“Did you know that 25% of people will experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives?”
The fundamentals of shoulder anatomy
The shoulder is made up of a ball (the head of the humerus), which sits in a socket (the glenoid fossa, a shallow socket at the end of the shoulder blade), and is held together by a set of muscles, ligaments, tendons and fascia to complete some amazing movements. It also happens to be the most dislocated joints of all major joints.
Did you know that of all the joints in the body, the shoulder joint has the greatest range of motion?
The four major rotator cuff muscles are in responsible to maintain shoulder stability and giving the body the strength it needs to perform daily tasks. These comprise of the Supraspinatus, Subscapularis, Infraspinatus, and Teres Minor.
The “acromion” is our other companion. This flat bone supports the shoulder in relation to the rest of the body by allowing muscles to attach to the shoulder blade. It is located above the ball (top of the arm). The “subacromial space” is the area that sits between the ball and the acromion. Understanding rotator cuff injuries and shoulder pain requires knowledge of this structure. This is so that the shoulder blade can move together with the humeral head. If any of the rotator cuff’s components are damaged, this complex relationship could be in trouble.
The following are some of the injuries that physiotherapists see most frequently:
- Subacromial Impingement or SAI
- Rotator Cuff Tendinopathy
- Frozen Shoulder
- Arthritis of Shoulder
- Myofascial Trigger Points
The majority of these are brought on by neglecting to take care of our shoulders, specifically the rotator cuff.
Why does the shoulder then breakdown?
Your four rotator cuff muscles cooperate to lift, push, pull, stabilise, and hold the shoulder and body, much like four horses pulling a cart. If one horse is weaker, the others must step in to fill the void; if one is stronger, they take away the weaker muscles’ natural strength training. Injury is inevitable on this course.
Why then would some people be weaker than others? Were we created improperly? Do I have a disease? Simply put, the answer is no because of our way of life!
The human body was designed for physical activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and climbing—not for prolonged desk work, constant device use, or even for curled up on a couch binge-watching Netflix!
Now, the sad truth is that our society is transforming into ‘C’ shapes as a result of our long-standing love affair with sitting, and with this, comes the truth behind the rising number of shoulder ailments.
How to prevent deterioration of your shoulder?
- “Prevention is better than cure” – thus goes the proverb. Sadly, this is actually the case. We may either begin right away and begin the long journey toward strength, or we can wait until our way of life throws our shoulders so far out of alignment that underlying damage begins and the difficult road to recovery begins—let alone the impact on our neck and back!
You must evaluate two important areas and make adjustments. To win, you MUST take BOTH acts. Without both, you will be spinning your wheels in treatment and moving very slowly.
a) What actions are you taking that are helping your shoulders?
This can include;
- strengthening your upper back
- stretching your pectoralis muscles
- strengthening the external rotators of your shoulders
- awareness of posture at rest and during play – and more…
b) What are you doing that is negatively impacting your shoulders?
For example;
- poor desk set-up/laptop working
- too many chest presses/not enough rows
- sitting posture
- lifting weights far too heavy for you
Conclusion – ‘the 3 takehomes’
- Your shoulders need intentional tender loving care, to prevent breakdown, and injury.
- You have the ability to wage war on your shoulders, or bring peace through the actions you take, or indeed, don’t take.
- Stay connected with Reflex Health to help you through your rehab journey – and share the joy with others!