Preventing Shoulder Pain: Exercises and Tips from Merrick’s Experts
Although many people wait until they are in considerable pain to seek help, prevention is far more effective and far less disruptive than treatment. Therefore, you should engage in preventive measures to avoid suffering from shoulder pain. This article will explore exercises, tips, and other preventive measures that physical therapists at Summit Physical Therapy employ to prevent shoulder pain and discomfort in Merrick.
Importance of Shoulder Health and Why Prevention Matters
When your shoulder does not function properly, due to pain, you may be unable to perform your normal daily activities without discomfort and frustration. The following are reasons why maintaining shoulder health and preventing shoulder pain matters:
- To improve overall movement and quality of life
- To avoid chronic pain and long-term disability
- To avoid disruptions and inability to work or perform daily activities
- To reduce healthcare costs and recovery time
- To avoid surgery and dependence on pain-relieving medications.
Top Exercises to Prevent Shoulder Pain
The following are the best exercises that physical therapists in Merrick, NY recommend for shoulder pain prevention:
Mobility Exercises
A mobile joint can help you to maintain full range of motion and prevent stiffness that may lead to shoulder dysfunction or pain. Therefore, physical therapy experts in Merrick may include mobility exercises in your shoulder pain prevention program. Some common mobility exercises that your physical therapist may recommend include:
- Shoulder rolls
- Wall Angels
- Thoracic Spine Mobility Drills
- Arm swings
- Pendulum
- External rotations
- Side lateral raises
- Inward rotation
- Reverse fly
- Thread the needle, etc.
Stretching Exercises
Stretching exercises can improve the flexibility of your muscles and connective tissues, reducing the risks of shoulder strain and impingement. The following are common stretches exercises that a physical therapist may recommend for shoulder pain prevention:
- Cross-body shoulder stretch
- Doorway chest stretch
- Upper trapezius stretch
- Downward dog pose
- Chest expansion
- Tricep stretch
- Reverse shoulder stretch
- Scapular squeezes
- Gomukhasana, etc.
Strengthening Exercises
The muscles around the shoulder joint can help to stabilize its movement, preventing injuries from overuse and muscle imbalances. However, muscle weakness can prevent the muscles around the shoulder from providing stability. Therefore, a physical therapist may recommend strengthening exercises to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder joint and prevent shoulder injury and pain. Some common examples of strengthening exercises for your shoulder may include:
- Prone Y-T-I Raises
- Scapular retraction
- External Rotation with Resistance Band
- Dumbbell lateral raises
- Wall push-ups
- Eagle arms
- Shoulder abduction with barbell
- Internal rotation, etc.
Core and Postural Correction Exercises
Postural issues is one of the primary factors that causes shoulder pain. Therefore, you may need postural correction exercises to realign your shoulders and spine for tension relief and strain reduction. In addition, the core helps stabilize your upper body and reduces compensation that could harm the shoulders. Therefore, you can benefit from core exercises too. The following are examples of core and postural correction exercises that your shoulders can benefit from:
- Planks
- Thoracic extension over foam rollers
- Rows with resistance bands or dumbbells
- Wall Angels, etc.
These effective shoulder pain exercises and many more may be recommended by Merrick’s experts as part of a shoulder injury and pain prevention program.
Expert Tips To Prevent Shoulder Pain
In addition to exercises, there are some expert lifestyle advices that will promote your shoulder health if adhered to. Some of the best tips for preventing shoulder pain include:
- Postural awareness: It is essential to maintain a good posture throughout the day for a good shoulder health. Therefore, sit and stand properly, have a good ergonomic setup, and take frequent postural breaks.
- Daily movement habits: Practice shoulder health-friendly habits by avoiding inactivity, limiting repetitive strain, adopting safe movement techniques, and warming up before physical activity.
- Lifestyle and nutrition: What you eat and the lifestyle choices you make can also affect your shoulder health. Therefore, always stay hydrated, eat anti-inflammatory foods, and manage stress properly.
- Sleep: How you sleep, when you sleep, and how much sleep you get can affect your shoulder health. Most importantly, your sleeping position can harm or help your shoulders. Therefore, you should avoid sleeping on one shoulder for long stretches. Alternate sides or sleep on your back when possible.
These exercises and tips and many more have been proven by Merrick’s experts to be effective in preventing shoulder pain.
Conclusion
It is much more effective to prevent shoulder pain than to treat it. Prevention saves you a whole lot of money, stress, and discomfort. Therefore, you should consider undergoing physical therapy for shoulder pain at Summit Physical Therapy.
