Minor aches and pains are a normal part of regular weightlifting. When your muscles are taxed and used in different ways, soreness is bound to follow. The shoulder is a common source of discomfort from weightlifting, due to the complex nature of the joint. Making some adjustments to your approach may help with shoulder pain.
Shoulder Joint
Your shoulder joint has quite a bit more range of motion than your knee or elbow, leaving greater opportunity for injury. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint that is similar to a golf ball sitting on a tee. The ball must stay centered to stay in place. Ligaments and tendons support the joint and help to keep it in place, and it is in these tissues where many in juries occur from weightlifting.
Potential Problems
With all of the different exercises and angles that are common in any weightlifting routine, virtually any area of your shoulder may experience discomfort. Tendons and ligaments such as your rotator cuff, bursa and labrum may suffer small tears or large ones if the weights you are lifting are heavy enough. Symptoms of a problem consist of sharp twinges in any area of the shoulder during and after your weightlifting session.
Balance
One of the primary reasons for sore shoulders from weightlifting is muscle imbalance. Strengthening the posterior, anterior and lateral areas of your shoulder will help prevent any of your muscles overcompensating for weaker areas when you lift. Strengthening opposing muscles groups also makes a difference. If you spend a lot of time working your chest, but very little on your back, your shoulders may suffer the consequences.
Considerations
Overuse is one situation that can cause shoulder pain no matter how balanced your muscles are. Limit your heavy upper body workouts to only two or three per week to give your shoulders a chance to recuperate in between. If you feel any twinges or pains in your shoulders while lifting, stop what you are doing and ice it down. Visit your doctor if the pain is still there in a few days.
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