Arm and Shoulder

Dealing with Shoulder Pain

Our shoulders are one of the most complex joints in our body. It’s where the humorous bone meets the scapula in a ball and socket joint. Also included in the shoulder area is the rotator cuff, your clavicle bone (collarbone), and the bursa sac which has fluid to cushion and protect the tendons in your rotator cuff. Below is a diagram of your shoulder courtesy of webmd.com:

As you can imagine with so much coming together in one area this is an important joint in our bodies and according to webmd.com, 3 out of 10 adults at some time in their life experience shoulder pain.

Shoulder Pain Causes

If anyone has ever played a contact sport, they can truly understand how and why a shoulder injury can occur. Where the humorous bone fits into the joint, it’s relatively loose making it susceptible to injury. Acute or blunt force trauma to the shoulder in sports like football, ice hockey, or rugby is relatively common and therefore can lead to shoulder injuries. In sports like baseball or softball, the process of throwing a ball is relatively unnatural to our anatomy and creates a lot of stress in the rotator cuff area. Even the everyday fall can lead to a shoulder injury by falling on the elbow just the right way!!

PM: Preventive Maintenance

Is there a way to strengthen the shoulder area to minimize the possibility of injury? Sure!! Exercises using elastic exercise bands or even light weight dumbbells can strengthen the shoulder and maintain a range of motion. Something as simple as the REP Latex Free Exercise Bands can be utilized in a number of exercises to strengthen the shoulder area and are available in different tensions so you can progress at your own rate.

In addition to elastic bands, elastic tubing offers variable levels of resistance to build shoulder strength. The Thera-Band Latex Exercise Tubing is a simple, color-coded resistance way to provide both positive and negative resistance to maximize the efficiency of your workout. You can even exercise in the pool!! The Thera-Band Aquafins Aquatic Exercise Kit can be worn on the wrists and use the water as resistance.

If you opt to use dumbbells to strengthen your shoulder, the BodySport Neoprene Dumbbells are available in a wide range of weights to satisfy every need. For a greater value, the Eliginex Vinyl Dumbbell Value Set is a color-coded variety of vinyl dumbbells ranging in weight from 1-10 pounds. Strengthening your shoulder and the adjoining area can help minimize shoulder injuries, but they can’t guarantee immunity from future injury.

Body Sport Neoprene Dumbbells		REP Latex Free Exercise Band		Thera-Band Latex Exercise Tubing

Shoulder Rehab

After you have injured your shoulder, rehabbing and getting back to the activities you love is important. The first step in any recovery process is ice and compression. Combining the two, the Aircast Shoulder Cryo/Cuff AutoChill System provides cold therapy and compression to the injured shoulder while immobilizing your arm in a sling. Its continuous cold and pulsing compression will properly start you down the road to recovery.

One way to regain range of motion in your injured shoulder is the BodySport Shoulder Pulley. It is designed to help the joint prepare for mobilization after injury. For strengthening and even pain relief during rehab, the Cando Be Better Shoulder Rehab Kit combines everything you need to increase strength, but also includes a pain relieving spray for your comfort. Keeping your shoulder and arm immobilized during recovery can help expedite the process. The Comfortland Shoulder Immobilizer with Waist Strap keeps your arm and shoulder intact after injury and has a thumb loop to minimize wrist drop. For stabilization that allows for some movement, the Donjoy Sully Shoulder Stabilizer can be used post injury and can stabilize and even restrict movement during your healing process.

 

Pretty much anyone who has played a contact sport or has fallen on their elbow can relate to shoulder woes. They can make sleeping difficult as well as every day activities. Your best bet is to work with your doctor or physical therapist and design a rehabilitation and exercise regimen to get you back in the game and you should continue strengthening that area to avoid future injury.

 

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