Improving shoulder stability is KEY for preventing injuries …. especially as we age. The shoulder is very susceptible to overuse injuries because of the multiple attachments to the supporting tendons and ligaments. It is a multi-planar joint (meaning= it moves in ALL the directions)… much like the hip joint. Unfortunately, the shoulder sacrifices stability for mobility. This allows you to reach up into an overhead cabinet, reach back behind the body to scratch your back, and reach out to side to grab your purse from the back seat. When these movements become painful and/or limited = YOU HAVE A STABILITY PROBLEM!
The 4 muscles of the rotator cuff provide much of the stability for the shoulder joint (along with the deltoid and other muscles attached to the humerus). When these muscles are neglected or overused, we lose stability and, eventually, mobility suffers. Most of the time we don’t even realize the problem until the shoulder starts to hurt :( YIKES!
Over time, the structures providing support for the shoulder can become overused and inflamed causing pain and issues like:
impingement
bursitis
rotator cuff tears
labral tears
subluxation
bone spurs
adhesive capsulitis
This inflammation can be made worse by repetitive motions like tennis, golf, lifting weights overhead, baseball, or any other activity using the upper extremities. Posture also plays a major roll in shoulder health because it can cause fraying of the rotator cuff tendons and pressure on the bursa.
Injuries can be preventing by adding a few easy stability exercises to your warm up. These stability exercises focus on rotator cuff strengthening, increasing synovial fluid, and improving blood flow to the shoulder joint. All you need is a light to medium weight resistance band and about 5 minutes! Remember… the rotator cuff muscles are considered to be “postural muscles” and they respond best to low weight/ high repetition exercises. Perform these daily - add them to your current warm up program to keep your shoulders healthy and happy!!
Give it a try!