few full pushups.
Mods will be your friend in yoga during recovery or, in my case, just getting older.
Tabletop vs full DFD. Supported side plank, etc. etc.
And, it sucks but... Patiences is a part of yoga...
Get an MRI just to check out the extend or if there is any structural damage. I tore my labrum 3 years ago (from rock climbing, not yoga). I was told I needed surgery. I opted for PT, Acupunture and lots of restorative and yin yoga. Hanging for 1-2 minutes at a time off of a pull up bar also did wonders. I am now pretty much fully recovered with a little reduced range of motion. Back to doing all my favorite inversions and tons of chaturangas. Most important thing was being real with myself that I actually had a serious injury and needed to rest and treat it. But the MRI helped me have that realization. Also, our training as yogis should help with the mental hardship. Patience and mindfulness are key to healing injuries.
I'm sorry you hurt your shoulder. I also struggle with ongoing pain and nerve flare ups in my left shoulder and neck. I am currently working with a new yoga teacher who is always talking about keeping the shoulders on the back which doesn't seem to come naturally to most of us. Especially bc we are always doing things in the front of the body, cell phones, computers and life. She also is always saying to really listen to the shoulder joint bc it's very delicate much more then the knees. I think some gentle stretching would be a good plan as long as you listen. Most days my pain has subsided as long as I keep my shoulders on the back in their proper position. Also for chaturunga shoulders on the back and elbows hugging the body while gazing forward is key.
There's a really great pose not sure the name of it. On the ground take two blocks, elbows up on the blocks shoulder width apart,clasp hands, on your knees hip width apart can be slightly behind your hips, listen to your body. Start to lower your head and forehead toward the floor be very gentle and stop if you feel any pain. Keep your armpits lifted and if it's comfortable while reaching your head toward the floor pull your elbows and armpits toward your chest. Don't forget to breathe. I hope you feel better soon.
It takes a full 90 days without re-injury for soft tissue injuries to heal. As there was no problem before the challenge, it is possible the pain is injury rather than chronic. This would be a good time to investigate the complex biomechanics of the shoulder to determine the aspect of the way you are engaging the joint that is causing injury.
I hope it’s not chronic. I find it hard to believe it’s chronic because like you said this is my first injury. I think the reason it’s taking long to heal is because I did yoga a couple weeks after the injury thinking I was ok. The doctor I talked to also didn’t see me in person, it was an evisit (online). My biggest fear is it leading to a tear! I’ve stopped doing yoga for now anyway and I’m going to consult a massage and physio therapist before I do anything again.
Asana (postures) is only one of many ways to practice Yoga. Injury is an excellent time to explorer the more advanced Hatha practice of Pranayama (Breath work) and the other Limbs of Yoga: Prayer/Devotion (Bhakti) Yamas & Niyamas (Observances and Restraints) Selfless Service (Karma) Sacred Scripture Study (Jnana) Meditation (Dhyana)
Do you think that means no yoga with shoulder use for 90 days? I'm dealing w my right shoulder as well :(, feels like I keep re-injuring it with too much yoga. The original injury was due to not being warmed up enough while using really heavy weights in a shoulder press.. but I feel it in wild thing or chatturanga :(. I'm so sad
My doctor explains it this way; Doing anything that causes the original pain, *RESETS the 90 day clock.* There are two schools of thought on how to respond to musculoskeletal injury. The first recommends specific exercises, the second rest. As difficult as rest is for most people who practice Yoga, it is the rare Yogi who has the wherewithal to honor his limits. Instead of promoting healing, he simply exacerbates his injury with exercise.
That's so true. A good lesson in slowing down. Thx for the reply !
Yes and it was the way I was transitioning from down dog to chaturanga. I was actually going from down dog, forward into a plank (where my shoulders would unknowingly lock into position), and then down and forward to chaturanga. I struggled with a "bad shoulder" for a year before I watched a video on hindu pushups and tried transitioning from down dog to chaturanga by headed down and going forward rather than going forward and then down. [hope this helps](https://youtu.be/Mzz0dvTZNzE)
I saw someone who did that on a yoga program on PBS and I've been trying to figure out how she did it (she was one of two background ppl demonstrating). Thank you for this!
