If shoulder pain is a frequent problem for you, then you’re like many people we see at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine. We often see people who have shoulder pain that prevents them from sleeping and hurts when they get out of bed in the morning. You may find that you can’t reach overhead or you limit your workouts because of shoulder pain. The good news is, there are some easy things you can do to beat shoulder pain and get your life back again.
To beat shoulder pain, you really need to know what is causing it. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. It looks kind of like a golf ball sitting on a tee.
The tee is the end of your shoulder blade (the socket), and the ball is the end of your upper arm (humerus). The rotator cuff muscles work to control the ball and keep it sitting on the socket correctly.
Tendons attach the rotator cuff muscles to the shoulder. These are what usually get injured in a rotator cuff injury. They often become overworked by repetitive injury like throwing or weightlifting with poor technique.
Keeping the rotator cuff muscles strong is a key to keeping the tendons healthy and out of pain. The good news is there are simple things you can do to stop shoulder pain and live normal again.
Shoulder external rotation
Shoulder external rotation increases the strength of your rotator cuff. This makes sure that the muscles are strong enough to control the shoulder.
Make sure to keep your shoulder blade pinched back throughout the entire movement. Start with no weight if your shoulder is really hurting, otherwise start with 1 or 2 pounds.
Try 3 sets of 10 of these every other day, progressing to 3 sets of 15 as they get easier.
Once you can do 3 sets of 15 with only mild fatigue, then your next session you can add another pound and start at 3 sets of 10 again.
Scaption
Scaption primarily targets the supraspinatus muscle and tendon This is part of the rotator cuff, but it is active more when lifting the arm up like this.
Make sure to avoid shrugging your shoulder up towards your ear when doing this exercise. Like the exercise above, start with no weight if your shoulder is really hurting. If it is less severe, start with 1 or 2 pounds.
Try 3 sets of 10 of these every other day, progressing to 3 sets of 15 as they get easier.
Once you can do 3 sets of 15 with only mild fatigue, then your next session you can add another pound and start at 3 sets of 10 again.
Prone T
Prone T’s help you strengthen the muscles that control your shoulder blades. Keeping these strong makes puts less stress on your rotator cuff muscles and reduces pain.
You don’t need to lie on a fancy table like this video shows. You can do this lying on your bed or on the floor.
The most important part is getting your elbows as high off the floor as possible.
Hold for 5 seconds at the top and then return to the start position. Start with 2 sets of 10 every other day and work up to 3 sets of 10.
None of the exercises above should make your shoulder pain worse.
If you’ve tried these and you’re still hurting, we can help you!
At Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine, our physical therapists are experts at treating shoulder pain and will develop a plan to help you stop it.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here and a member of our team will schedule you an appointment with one of our expert physical therapists.
What happens if you don’t try have a plan to stop your shoulder pain?
- You can’t sleep at night because your shoulder hurts
- You’re asking for help to do simple chores because your shoulder hurts
- You stop working out to avoid pain, leading to other diseases and injuries
But WITH a plan to beat shoulder pain you can live the life you want again.
The exercises above are a great way to get started. They don’t require a ton of time and are pretty easy to do correctly. They can help you get moving and living and active life again.
But if you want an expert to listen to your unique problems and guide you to success, a Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine physical therapist will create a plan specifically for you.
You’ll feel confident that you have the knowledge and ability to stop back pain and do all the things you want.
Call us at 703-299-3111, or click here to schedule your appointment and start your path to healing.
Working to keep you living your best life,
The Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Team
