How to avoid shoulder injuries

In everyday life, your shoulder moves just about every time you do. You use it for lifting, reaching, or even throwing a ball. Most people have either had a shoulder injury or know someone who has dealt with shoulder pain.

The shoulder joint is highly susceptible to injury because it moves through such a wide range of motion.  This motion requires adequate muscle control to ensure the arm moves smoothly overhead. When motion is restricted or muscles have a weakness, an injury is even more susceptible.

The most common problems come from repeating the same movement over and over again, and from too much arm motion above your head (like painting or hanging curtains).

But your shoulder can get hurt in other ways too, due to a variety of different reasons such as:

• Age: Natural wear and tear that comes with age.
• Osteoarthritis: The cartilage that protects your joints wears down.
• Rotator cuff damage: The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that keeps your shoulder together.
• Bursitis: The fluid-filled pads that cushion your joints get swollen.
• Dislocation: Your upper arm bone comes out of the shoulder. This can hurt a lot.
• Frozen shoulder: The capsule of connective tissue that holds your shoulder together thickens and tightens around the joint, restricting its movement.

To avoid having any of these issues we advise to follow these tips:

• Stay in shape: Keep your body in good physical shape with regular exercise and a healthy diet.
• Exercise: Remember to always warm-up before you work out. Start slowly if you haven’t done a sport or an activity in a while.
• Use a step stool: if you have to reach high places. Otherwise, put the items you use the most in drawers or on lower shelves.

We also recommend practicing these exercises to prevent any type of shoulder related injury:

• Lie on your side with your arm bent at shoulder level.  Push your hand toward the bed. Hold 10 seconds, 10 times.
• Pull your arm across your body and push the elbow toward the bed. Hold 10 seconds, 10 times.
• The rotator cuff is strengthened with rotational exercises.  Use a theraband for resistance and rotate your arm in and then in the opposite direction away from your body.  Keep your elbow at your side and shoulder blades squeezed together. Perform 3 sets of 15.

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