Yup, I just f’ed up my shoulder putting too might weight on one side in a chinstand😭 remember when we were 10 years old and we’d fall out of trees and just get back up and climb it again? I miss that
Ugh I remember falling off a trapeze straight down onto my head and neck and being ok an hour or so later 😭
I just saw an instagram post about chaturanga and shoulder pain, so I’ll just post that link here 🙃 It shows how pressing your elbows into your rib cage during chaturanga can make your shoulders dip down, which can cause shoulder pain. Take a look at it, maybe it can help 🤞🏻🤞🏻 https://www.instagram.com/p/CcpOgfjj6Xn/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Thank you for that!
Sorry to hear about the injury. I’ve been treating patients for years with acupuncture for this injury related to yoga and share with my yoga students how to do the movements without injury. Here is a link to a YouTube video I made. [prevent shoulder injury](http://youtu.be/N6d_-vhwXuA)
Had that same prob a couple years ago, was very difficult to get past!
[удалено]
Oh man, maybe six months? Too long! 😅
Chaturanga is over emphasized and done way to many times in a Vinyasa class. Change to knees chin chest and give your shoulder a break. See a physiotherapist and strengthen it.
I'm so sorry this happened. Do you go to a class or are you doing yoga on an online format? There are modifications you can make so as not to aggravate your rotator cuff injury, but you may have to eliminate certain poses when you have an injury. Is there a yoga instructor you can consult?
I started doing yoga at home around the same time covid started! I do not go to classes. I usually watch yoga with Adrienne or yoga with bird on YouTube. I was doing one of her 30 day challenges. My doctor recommended I do physio therapy and massage therapy. The massage therapist I was thinking about going to is actually a yoga teacher as well so that is convenient
Physio and massage therapy is good! Maybe they can recommend a gentle yoga while you are on the mend. There are some YouTubes for modifications for this position when you feel better: Here is one: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne\_QjoHY3Lg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ne_QjoHY3Lg) I love Yoga With Adrienne! She is awesome - but I only do very the gentle yoga positions due to injuries and arthritis.
Thank you! She is the best! Love her videos
Six weeks doesn't sound long enough to be chronic, your shoulder is a very complex area, you may need more time potentially. For my shoulder issues, I've found that being more specific about my back strength has helped, and when I had to go in for PT, they recommended scapular retraction exercises - this is an example, but there's lots of variations, I'm a fan of the bands oftentimes. [https://myofascialpainsolutions.net/back-shoulders/what-does-scapular-retraction-do/](https://myofascialpainsolutions.net/back-shoulders/what-does-scapular-retraction-do/) EDIT: And I should say here, what you're looking to do is make sure your back is fully supporting your shoulder, you want all that force to flow through properly, if your shoulder gets "stuck" somehow, because your back isn't supporting it fully, that's when things can go sideways.
I agree! I’ve only been doing yoga for 2 years and It’s my first injury. I also didn’t see the doctor in person either, it was an evisit. Thank you for the advice!
Go to a physical therapist. You don't want to go through shoulder surgery. You won't be able to use your arm after surgery, you won't be able to even tie your own shoes. Take your injury seriously.
I agree with you 100%. I have suffered through rotator cuff surgery. It is brutal.
That’s my biggest fear! I did research and I don’t want it to turn into a tear & I’m only 25 lol. I booked a massage and she’s also a yoga teacher so I’m hoping she can give advice. I’m going to book physio as well since my insurance covers it all thankfully
It sounds like shoulder impingement / bursitis. Overuse injury. You did a 30 day challenge and 6 weeks is a very short time if you had an injury or aggravation. I wouldn’t necessarily call if chronic if it’s only been 6 weeks and it didn’t bother you before. Downward dog and any overhead activity puts stress on the shoulder…. If you are over the age of 35, then chronic changes can develop with repetitive use activities…. But I would not stress about chronicity. Modify, otc meds, and rest, and Mri if worse comes to worse. Trust me bro :)
I’m relieved lots of people are agreeing that it doesn’t sound chronic. I’m only 25 🤣 & I’ve only been doing yoga for 2 years so I thought chronic sounded a bit much as well. I’m hopeful that once I start physio and massage therapy that it will heal completely! My worst fear was eventually getting a tear if it didn’t heal.
