The Most Common Cause of Shoulder Pain...

Did you know the most common cause of shoulder pain is a condition called "Impingement Syndrome"? In this blog we will discuss the main cause of shoulder impingement and what you can do to help relieve the pain and stop future occurrences.

Main Cause:
​The shoulder is made up of multiple structures which must all work together to properly move the arm.  Many people experience shoulder impingement because of poor posture. When  you have poor posture, you are creating muscle imbalances of 

the chest wall, back, and shoulder girdle which can ultimately cause the nagging pain experienced with using your arm.

Posterior Capsule Stretch

Corner Pec Stretch

Serratus Anterior Punch

Prone Scapular Retraction

Supraspinatus Strengthening

Infraspinatus Strengthening

Click any of the pictures for more detail and instructions.

Symptoms:
​The main symptom of impingement syndrome is experiencing pain when reaching overhead and across your body. Why? Because the "supraspinatus" (rotator cuff muscle) is being pinched and irritated with these motions. Over time, the constant pinching results in tendonosis, or even tearing of the supraspinatus tendon along with causing irritation of the surrounding bursa sacs which lubricate the joint. Compensations in movement start to develop due to pain which further complicates the problem by creating more muscle imbalances of the shoulder girdle. These muscles imbalances then lead to more pinching and irritation of the rotator cuff which creates a vicious cycle.

Treatment:
Making an appointment with your physical therapist for a complete evaluation and treatment program is the best place to start. However, if your pain is minimal, you may begin with these generic exercises listed above. Click any of the pictures to see how.