By Sanjay Chablani, Physiotherapy
When it comes to the human body the shoulder is one of the most mobile joints. It is also a joint that is highly prone to incurring injuries. Generally, those who are athletes or those who invest in fitness on a regular basis are most susceptible to getting a shoulder injury because they tend to tax their shoulder over a period of time. This happens due to constant overhead movements or because of participation in certain sports activities.
Common Sports Injuries:
Listed here are few shoulder injuries that are brought on about by participation in sports or as a result of lifting heavy weights in the gym.
• SLAP Tear - SLAP tear as the name partially suggests is a tear to the labrum or ring of the cartilage. The glaring signs of a SLAP tear include a decrease in athletic performance, the sensation of pain as a result of a few movements, pain in the shoulders and decrease of range of motion.
• Shoulder Instability - A shoulder instability is a very common occurrence for athletes. It takes place when the muscles, ligaments and tendons fail to keep the shoulder joints in place.
• Rotator Cuff Injury - A rotator cuff injury is another common shoulder injury noticed in athletes. It is characterized by stiffness, weakness and limited motion range.
Certain Additional Causes of Shoulder Injuries Include:
• Improper sitting postures.
• Accidents or trauma.
• Sometimes it can occur without reason.
The common treatment method for a shoulder injury is following an exercise regime. If you happen to take help from experts in the field such as a physiotherapist the steps that will be followed as a part of the rehabilitation process include:
• Addressing the issue. This can include a range of cases such as shoulder bursitis, shoulder tendonitis, rotator cuff, shoulder impingement and shoulder tendon tear.
• Providing effective treatment methods in the form of prescribing therapeutic approaches customized to the patient’s specific needs.
• Prescribing a list of stretches and movements to carry out at home and get relief from the pain.
There are numerous exercises for each of the different conditions. Exercise routines will also be prescribed based on how severe your condition is and how long it has lasted. A few exercises commonly prescribed are:
• Shoulder internal rotations
• Shoulder external rotations
• Shoulder retractions
• Wall angels
• Quadripeds
• Wall Push-ups
• Scaptions
• Shoulder extensions
These exercises should be taught to you by experts in the field and it is advised that if any of these poses hurt too much then you should tell your supervisor and stop doing them right away. If done otherwise you could end up further damaging your shoulder joints.