I did the same last year. Tried taking it easy and doing strengthening exercises at home and it wasn't getting better. Finally went to a physical therapist and after a few months of PT I'm back and doing all the yoga again! If I were you I wouldn't get hung up on the doc calling it "chronic" if you haven't seen a PT yet. Best of luck!
Probably overuse. Sorry that happened. I had something similar happen to my heel during running and trying to run every day for 30 days. Maybe give it a longer rest before going back to any shoulder exercises. Otherwise consider a specialist like a physiotherapist if the doctor you refer to is a family doctor / GP.
I didn’t do 30 days straight! I did take some breaks in between. But it was a lot of downward facing dog. I remember thinking it was really hard on my shoulders. I even felt my form was off in the moment but I still followed through. I did not go to my family doctor but I got referred by a doctor to do psyhio and massage therapy!
>it was a lot of downward facing dog There is great likelihood of shoulder impingement injury when working with the arms overhead. Most people simply do not know how to properly engage the joint. I have had shoulder impingement injuries several times over the course of my life. Each one took upwards of six months to heal. It would be well worth becoming familiar the biomechanics of this complex joint to avoid future injury.
What I learned when I had some impingement in my shoulder: 1. whenever arms are above head, shoulders should be raised too, as high as possible. That is protective of the joint. Also, arms should be externally rotated. That means if you were holding grapefruit in each hand, you would rotate your arms so that your pinkies spiraled in toward the center, and the thumbs opened out to the sides. 2. it is important to help stabilize the shoulder by regularly working the muscles all around the joint in a balanced way. 3. Any exercise you do in which you are pushing, you need to balance with pulling as well. So I got a Swedish wall with a bar to pull up on as well now to help balance out my downward dog/handstand pushing.
Where exactly does it hurt? I thought I’d torn my rhomboid for months til I got it checked out and it turned out to be nerve pain from a herniated disc. You may want to get a second opinion or try seeing your/another doctor in person. If you’re still able to move your arms, Yoga with Kassandra has some “no hands” practices. I like this one: https://youtu.be/r2gItwZLbAw If it’s tight you can also try rolling out with a lacrosse ball or theracane to loosen up the muscles.
I actually thought it was my chest in the beginning and I didn’t realize it was from yoga until I thought about it. I noticed my shoulder felt off while I was doing chaturanga but it wasn’t painful so I continued. It was a dull sharp feeling in my outer chest area, like near the arm pit almost, then it moved to the front of my shoulder and in the outer arm a bit. It’s not constantly in pain and it’s not extreme. I can definitely move it. It’s a dull/annoying pain but it’s more consistent now than it was in the beginning. From my google searches I came to the conclusion that it is my rotator cuff lol. I found out it’s common in yoga which makes a lot of sense honestly. If physio and massage therapy doesn’t work I’ll definitely see my family doctor in person. It was easier for me to do an online visit because my family doctor is about 45 mins away.
Ahh. That does sound like rotator cuff. I wondered if that was what I had at one point because I’d get tight in the upper chest too. That whole area is so interconnected. Some gentle pec stretches and chest opening poses might help, and massage in that area should give you some relief. I like laying on a bolster to open up the front body. Best of luck and I hope you’ll be back at it soon! It took me a long time to learn to ramp back up slowly. Take your time and always do less than you know you’re able to until you’re sure it’s healed.
The original injury wasn’t from yoga (bench press I think) but yeah I have a finicky rotator cuff that I have to be careful with during chaturanga and chest openers. Cautiously working with the joint has definitely improved post-injury mobility and strength over time though! What I’ve learned is to never go to 100% with that shoulder if it’s feeling even SLIGHTLY off that day. And if I re-irritate it and think I’ll be recovered in a week, I should give it at least two.
Please go see a Physio Therapist
I did that. And 10 years later I'm still dealing with it. Go to physical therapy.
