The summer shoulder slump

Preventing shoulder injuries with five stretches you can do at home

Summer weather encourages us to engage in outdoor activities with family and friends. From swimming and surfing to gardening and recreational sports, these sunny months offer abundant opportunities for fun and fitness.

The increase in physical activity, particularly those involving repetitive arm movements, means that shoulder injuries can become a common, albeit unwelcome, companion.

Why shoulder injuries happen

The shoulder is one of the most complex and mobile joints in the human body. The wide range of shoulder movements increases the risk of injury because of overuse and improper stretching.

Here are a few examples:

Kids are in the pool all day, overusing their shoulders as they swim back and forth.

Construction employees work long hours in the heat lifting heavy objects above their heads without regular stretching breaks.

Golfers overuse their shoulder muscles by swinging their clubs at the golf course for an 18-hole game most weekends of the summer.

Weekend warriors try to squeeze in a week’s worth of yard work, like mulching or mowing the grass, all at once.

Overuse can cause a variety of shoulder pain symptoms, such as:

• Front shoulder pain
• Bicep pain
• Stiffness
• Trouble raising your arm
• Swelling of the shoulder
• Numbness or tingling
• Muscle spasms

We don’t often consider how little we use our muscles during the cold months and how often we use them during the summer. The increase in posture changes, posture repetition, improper stretching and improper warm-ups create the opportunity for these symptoms to appear.

Some common shoulder injuries and their causes include:

1. Rotator cuff tears – overuse, sudden impacts or awkward movements. This can happen while playing football with friends, using a shovel to plant flowers or using carpentry tools.
2. Shoulder impingement – repetitive overhead movements, which can come from swimming or tennis.
3. Dislocations – falls, collisions or forceful impacts from contact sports.
4. Tendinitis – exertion over time with no rest given to the shoulder muscles. This can happen from swinging a golf club or throwing a baseball.
5. Frozen shoulder – often develops after a period of immobilization due to injury or surgery. 

Maintaining shoulder health

No one wants to experience ongoing shoulder pain.

The good news is that there are a few simple ways for you to manage shoulder pain in the comfort of your home before starting summer activities.

You can start with these five shoulder exercises and stretches.

1) ER Pullout

Posture plays an important role in shoulder pain. One way to address this is to work on strengthening these shoulder muscles.

Start by holding a short exercise band in both hands with palms up, then stand up straight with your back straight, bend your elbows so that they are at 90 degrees and squeeze your elbows in to your sides.

Keeping your elbows at your sides, rotate your arms outward, bringing your hands apart. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you do so. Be sure that your shoulders do not hike up toward your neck.

Repeat for 10-15 repetitions for two sets.

2) Shoulder flexion with pole (lat activation)

Start by lightly holding a pole between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands, then stand up with your back straight and straighten your arms out in front of you.

Slowly raise the pole in an arc toward the ceiling as far as possible. Make sure that your chin is tucked in, shoulder blades are set with shoulders pressing down to the floor and your lower abdominals are engaged to maintain neutral spine and pelvis position.

Focus on maintaining shoulders pressing down to the floor. Reverse the motion until you are back in the starting position while keeping your arms straight throughout the arcing movement.

Repeat for 10-15 repetitions for two sets.

3) Shoulder punches with pole (to wall)

Start by lightly holding a pole between the thumbs and index fingers of both hands, then stand up with your back straight and straighten your arms out in front of you. Make sure that your chin is tucked in, shoulder blades are set with shoulders pressing down to the floor and your lower abdominals are engaged to maintain neutral spine and pelvis position.

Slowly raise the pole so that it is above shoulder height and a few inches away from the wall. While your arms stay straight, punch forward with both arms. Make sure that your elbows are straight, you are not shrugging your shoulders and you are controlling the movement with your shoulder blades.

Repeat for 10-15 repetitions for two sets.

4) Windmills

Kneel beside a wall with your leg and trunk touching. Bring up the opposite leg with your knee at a 90-degree angle. Hold the arm against the wall straight out in front of you. Make sure your chin is tucked in, shoulder blades are set and shoulders pressing down to the floor and your lower abdominals are engaged to maintain neutral spine.

Then, while keeping that arm on the wall with thumb up toward the ceiling, slowly raise the arm in an arc up and toward the ceiling as far as possible without pain. Allow your trunk to rotate as the arm continues. If possible, allow the arm and trunk to rotate into the wall creating a half-moon motion.

Repeat 10 times on each side.

5) Resisted ER/shoulder flexion

Stand with a band looped around your wrists and your arms bent at 90 degree angles. Make sure your chin is tucked in, shoulder blades are set with shoulders pressing down to the floor and your lower abdominals are engaged to maintain neutral spine. 

Stretch the loop lightly by moving your hands apart while keeping your elbows in. Try to keep your forearms parallel to each other.

Slowly raise your arms from your shoulders to 90 degrees while keeping your elbows locked at 90 degrees. Then return to the starting position.

Tip: Be sure to keep the tension on the band the whole time.

 

Repeat 10 times for two sets.

These simple exercises can help alleviate shoulder pain resulting from swimming, gardening and other outdoor activities. Allocate 15 to 20 minutes a day, or before doing strenuous activity, to complete these shoulder exercises. Then compare how you feel to when you weren’t stretching.

The role of physical therapy

If at-home stretches and exercises don’t work for you, or if you’re still experiencing pain and discomfort even after completing them, it might be time for a physical therapist to assist. 

Physical therapy is critical in the recovery process of shoulder injuries. It involves exercises and treatments designed to restore function, improve mobility and relieve pain.

A common treatment plan can look like this:

1. First visit – A physical therapist will spend some time learning about the origin of your injury — whether it was traumatic or gradually came on. Then they will choose appropriate tests to assess your shoulder motion, strength and surrounding regions to identify the areas involved.
2. Building a program – After evaluation, a program will be developed to return full shoulder motion and strength, which may include some hands-on mobilization and soft tissue work.
3. Treatment – During evaluation, a physical therapist will determine how often and long your appointments will be. This will be followed by specific exercises to carryover improved motion and progress into functional exercises to facilitate your return to everyday activities.

Summertime is meant for that “laid back” feeling, so why spend it constantly reaching for pain medication?

Gardening should feel rewarding, not uncomfortable and exhausting.

You shouldn’t have to avoid throwing a football around with friends because your shoulders just can’t take any more strain.

Doing these stretches at home, or seeing a physical therapist near you, can get you back to that normal summertime feeling.

It’s time to ditch the pain medicine and opt for care that will provide a longer period of comfort.