Help For Sore Shoulders

The body’s most mobile joint is also one of its most oft injured. Here’s how to keep it moving strong in all directions.

- Kristin Mahoney

SHOULDERS ARE COMPLICATED. After all, you need all those bones, tendons, and muscles to maintain 360 degrees of movement. But with the ability to reach up, down, and all around comes an instability that brings a high risk of injury. That’s why shoulder pain is one of the most common physical complaints, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. ¶ “Most upper-body workouts place a tremendous amount of stress on the shoulders,” explains Anthony D’Angelo, MSPT, senior vice president of clinical operations for Professional Physical Therapy. “These external forces can cause fatigue, breakdown, and eventual failure.”

WHAT IS IT?

One of the most common injuries for weightlifters is shoulder impingement syndrome, which can stem from the motion of raising your arm to shoulder height. This movement causes the space between the acromion (a bony extension of the shoulder blade) and rotator

cuff tendons to narrow. “The acromion can rub against, or ‘impinge’ on the tendons and the bursa [a fluid-filled sac that helps reduce friction in the shoulder area], causing irritation and pain,” says D’Angelo. Left unchecked, this friction can create micro tears, causing pain and inflammation or a tear in the rotator cuff.

HOW DOES IT HAPPEN?