How you can keep your shoulders healthy

The shoulder is one of the largest and most complex joints in the human body. It is formed where the humerus (upper arm bone) fits into the scapula (shoulder blade). Since it’s a very complex part of the body is quite important to keep it as healthy as possible.

There are some steps you can take to keep them healthy:

• Avoid working with your arms above your shoulder level for very long.

• When you sit, keep your head over your shoulder and keep your shoulders back

• Take breaks from any activity that makes you repeat it over and over again.

• Do not carry a backpack or bag over one shoulder

• Lift and carry objects close to your body.  

Remember to include your shoulder as part of your exercise routine. And you can make these exercises at the gym, the park or even at home.

• Wall push-ups

• Stretching the back of your shoulder 

• Internal and external rotation exercises. 

Remember that the shoulder is prone to arthritis (a wearing away of the cartilage between the bones) as well as tendinitis which is an inflammation in the rotator cuff. The group of tendons that helps you raise and move your arm. Shoulder pain can keep you from being able to get dressed or raise your arms, or perhaps reach out to a cupboard or out to a door.

However, an easy way to avoid shoulder problems is to stretch the muscles that support the joints as often as possible. Stretching can help extend the muscles to their full length. The more you stretch the muscles, the longer and more flexible they will become.  

Stretches Exercises:

• One of the best ways to stretch muscles is with long and motionless stretches that last from 30 seconds to 2 minutes. 

• Warm-up the muscles first. So you can get blood and oxygen running through them to make it more pliable. You can do this while you exercise: you may go swimming or take a brisk walk. Or perhaps, you can try for a few minutes this type of stretching: repeatedly moving your joint, without holding a position. Just roll your shoulders backward and forward a few times. 

It’s equally important to train the rotator cuff, many people don’t do it. If you don’t train your rotator cuff, your deltoid can be too strong for your rotator cuff. When that happens, is hard for those 4 muscles to keep up and stabilize your shoulder joint.

Orthopedic Corner | Leon Mead MD Orthopedic Doctor | 730 Goodlette Road North, Suite 201  Naples Florida 34102 | Phone: (239) 262-1119