Stop It Before It Starts: Simple Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain
At Blue Sky Physical Therapy, our team of physical therapists will work with you to identify and resolve the underlying causes of your shoulder pain. We offer acute pain relief and can guide you through complete shoulder rehabilitation regardless of whether or not you require surgery, and often, you can resolve a shoulder injury with physical therapy alone!
But that process can take a while, and we want to help you avoid shoulder injuries, too. While we do incorporate injury prevention information into our rehab programs, it’s never a bad time to start incorporating small changes into your routine that can help prevent shoulder pain.
What Causes Shoulder Pain and Injury, Anyway?
Your shoulder is an incredibly complex ball-and-socket joint with several moving parts, including:
- Three separate bones: the humerus (arm bone), scapula (shoulder blade), and clavicle (collarbone)
- Cartilage that wraps and protects these bones from rubbing against each other
- The three main ligaments that connect your shoulder’s bones
- A collection of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff that wrap and support the shoulder joint
- Bursae: small fluid-filled sacs that protect your tendons
Damaging any of these structures can lead to shoulder pain, weakness, and immobility. Some people injure their shoulders through sudden, acute injuries, especially if they’re active — a hard fall on the football field could tear their rotator cuff or dislocate the arm bone out of their shoulder socket.
However, many shoulder injuries are actually overuse injuries, meaning the pain and immobility symptoms occur due to repeated micro-injuries in your shoulder’s tissue. Often, sports-related shoulder injuries are actually due to overuse, as repeated overhead motions (such as throwing a ball or certain swimming strokes) put stress on the shoulder joint, leading to symptoms.
Using improper form can also contribute to overuse injuries, such as improper posture — a weak upper back strains your shoulder muscles, making them do more work than needed.
Preventing shoulder pain is really about preventing these overuse injuries. By making small changes, you can keep your shoulders strong, healthy, and pain-free!
5 Ways You Can Help Prevent Shoulder Pain
Strengthen your upper body:
Strong upper back and shoulder muscles are better able to provide the shoulder joint with the support and stability it needs, meaning you’ll be less likely to suffer an injury. Not sure how to get started? Our PTs can walk you through some appropriate exercises.
Keep your mobility:
We can show you simple range of motion exercises that will get the blood flowing to your joints, keeping them healthy. Reaching overhead, across your body, or behind your back are all basic stretches that can do wonders — just make sure you never force a movement!
Don’t forget to warm up first:
Many popular recreational activities put you at risk for a shoulder injury, including swimming, pickleball, and tennis. It’s crucial that you warm up your shoulder before you dive in. Try some quick cardio paired with active shoulder stretches (like arm circles).
Maintain proper posture:
Proper posture isn’t about standing up straight all the time; it’s about maintaining postural awareness and keeping your spine in alignment no matter what you’re doing. And if you have a sedentary job, move around regularly. Both habits will help keep your upper back and shoulders strong.
Pay attention to ergonomics:
If your workspace isn’t shoulder-friendly, you might wind up with an overuse injury. Simple changes — like adjusting the height of your computer monitor or maintaining good posture when using hand tools — will reduce repetitive stress and lower your chances of developing shoulder pain.
Need A Little Help? We’ve Got You
The Blue Sky Physical Therapy physical therapists can help you prevent shoulder injuries as easily as we can treat them! Whether you’re looking for a shoulder stretch and strengthen routine, postural corrections, or some simple ergonomic adjustments, we’re here for you.
Call us today to get started!
Your Progress Matters To Us!
Return to Blue Sky Physical Therapy and Let’s Continue Your Journey to Wellness Together. Schedule Your Appointment Now!
Exercise of the Month
PRONE ARM REACH BACK
Lie face down on an exercise table with your upper chest supported and both arms hanging straight down off the sides, holding a light weight in each hand. With palms facing in, slowly raise your arms backward toward your hips in a sweeping motion, keeping them close to your body. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at the top, then lower your arms back down with control.
3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: exercise table, light weights)
Meet the Newest Member of the Team!
