The following is a guest post from one of our Airrosti providers.
“Why does my shoulder always hurt? What is that popping I hear in my shoulder? I didn’t do anything serious to it, why is it hurting all the sudden? Why is it so tight when I wake up in the morning?”
These are just a few of the many questions we hear every day in our clinic concerning shoulder pain. Because it’s one of the most mobile joints in the body, the shoulder is also highly susceptible to injuries. It’s imperative that this joint is not only strengthened, but also stretched and stabilized to avoid awkward movements that may cause strains, dislocations, or even ligament tears.
Stretch
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint that can be very challenging to stretch out. One easily overlooked muscle group in the shoulder are the lats. They run down the side of your rib cage into the low back and are a major influence on the shoulder complex. Practice the cat/camel stretch, demonstrated below, to stretch out your lats.
*Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program. If you experience any numbness, tingling, or reproduction of your symptoms, please contact your doctor.
Cat/Camel Stretch
- Start on all fours with your back straight, hands under the shoulders, and knees under the hips.
- Next, slowly inhale and let the belly fall forward toward the floor to arch the back and extend the head at the same time.
- Next, slowly exhale round the back and tuck the chin to the chest.
- Alternate between these two positions slowly.
- Complete 10 repetitions, 1-2 times a day.
Stabilize
Often your joints and muscles lack proper stability, which can lead to awkward movements and potentially painful injuries. If your shoulder pops or grinds a lot, try doing some simple shoulder exercises like wall slides to help build shoulder stability. Wall slides can be tougher than they look, but they’re a great exercise to help stabilize your shoulder complex.
Wall Slides
- Stand facing a wall with your forearms on the wall.
- Slowly slide your arms up the wall, keeping your shoulders down.
- Squeeze your shoulder blades together to barely lift your arms off the wall, then slowly lower your arms back down.
- Complete 2 sets of 10 repetitions, twice a day.
Strengthen
Shoulder pain and tension is often caused by weakened shoulder and back muscles. When you try lifting heavy objects with a muscular imbalance, your back muscles tend to pick up the slack from weakened shoulders. The unfortunate result is often a painful back sprain or strain.
To keep your shoulder muscles strong, try to find a good balance of pulling and pushing exercises to engage all your shoulder muscles. Below is an exercise that works on muscle groups like the lats and trapezius. Both muscle groups are often overlooked, but they play a crucial role in building shoulder and upper back strength.
Lat Pulls
- Attach a band in front of you, at waist height, or slightly higher.
- Stand in an upright position, knees slightly bent, lower core engaged, and chin tucked to neutral. Hold this posture throughout the exercise. Do not let the chin extend forward.
- Hold the ends of the band, with elbows straight and palms facing down.
- Initiate the exercise by moving your arms forward, closer to where the band is tied off.
- Slowly pull the arms back down to your sides, by drawing the shoulder blades backward. Do not shrug up during the range of motion.
- Pause at the end of the movement, then slowly return to the starting position.
- Complete 2 sets of 10 repetitions, twice a day.
Airrosti Fixes Shoulder Pain Fast
Having shoulder problems can be frustrating, but hopefully we supplied some easy ways to help prevent it from disrupting your daily life. If these few things don’t make an impact on your shoulder find an Airrosti doctor near you.
Beyond the clinical testing, individualized treatment plan and specific active care program, we give each patient tips and resources that can help them prevent future problems with their shoulder. We make it a point to help you understand what is going on, answer all your questions, and get you back to doing what you love.
Read our Medical Disclaimer here.
