Few Tips to Prevent Common Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder health is often a neglected issue. Unless you are suffering from some high-end shoulder injuries or joint issues, many people don’t even consider their shoulder health. We need to realize that our shoulders are important objects that help you with your day to day chores.

It is important that you maintain flexible shoulders that will increase your upper body strength and flexibility. Having strong shoulders will help you in lifting heavier objects easily and it also indicates that you can be a great performer at the gym.

Shoulder – A Complex Joint

The shoulder is a complex joint that comprises several different components. It is designed to be the most mobile and the least stable joint of the body. It is designed in such a way that even for the simplest of tasks, you need to move your shoulders. Even minor shoulder pain after a car accident can actually result in changes in the overall functionality of the body. It can result in certain unneglectable health problems.

Major Shoulder Muscle

The major shoulder muscle that is known to support all the motion and movements in the joints is the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is known to support the shoulder joints by scapular stabilizers, rhomboids, traps, and serratus. It is also known as the shoulder girdle.

Many people who are new to exercising at the gym are introduced to tubing exercises for the rotator cuffs. It is always a great idea to strengthen the rotator cuffs. Having proper muscular strength is also necessary for damage control in the tendons.

How are shoulder muscles damaged?

Have you ever felt an unwanted pain or twitch in your shoulders that led you to visit the orthopedic hospital? Because if you are, it probably means that your rotator cuffs are damaged. There are two major reasons why people suffer from rotator cuff damage:

• Rotator cuff muscles are small and overworking them can result in significant wear and tear.
• In the case of an improperly functioning shoulder, the rotator cuff muscles are getting ground. In the medical terms, the word grinding is also called impingement. Many people complain to feel a certain click or a sound from the shoulders upon movement – this is it. It is always a good thing to report the issue to your doctor so that you don’t end up with severe medical issues.

Common shoulder injuries

There are some common injuries that can occur in your body are:

Arthritis

The shoulder is vulnerable to arthritis of both the glenohumeral joint which is ball and socket and the acromioclavicular joint which is the AC joint at the top of the shoulder. These joints can trigger arthritis that causes discomfort, swelling, inflammation, and reduced mobility due to the effects or injury.

Sprains and Strains

It is possible to overwork your shoulders and damage the muscles and ligaments by producing small tears. It can also be called as ligament sprains or muscular strains.

Rotator cuff injuries

The Rotator Cuff is a collection of multiple shoulders of the muscles. As we age, the muscles of the Rotator Cuff will relax, resulting in a higher chance of injury. Falling injuries occur in these muscles.

Improvement in rotator cuff muscles

Having strong muscles in your rotator cuffs will actually be quite helpful in protecting your shoulders from any kind of stress and strain. They will also ensure that your shoulders are properly moving. However, you simply cannot determine the strength of your rotator cuff just by the movements.

There are two things that contribute to improvised and improved rotator cuffs. These things are namely:

• Flexible pectorals
• Sufficiently strong scapulae (rhomboids, mid traps, lower traps, and serratus)

Having everything lose and strong doesn’t really mean that your rotator cuff is at its optimal strength. You might need to introduce some strength-building routines and exercises in your daily life.

Before you start introducing certain exercises in your routine, you might need to see a doctor especially if you are having health conditions like arthritis.

Exercises for strong rotator cuffs

Shoulder stretches

If you want to exercise your shoulders and make them muscular and strong, you need to make sure that you stretch your shoulders daily by lifting. By weight lifting, you can actually increase the shoulder flexibility. If your shoulders are flexible, you will be safe from exercising injuries. As you start exercising your body becomes fitter you will be able to lift more heavy weights and actually build endurance.

Isolated Shoulder Stretches

Isolating your shoulders during exercise can actually help you increase the flexibility of your shoulders. People who hit the gym know the importance of isolating routines. This will focus on your rotator cuff strength. Having strength training routines with isolated stretches will reduce the overall strength by avoiding ligaments and getting rid of joint injuries. Performing isolated shoulder stretches will increase the blood flow among specific muscle groups. Make sure that you are performing stretches before and after the workout.

Workout stretches

You can begin your workout regime by simply stretching your shoulders. With a proper stretching routine, you will be able to protect your joints, ligaments, and muscle damage. So we can say that it’s just as necessary to stretch your shoulders after exercising also. A powerful cool down method often involves shoulder exercises along with spine, butt, lower back, and leg exercises. In fact, these stretches help improve your body’s natural flexibility. This makes your body healthier and more super healthy. Be sure that, with the close watch of a professional personal therapist, you execute shoulder stretches and other workouts. Stretching is also preferred by doctors if you are suffering from shoulder pain after a car accident.

Additional Steps to improve shoulder health

There are some other health precautions that you need to consider in your daily life. Here are the following:

• Make sure that you maintain a healthy posture. Having a healthy spine will ensure that you are more flexible and stronger.
• Lay on either your back or the side while you are sleeping
• Keep the head over the shoulders and keep the shoulders straight when you are sitting.
• Make sure that you divide the weight of your backpack, purse, or child between both the shoulders.
• Use a footstool or a ladder to reduce the stress and strain on the shoulders. This will help you avoid more stress on the arms and shoulders.
• Carry the objects by holding them close to the body
• Don’t lift any heavy objects while your arms are stretched.
• Take breaks during any tedious activities
• Stretch before any vigorous activity

In relation to healthy habits, exercising to reinforce and extend the tendons and ligaments of your shoulder joint helps you in 2 ways: trained muscles help prevent shoulder pain and enhance shoulder efficiency.

Conclusion

Shoulder health is one of the most important things to look after if you are looking after your general health. Rotator cuffs are the most common muscular region of your shoulder. People who are generally healthy need to understand that there can still be an issue with your rotator cuffs. You can perform certain isolation exercises to improve overall shoulder health. Just make sure that you are taking care of your physical health and visiting the orthopedic hospital regularly.