Are you tired of your shoulder stopping you from doing the things you want to do? Physical therapy can help! Many people come to our clinic complaining that they cannot participate in the sport they would like to play or complete the job they need to get done. It could be something as simple as not being able to reach into the back seat of your car or just getting dressed in the morning and doing your hair. One of the most common complaints with shoulder pain is that it does not allow the person to get a full night’s sleep.

What can I do to help control my shoulder pain?

In order to answer this question, I think it is helpful to better understand the structure of the shoulder joint. As you may be aware, the shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint. However, the socket that the ball sits in is very shallow. You can think of the shoulder joint as a golf ball sitting on a golf tee.

This allows for amazing mobility in the shoulder (more than any other joint in the body). With this mobility, however, comes a lack of stability.

Our muscles, especially those that attach to the shoulder blade, play a crucial roll in stabilizing the golf ball on the golf tee during shoulder movement. If these muscles are weak or if the shoulder is not aligned in an optimal position during movement (usually due to poor posture) we are susceptible to shoulder pain and injury.

Stretching:

If we can stretch the muscles that are typically tight around the shoulder and improve posture, this will help align the shoulder in an optimal position during movement and prevent pain and injury. Check out this video of our top 3 stretches for shoulder pain.

Likewise if we can strengthen the muscles that are crucial to stability in the shoulder, we can help to hold that golf ball on the golf tee during movement and prevent pain and injury. Check out this video of our top 3 strengthening exercises for shoulder pain.

If you have any increased pain with these exercises, DO NOT just push through the pain. (no pain, no gain is not a true statement in this situation!). Talk to your PT and find out what may be holding you back.

So if your shoulder is keeping you from doing the things you would like to do, don’t just live with the pain! Do something about it today and get on the path to being pain free!

If you, or someone you care about, are needlessly suffering with shoulder pain, please contact us at:

Align Therapy

801-980-0860

info@aligntherapyutah.com

John Gubler, sPT