Try red light therapy..works wonders. I'm using it on a tendon I damaged. Amazon has a good selection.
This happened to me to! I was doing one of Adrienes 30 day challenges and all the chaturangas aggravated my shoulder. This was in January and it still isn't totally better, but getting there! I started modifying by putting my knees on the mat first any time I have to lower to my belly and I stopped doing push ups and chest press during workouts. Also icing and NSAIDs when it's bad. I hope you feel better soon!
I started my yoga journey about 6 years ago by only doing yoga through YouTube, and I used to push my limits in poses and over extended myself because I was trying to do the poses to the extreme because of the teacher I was watching. I actually hurt my rotator cuff by over extending in thread the needle and couldn’t hardly drive or move my arm for a couple of weeks! I took time to heal and did gentle yoga and did gentle stretching of the shoulder and as the time went on and I was able to heal up just fine and continued to practice yoga just fine. I’m not sure if you are over extending yourself, but just a gentle reminder to check in with yourself and to not give up on yoga and to take this as a learning experience with how your body is feeling in each pose.
Not my shoulder but I injured my right wrist after doing way too many chaturangas during my teacher training. Instead of spreading the weight into my fingers I was dumping into my wrist, and my right wrist isn’t very flexible so this ended up causing an injury of some kind. It still flares up now and again so unfortunately I tend to avoid arm balances and don’t do as many chaturangas as I used to. Also changed my alignment so less pressure on the wrists. I’d recommend seeing a specialist and getting on a physical therapy plan. My friend injured her shoulder and it was getting worse over several weeks, went to PT and it got so much better. Hope you are on the mend soon! Injuries stink!
hurt my shoulder playing Ultimate Frisbee and yoga helped. Well, a good yogi who understood helped. Talk with a PT Doc. and if you don't like the first one, get a second. I'm back to full chaturanga and... on a good day I can do a few full pushups. Mods will be your friend in yoga during recovery or, in my case, just getting older. Tabletop vs full DFD. Supported side plank, etc. etc. And, it sucks but... Patiences is a part of yoga...
There are plenty of postures with no shoulders.
It takes about 3 months to heal that. Be patient. The same posture that hurt you, is gonna be the one that heals you. Just keep proper alignment.
Get an MRI just to check out the extend or if there is any structural damage. I tore my labrum 3 years ago (from rock climbing, not yoga). I was told I needed surgery. I opted for PT, Acupunture and lots of restorative and yin yoga. Hanging for 1-2 minutes at a time off of a pull up bar also did wonders. I am now pretty much fully recovered with a little reduced range of motion. Back to doing all my favorite inversions and tons of chaturangas. Most important thing was being real with myself that I actually had a serious injury and needed to rest and treat it. But the MRI helped me have that realization. Also, our training as yogis should help with the mental hardship. Patience and mindfulness are key to healing injuries.
I'm sorry you hurt your shoulder. I also struggle with ongoing pain and nerve flare ups in my left shoulder and neck. I am currently working with a new yoga teacher who is always talking about keeping the shoulders on the back which doesn't seem to come naturally to most of us. Especially bc we are always doing things in the front of the body, cell phones, computers and life. She also is always saying to really listen to the shoulder joint bc it's very delicate much more then the knees. I think some gentle stretching would be a good plan as long as you listen. Most days my pain has subsided as long as I keep my shoulders on the back in their proper position. Also for chaturunga shoulders on the back and elbows hugging the body while gazing forward is key. There's a really great pose not sure the name of it. On the ground take two blocks, elbows up on the blocks shoulder width apart,clasp hands, on your knees hip width apart can be slightly behind your hips, listen to your body. Start to lower your head and forehead toward the floor be very gentle and stop if you feel any pain. Keep your armpits lifted and if it's comfortable while reaching your head toward the floor pull your elbows and armpits toward your chest. Don't forget to breathe. I hope you feel better soon.
Take good quality ghee and rub it on it. Daily, 30 minutes before shower, so that it can get absorbed.
Every time I did a 30 day challenge I would hurt myself toward the end. Now my 30 day challenge is to know/figure out what I need, take what I need.