Strength training should be a regular part of your exercise routine, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggesting that all adults get at least two days of strength training exercise each week. Strength training helps build muscles and increases muscle mass, which in turn helps your body burn calories more efficiently. However, a common side effect of strength training is pain, especially at joints such as the shoulders.
Causes
The shoulder pain experienced from lifting exercises can be caused in several different ways. For example, over-lifting, whether it be maxing out your weight or performing too many reps, can tear muscle fibers and cause either direct muscle soreness, or delayed-onset muscle soreness, also referred to as DOMS. Muscle soreness might also come from injuries to the tendons that attach the subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and the teres minor to the humerus bone. Incorrect posture when lifting might also increase risks for shoulder pain after a strength training session.
Prevention
Several steps can be taken to prevent shoulder pain. First, build up your muscles over time instead of trying to lift too much too soon. This allows your muscles to strengthen gradually, making the tissues more tolerant and resistant to the force applied to them during exercise. Warming up shoulder muscles before exercising might also help by making the muscles and supporting tissues more pliable and less prone to injury, suggests the Merck Medical Library.
RICE Treatment
One of the first treatments that should be used for muscle soreness after lifting is the RICE method -- or rest, ice, compression and elevation. First, you should rest your shoulder, for at least 48 hours before working out the shoulder muscles again. Secondly, you should ice the injured area to control swelling and dull the pain. Compression can be applied to the shoulder by wrapping the muscles with a bandage. Elevation is not as important with a shoulder injury, unless you are lying on your back, at which point a pillow can be placed under the affected arm to keep the shoulder level and to facilitate drainage of fluid to help reduce swelling.
Other Treatments
Depending on the severity of the pain, other treatments might also be necessary to help treat the shoulder. For example, medications might be needed to control pain, ranging from basic over-the-counter pain medications to prescription-strength pain medicines for more serious injuries. If the shoulder tendons or ligaments are severely damaged, rehabilitation sessions or possibly even surgery might be needed to help repair the shoulder to reduce pain.
