Two Simple Things For Better Shoulder Health
Here at Wagner PT & Performance, we treat a lot of patients with shoulder pain. This is a very common issue, especially among the athletes and active adults we work with. Each treatment plan is obviously unique, but in this article we'll cover two simple things for better shoulder health.
Overhead Mobility for Better Shoulder Health
Overhead mobility is something we see so many people struggle with. If you are an active person doing overhead lifting, throwing, swimming or other similar activities, you can't afford to have poor overhead mobility.
We screen overhead mobility in all of our shoulder patients because this one quick movement can tell us so many things.
Simply asking a patient to reach their arms overhead shows us:
Shoulder joint mobility
Scapular (shoulder blade) mobility and control
Lat and other muscle flexibility
Thoracic spine mobility
Neck posture
When reaching overhead, we want patients to be able to maintain a good, upright posture without the lower back arching, neck and head sticking out forward or the arms bending.
If your overhead mobility is lacking, try these exercises to improve it and give your shoulders some breathing room.
Exercises For Overhead Shoulder Mobility
Serratus Wall Slide
Thoracic Spine Bench Mobilization
Simple Rotator Cuff Training For Better Shoulder Health
Most people (especially those with shoulder pain) have heard of the rotator cuff. However, few are training it regularly.
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that helps move and stabilize the shoulder. A compromised rotator cuff can often be a factor in shoulder pain.
It doesn't take anything fancy to train your rotator cuff, just some consistency with the basics.
Below are some classic ways to train the rotator cuff. With these, start with a light weight and a slow, controlled tempo. This will help keep you from compensating and actually strengthen the rotator cuff instead of the muscles around it.
Rotator Cuff Exercises
External Rotation Rotator Cuff Training
Internal Rotation Rotator Cuff Training
Abduction Rotator Cuff Training
Physical Therapy for Shoulder Pain In Lakeville, MA
Shoulder pain is a very common thing and we want you to know that there are solutions. At Wagner PT & Performance, we specialize in working with athletes and active adults.
We hope this blog gives you some ideas to improve your shoulder health but if you are feeling stuck please reach out so we can help you get back to the things you love.