Shoulder injuries can be quite painful, but there are ways to rehabilitate and help prevent them. Hockey, football, baseball and basketball players can suffer shoulder injuries and some of these players must rehabilitate the muscle or bone to get back into playing shape. There are different types of exercises you can perform to speed your recovery and help prevent an injury in the future.
Significance
Knowing ways to treat and prevent shoulder injuries can greatly reduce the amount of time you miss if you're an athlete. If your job requires lifting and carrying loads and moderate physical labor an injured shoulder can hamper your ability to work efficiently. Having the knowledge of workouts and exercises you can do to get your muscles back to full strength will be very helpful.
Exercise 1 and 2
These exercises are effective at rehabilitating a broken clavicle. A broken clavicle is a fairly serious injury, so don't attempt these exercises until your doctor clears you. The first exercise has you standing while holding a stick in front of you with both hands. The stick should be parallel with the floor. Slowly extend your arms above your head, keeping them straight. After holding for five seconds, bring your arms back to starting position, according to the University Sports Medicine website. Do this exercise ten times. Another exercise has you holding the stick the same way, but with both hands behind your back. With your arms extended, slowly move the stick away from you. Again, hold for five seconds and return to the start. Perform this ten times.
Exercise 3
This exercise is effective for strengthening your muscles after suffering a torn rotator cuff, according to the website Joint Pain Solutions. The first exercise has you lay on your side and place a rolled up towel between the injured arm and your body. Your body will be in an L-shape with your knees bent and the lower legs behind you. Using about 2-lb. weights, have your injured arm's elbow flexed at about 90 degrees. Next, rotate the injured arm toward the sky and slowly back down. Keep the elbow bent throughout. Do about three 3 sets of 15.
Preventing Injury
Stew Smith, a fitness author, explains at his website that the shoulder joint is the most commonly injured joint in the human body. It is also very versatile. The first exercise, the front raise, has your thumbs in the hair holding a dumbbell in each hand. Choose very light dumbbells for these exercises. Have the weights at your side and lift them in front of you to the same height as your shoulders. Perform this exercise for ten repetitions. The military press has your one foot in front of the other. Using the dumbbells, lift the weights straight over your head, performing ten repetitions.
Considerations
Always speak with your physician or physical therapist before rehabilitating a shoulder injury. You do not want to do any more damage to the muscles and joints in this area. A good rule to follow is that if you're unsure about performing an exercise, ask a professional.
