Has shoulder pain been a problem for you? If it is, you’re not alone. People looking to cure shoulder pain is one of the most common things we see at Solutions Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine.
Maybe your shoulder pain wakes you up at night and hurts pulling the covers over in bed. Maybe you can’t lift anything more than a dinner plate overhead or you’ve stopped shoulder exercises at the gym because they hurt.
If any of these sound like your situation, you may be afraid you need surgery to fix your shoulder. Fortunately, surgery is rarely necessary. You can cure shoulder pain with a good exercise program.
Before you start trying any fancy exercises from Instagram or YouTube, start with the basics. Here are 3 foundational exercises that form the core of a good shoulder rehab program. Start with these, and you’ll be on your path to cure shoulder pain.
Shoulder external rotation
Shoulder external rotation increases the strength of your rotator cuff muscles. When the tendon of these muscles is injured, it is a big cause of shoulder pain. Strengthening the rotator cuff helps the tendon heal. You just need to use the right exercise, do it correctly, and use the right load.
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. 2/10 pain is okay on this exercise, but not more than that.
Scaption
Scaption primarily targets the supraspinatus muscle and tendon This is also 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.
This may be the most challenging of the 3 foundational exercises. The key is to focus on opening up your chest as much as possible. Don’t try to just push your elbows back as far as they can go..
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 cure shoulder pain?
- You can’t sleep at night because your shoulder hurts
- You avoid playing sports with your kids or grand kids because your shoulder hurts
- You stop working out to avoid pain, leading to other diseases and injuries
But WITH a plan to cure 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 cure shoulder 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
