"I've tried rehab, so why does my shoulder still hurt?"
"I've been dealing with shoulder pain for six months. I followed the exercises the physio recommended, but they didn't help. I got an injection, and it felt better initially, but the pain came back. Massage offers temporary relief, but it doesn’t fix the issue. I even tried laser treatment, but that was a waste of time. And I don't want surgery".
This story is all too common.
Understanding the root cause is crucial, but the solution lies in how you apply resistance through exercise. The type and intensity of exercise often determine success or failure.
If you've had shoulder pain, your physio might have recommended tying a band around something and pulling it out to the side, rotating your upper arm, (we call these shoulder external rotations) to strengthen your rotator cuff muscles. These muscles help stabilize your shoulder joint. It sounds great, and it is, if done correctly.
Here's where things can go wrong:
If your rotator cuff muscles are weak, strengthening them with these exercises can help. But do these exercises truly strengthen the muscles? Potentially yes, well two out of the four rotator cuff muscles at least. If the exercise setup is incorrect or the difficulty is too hard, your body compensates by using other muscles to perform the exercise, in this case your rear deltoid muscle. This muscle compensation can make it difficult to teach your body the correct muscle to contract.
The solution:
The exercise needs to be set up so you feel the target muscle working. If you can feel the muscle contracting, you then can strengthen it properly and address the root cause of your pain. The application is the difference between the shoulder pain remaining or going.
Diagnosing the problem is only half the battle. Proper exercise application can be the key to eliminating shoulder pain. Muscle function + muscle strength can result in a pain-free shoulder. If you have been exercising around shoulder pain or dealing with shoulder pain that just won't go away, reach out to our team today to see how we can help.
