Do you experience soreness after cleaning, painting, lifting items, or playing a sport—anything that requires you to lift your arms, especially overhead? Well, shoulder pain can be caused by many issues, including muscle strain, joint issues, tendonitis, bursitis, and referred pain from other areas.
Symptoms requiring shoulder pain treatment often begin innocently with little clicking or popping as you move your arms. Our patients say they’ve been clicking and popping for most of their lives, and now, many years later, they have an incomprehensible pinching pain in their shoulders. These injuries can range from a slight soreness in the shoulder to full-blown rotator cuff tears that will require a surgical intervention up to shoulder replacement. The recovery from these operations tends to be painful, complex, and protracted. Most patients need 10-14 weeks of intensive shoulder physical therapy afterward, if not more, before returning to their previous quality of life.
The good news is that many symptoms are preventable and correct if spotted early enough. The most common issues are related to poor shoulder alignment and, even worse, shoulder movement. Here are some of my top tips for reducing your shoulder pain.
Don’t Hold the World on Your Shoulders
Ladies, most of your purses are too heavy. All too often, we greet a new patient reporting shoulder pain, stating that “I have no idea why my shoulder is hurting” or that “it came out of nowhere.” A quick test reveals that their large purse is roughly 15 lbs. A simple reduction of even a few pounds significantly decreases stress on the shoulder joint. Reduce the weight. Increase the space. Decrease the pain.
Posture, Posture, Posture
The majority of our shoulder patients have extremely poor posture. Here are some general tips for improving posture to prevent pain.
- Limit your computer time and elevate your computer screen; the most ergonomic position is for your screen to be level with your eyes. Spending less time slumped over your keyboard and mouse will help your shoulder positioning.
- Unweight your shoulders by using your armrests or table to rest your forearms. Each arm is approximately 6.5% of your body weight. That’s 13% of your body weight dragging on your upper body for 8 hours daily if you have a sit-down job.
- Watch your head and shoulder position. Tuck your chin in results in better posture. Roll your shoulders up and back, not down. Most patients immediately pull their shoulders down when asked to show good posture; this position decreases space within your shoulder joint and increases impingement. Rolling them backward at a 45° angle activates the muscles that can better support your arm.
Do you like to move it, move it?
The shoulder is a complex joint that needs tuning like a clock. If one part moves too much or too little, the rest of the joint is strained. Treatment for the shoulder is often corrected with strengthening exercises of your trapezius muscle and rotator cuff muscle.
At Foothills Sports Medicine Physical Therapy, we help our patients fully recover and get their lives back on track. Our physical therapists have served Phoenix and the surrounding communities for over 24 years and look forward to serving you. If you are experiencing shoulder pain, request an appointment today.
