The shoulder problem might have been bothering you for some time, especially if your daily work involves your shoulder more, such as painters, daily workouts, athletes who play baseball, volleyball, etc.
A dull ache is nagging your shoulder, and it gets worse as time passes. Once you ‘warm up’ your shoulder, the pain gradually goes away, so you assume that you don’t need to worry because the pain is not too severe. You don’t feel the pain until after work or playing your daily sport. The pain may now even interfere with your sleep.
Consulting a physiotherapist would be a good idea for you. But your schedule is too busy, and you might not have time. Then, a few weeks later, you can’t do your daily work or are expelled from your favourite game; things change.
Instead of just having a sore shoulder after work or training, you experience a shooting pain that runs down your arm. Now you feel it is challenging to lift your arm above your head due to pain.
It won’t go away either.
The Problem with Repetitive Actions
Sports and your job involve repetitive shoulder movements that you may need to do over and over again. For example, a painter needs to move his arm in all directions, and many sports require throwing skills (e.g., throwing hitting the ball in baseball and cricket, volleyball and tennis) or sports that require overhead movements (e.g., golf and swimming).
When these activities are repeated over and over, your shoulder structures are under undue stress. Therefore, people who are doing specific jobs or competing in sporting activities are more vulnerable to shoulder pain and are at risk of injury.
I will explain why.
In all of these sports, shoulder motions are ballistic and propulsive (such as throwing, pushing, and pulling). These repetitive motions increase joint wear and tear. To prevent injury, the shoulder must be flexible.
The Anatomy of the Shoulder Girdle
A shoulder girdle consists of three joints, called articulations.
Most people are familiar with the ball-and-socket joint. The round-headed humerus bone fits in the cup-shaped socket of the shoulder blade. The joint is enclosed by a loose capsule that contains fluid sacs called bursae. This allows the arm to move freely and perform a wide range of movements.
The scapula’s mobility is also high – it can slide, tilt up & down, and around. This allows the socket to be easily moved around. Stability and mobility are not always compatible. Shoulder joints that move around more are less stable.
The shoulder bones mostly rely on muscles to maintain joint stability. The biceps and rotor cuff muscles in the joint prevent the humerus head from sliding out of the cup. Another set of muscles controls the movement and position of the ‘socket’ of the scapula and the motion of the scapula.
Now here’s the issue.
You need to have well-balanced muscles that work together to have control over the shoulder. If they are not in balance, physical stress is applied to the wrong areas. Pain will follow shortly after this happens. Over time, this can lead to chronic injuries.
How to resolve this issue?
The easiest way to hold a good posture is to make a conscious effort. Most likely, you need to take some remedial measures.
Typically, these include:
- Improve the mobility of your shoulders with exercises
- You can use a few basic home care techniques to lose your stiff shoulder muscles and improve your range of motion
- Physical therapy is also an excellent way for pain relief and improves the range of your shoulder motion
- In severe cases, don’t hesitate to consult a shoulder specialist near you
Strength training can help you deal with many shoulder issues, as well.
You should concentrate on two areas: the scapular stabilizing muscles and the muscle group (rotator cuff muscles), which keeps the humeral head (‘ball’) in the socket.
Fundamentally, ensure every shoulder muscle can function properly and is strong enough to perform its job. However, all the shoulder muscles and bones must work in a synchronized and coordinated manner.
To know more about shoulder injury treatment in Hyderabad, consult Dr Chandra Sekhar, the best shoulder surgeon in Hyderabad with more than 15+ years of experience dealing with a wide range of shoulder disorders. Call +91 99595 88389 to book an appointment.
