Pain in your shoulders could be a sign of shoulder impingement. Such an injury may be due to several factors including an inflamed bursa or pillow like sac pushing against a tendon. Impingement may also result from injured and weak rotator cuff muscles. Regardless of the cause of shoulder impingement, the immediate care, treatment and rehab follow the same general protocol.
Pre-stretch
Muscle, tendons and ligaments become tight after a shoulder impingement because you have been restricting your range of motion due to pain and inflammation. Scar tissue development also limits your range of motion. Applying a heat pack to your shoulder for 10 to 15 minutes increases warms your muscles, tendons and ligaments, enhancing the ability of your tissues to stretch.
Pendulum I
Pendulum exercises loosen your shoulders through flexion and extension. The first exercise focuses on stretching your shoulder forward and backward through the sagittal plane. This exercise uses the movement of your legs to stretch your shoulder as your arm dangles below your trunk. Perform this exercise by first finding a table or an incline bench to which you can rest your uninjured forearm as you bend from your hips; your trunk should be nearly parallel to the floor in this position. Position your legs in somewhat of a lunge position with your left leg toward and your right leg behind you, balancing on the toes of your right foot. Your injured arm should hang perpendicular to the floor. Shift your body weight forward and backward using your legs so your left arm is swinging like a pendulum, stretching your injured shoulder. Complete the exercise for two to four sets of 30 seconds.
Pendulum II
The second half of the pendulum exercise is to stand with your feet together so your arm can swing in a horizontal flexion and horizontal extension direction, across your frontal plane. With your uninjured arm on the short end of the table or the top of an incline bench, shift your body weight from between your left thigh and your right thigh, moving side to side so your injured arm swings across your legs. Complete the exercise for two to four sets, 30 seconds each.
Passive Extension Hangs
A passive stretch is one in which the weight of your body or your limb stretches your muscle or joint as you relax in the same position for five to 15 minutes. A simple passive stretch for shoulder impingement is the passive extension hang. Perform this exercise by lying at the edge of a bed, massage table or a flat exercise bench with your injured shoulder slightly off the edge. Next, gently hang your arm so it dangles below you, stretching your shoulder to increase your range of motion; your hand should not be able to touch the ground. Start with five minutes, gradually increasing to 15 minutes.
Active Horizontal Flexion
Active stretches are simply those stretches in which you pull on your body or body part to stretch your muscles and joints. Perform active horizontal flexion by moving your injured arm across your chest. Then, use your uninjured arm to pull your injured arm closer against your chest, stretching your impinged shoulder.
References
- "Examination of Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Sandra Shultz, Ph.D., Peggy Houglum, Ph.D., and David Perrin, Ph.D.; 2005
- "Therapeutic Exercise for Musculoskeletal Injuries"; Peggy Houglum, Ph.D.; 2005
Member Comments