Kate Perry, PT, DPT
Kate is originally from Pennsylvania, where she always has had a passion for fitness and wellness -especially when it comes to how the human body moves during exercise. These interests led her to earning her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Pittsburgh. Kate enjoys working in the outpatient orthopedic setting and helping patients achieve their functional goals following injury or surgery. Her love for movement science led her to earning a personal training certification so that she could better understand various stages of movement for her patients. Most recently, she had the unique opportunity to work in a progressive fitness center dedicated to creating bridge programs for physical therapy clients interested in returning to a fitness program. Through this work experience, she has gained a greater appreciation of the importance of optimal physical therapy care throughout the healing process so that patients can return to high levels of function and achieve their fullest potential. She is excited to join the Denver community and continue to grow her physical therapy passion at Blue Sky Physical Therapy. In her free time, Kate enjoys swimming, hiking, and spending time with her family and friends. She is especially looking forward to exploring Colorado!
Certifications: -American Council on Exercise (ACE) Certified Personal Trainer -Girls Gone Strong (GGS) Certified Women’s Coaching Specialist
Continuing Education:-Kate is looking forward to taking educational courses that involve manual therapy techniques, women’s health, and advancing her knowledge on the spine
April Word Scramble
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Answer Key
fools
showers
tulips
raindrops
caterpillar
garden
5 Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning!
- Allergy Symptom Reduction. A thorough cleaning can greatly reduce the amount of dust in your home, which is helpful considering dust mite allergies are the number one cause of bronchial asthma in the world. About 2.3 million Americans have been diagnosed with asthma. A 2014 study found that cleaning and decluttering your home can help you avoid allergy symptoms and make you feel healthier.
- Cleanliness Produces Happiness. Maybe you don’t enjoy the process of cleaning, but the end result will leave you smiling. A 2010 study found that having a clean home can improve your mood and reduce your risk of depression. Studies also show that doing housework for 20 minutes can reduce stress and anxiety by up to 20 percent.
- Better Heart Health. If you’re looking for an easy way to support your heart health, just 30 minutes per day of light exercise (including low-intensity physical activities like household chores, vacuuming, mopping, and scrubbing floors) can decrease your risk of heart disease by 24 percent.
- Declutter and Do a Good Deed by Donating. An essential part of a successful spring cleaning is getting rid of old items that are no longer used or worn. Apply the rule of thumb that if you haven’t made use of something in a year, it’s time for it to go. Fill bags and boxes of things, then donate them to a local charity so they can still be beneficial to someone else. Giving to others is an act that is associated with greater self-esteem, lower stress levels, and overall happiness.
- Get a Better Night’s Sleep. Do you have trouble sleeping at night? In a recent poll, it was found that people who make their beds are 19 percent more likely to sleep well on a regular basis. Clean sheets with a fresh scent impacted 75 percent of those individuals polled. See what a difference spring cleaning can make by cleaning the clutter from your room and sleeping on some fresh sheets.
Our Patients Get Great Results
“Had an excellent experience with the office and my therapist, Renee, over a roughly six-month period. The program developed for me was effective and highly varied, which provided me with a huge set of exercises to attack my issue and addressed specific needs and limitations I had throughout all steps of my recovery. I’m hugely improved at this point, but for any future needs will be returning here.”
-Evan G.
Fresh, flavorful, and light, this Mediterranean Chicken Salad is the perfect springtime meal that makes healthy eating feel effortless. Packed with bright ingredients and satisfying protein, it’s ideal for enjoying warmer days and staying energized.
Enjoy This Seasonal Healthy Recipe!
Mediterranean Chicken Salad
- 1 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp snipped fresh mint
- 2 tbsp snipped fresh basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 5 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 cups cut-up cooked chicken breast
- 2 plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
- 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans
- 2 tbsp pitted Kalamata olives
- 2 tbsp crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
- 6 Whole kalamata olives
In a screw-top jar, combine lemon juice, mint, basil, olive oil, honey, and black pepper to make dressing. Cover and shake well. Place lettuce on a large platter. Top with chicken, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, the quartered olives (if using), and feta cheese. Drizzle with dressing. If desired, garnish individual servings with whole olives.
