Stop It Before It Starts: Simple Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain
If you’ve ever suffered a shoulder injury, then you know how debilitating it can be. Not only are you experiencing persistent pain, but most shoulder injuries also restrict the range of motion in the joint, making day-to-day tasks — from grabbing a cup off the high shelf to brushing your hair — feel nearly impossible.
At ReQuest 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.
If you’d like to learn more about how we help prevent and alleviate shoulder pain, call us to schedule an appointment today!
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
- 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 your rotator cuff or dislocate the arm bone out of your 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, as can having 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 shoulder 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 ReQuest 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!
Say Goodbye to Pain – Get Started with PT Now!
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Restorative Yoga with Shawn Hinds
About This Class
Restorative yoga is a style of yoga that encourages physical, mental and emotional relaxation. Appropriate for all levels, restorative yoga is practiced at a slow pace, focusing on long holds, stillness and deep breathing.
When: Thursday 1pm-1:45pm
Where: Gainsville Health & Fitness
Quick & Easy Healthy Recipe
Broccoli Slaw with Ginger Citrus Dressing
Taste How Delicious Weight Loss Can Be
Ingredients
- 1 large or 2 medium oranges
- 1 tbsp. orange zest
- Juice 1 lemon
- 1/2 – 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
- Pinch of sea salt and ground peppercorns
- Stevia, to taste (optional)
- Tasty Toppings: avocado slices, cashews, walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds
In a large bowl, add grated broccoli. To add a little color, stir in ingredients like grated carrot, onion, apple, and purple cabbage.
Next, peel and section one orange. Squeeze the juice of 1-2 sections into a small bowl. Whisk together with orange zest, lemon juice, sea salt, ground peppercorns, and grated ginger.
Pour citrus dressing over slaw. Some add a little stevia to give it a hint of sweetness. Taste first because the orange may be sweet enough to balance the tart lemon.
Enjoy as a cold side or salad topper! Right before eating toss in raw nuts, avocado, or pumpkin seeds!
This is one of the many complementary recipes shared in our healthy lifestyle program, Physicians’ Choice for Weight Loss.
Patient Testimonial 🌟
“I’m very happy with my experience so far at ReQuest. Albert and his team are super knowledgeable about muscles and body mechanics. I have been given a variety of exercises to do and feel stronger already. Everyone here is professional and friendly.”
-Helene Y.
Spring into Wellness with Massage Therapy!
Spring is the season of renewal. Why not give your body the same fresh start? Whether you are shaking off winter stiffness or gearing up for outdoor activities, massage therapy is the perfect way to reduce stress, relieve muscle tension, and boost your energy.
Don’t wait to feel your best – book a massage appointment today!
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How to Grocery Shop for Healthy Options
When it comes to grocery shopping, there are many options. If you find your weekly trip to the grocery store overwhelming, you’ve come to the right place.
The best way to start your grocery shopping is by thinking about your preferences and needs. For example, do you want to lose weight? How many people are you feeding? Once you’ve determined these factors, make a list of everything you think you may need.
Keep in mind that a diet high in protein and low in carbohydrates has been proven to be the most effective for weight loss. Protein is a building block of muscle, and it stimulates the hormone that helps you feel full. Protein also helps you maintain muscle mass during weight loss, which can help you maintain your metabolism.
The most important thing to remember is that you should be eating a balanced diet. This means that you should avoid overeating any one type of food.
For example, if you are overeating sugar or processed food, it might be time to change your diet. When shopping in the aisles, try to avoid ultra-processed foods, foods with high sugar content, or excessive amounts of red meat.
Here is an example of what a healthy grocery list may look like:
- Fruits: apples, blueberries, clementines, grapefruits, and avocados
- Vegetables: broccoli, asparagus, onions, spinach, peppers, zucchini, sweet potatoes, baby red potatoes, and butternut squash
- Beans and grains: chickpeas, brown rice, black beans, and quinoa
- Proteins: eggs, salmon, and skin-on chicken breast
- Nuts and seeds: roasted almonds, pumpkin seeds, and natural peanut butter
- Dairy and nondairy substitutes: oat milk, coconut milk, feta cheese, and full fat Greek yogurt
Thank You for Subscribing to ReQuest Physical Therapy
Refer a Friend
Our purpose at ReQuest Physical Therapy is to leave a greater impact on the communities around us. In order to do that, we want to change as many lives as possible and become a beacon of positivity in our communities.
Do you have a friend or family member who could benefit from our pain-relieving services? At ReQuest Physical Therapy, we love helping people achieve relief from pain and reach their full potential, thus making a difference in their lives.
If you know someone who could use our help, click the button below to fill out our form and we will send them information about how we may be able to help their condition. Be sure to let them know you referred them so they can thank you!
Meet Our Team
Jeff Gilliam
PT, PhD, OCS
Penny Goldberg
PT, DPT, ATC
Jerry O. Rieta
PT, CSCS, CPT
Alphonso Jones
PTA, NASM CPT
Adrian Latscu
PTA, ACCI
Patricia Nichols
OT, CHT
Samantha Ream
M.Ed., LMT
Tiffany Fisher
PhD, LMT
