We need our shoulders for almost everything we do. Given how frequently we use our shoulders, it's natural that injuries happen. Shoulder pain is pretty common for athletes and workers and can be caused by multiple things. That's why our Manhattan pain management center is here to help you with your needs. If you have shoulder pain, then you're in the right place!
Sometimes it is just a minor injury, while at other times, it may need long-term treatment to fix the problem. But there are many ways you can put your shoulder at risk. So let's take a look at some of the activities that can lead to shoulder problems later on.
Ignoring your shoulders
Most people don't give their shoulders much thought. But this is a mistake because if you don't take care of them, they can cause you a lot of pain and discomfort. As we've mentioned before, the shoulder joint is an incredibly complex one. It's made up of several different bones that move together in multiple directions, and there are ligaments and tendons connecting all of them.
The muscles around the shoulder joint help stabilize it during movement. They also provide strength, allowing us to lift heavy objects with ease. However, if your muscles are weak or injured and cause, even the slightest misalignment can cause pain and inflammation, leading to other problems if left untreated. And because the shoulder is such a complicated joint, it's easy for things to go wrong when you lift weights or do other exercises that put stress on your shoulders.
Lifting heavy objects without proper form
It's no secret that lifting heavy objects can cause injury. But many people don't realize that improper form when lifting heavy objects can also put you at risk for injury.
The shoulder is one of the most common places for this type of injury to occur. It's also one of the most complicated joints in the body, with multiple ligaments and rotator cuff muscles working together to keep it stable during movement. If you're not using the proper technique, you're putting your shoulders at risk for injury.
If you injure your shoulder while lifting heavy objects or playing sports, you could end up with a rotator cuff tear — one of the most common shoulder injuries. These tears often occur when people lift heavy objects without proper form or when they twist their arms too far behind their backs as they push or pull something away from them.
But if you take precautions before starting any activity that puts stress on your shoulders, you can limit your risk for injury and enjoy an active lifestyle for years to come. The key to lifting heavy objects is to keep the weight close to your body. This helps keep your joints in their strongest position and reduces the torque on your joints as much as possible.
In addition to keeping the weight close to your body, you want to keep your back straight and avoid bending over at the waist while lifting anything heavy. Keeping a straight back will help reduce stress on your spine and lower back muscles during lifting activities.
Doing exercise improperly
If you perform an exercise incorrectly, it can cause injury. The main culprits are the bench press, military press, squat, and deadlift. These exercises are great for building muscle mass, but if done incorrectly, they can cause serious injury.
For example, if you try to bench press too much weight without proper technique, you could tear a muscle or tendon in your shoulder joint. Suppose you do any exercise that involves repetitive motion or rapid arm movements, such as swinging a golf club over your head or throwing a baseball. In that case, that could also injure your shoulder.
Always start light with any new exercise and learn the proper form from a certified trainer or physical therapist before increasing weight or difficulty level.
Having poor posture while reaching
This is a classic movement that puts your shoulder at risk. The shoulder joint is particularly vulnerable to injury because it's made up of three bones (the shoulder blade, collarbone, and upper arm) that are all connected by soft tissue. If you fall on your shoulder or put too much pressure on it, this tissue can tear, causing inflammation and pain.
If you're reaching for something above head level and you have poor posture, it can put extra stress on the ligaments of your shoulder joint and lead to pain in your shoulders and elbow, as well as possible rotator cuff tears or tendonitis.
If you are standing up and reach forward to pick something up, then your back is arched, and your shoulders are rounded forward. This is what happens when you hunch over a computer all day or drive for long periods of time without taking breaks. You will often see this type of posture in people who lift heavy objects over their heads or carry bags on one side of their bodies.
The problem with this type of posture is that it puts additional stress on your spine and shoulders when you reach for something. This can cause damage to the muscles in your back and neck as well as other parts of the body, such as your knees and ankles, due to the increased pressure placed on them as well as the stress that is placed on them from poor positioning.
Your goal should be to maintain good posture throughout the day so that you reduce the risk of injury while performing everyday tasks like picking things up off of the floor or reaching for items on high shelves or in cabinets above head level. It's best to bend over at the waist when reaching for things above head level if possible or use another method of reaching if bending over is difficult because of other health conditions such as arthritis or back pain.
Takeaway
You should always be aware of your body while performing physical activities. Shoulder issues can be painful and debilitating, so it is in your best interest to do what you can to avoid having them.
Ultimately, the best advice anyone can give people that are susceptible to shoulder pain is to get the problem checked out by a Manhattan pain management specialist and to reduce the level of stress placed on their shoulders—both at the gym and in their day-to-day life. Depending on the severity of the issue, there are plenty of non-invasive treatment options that can be used to help alleviate pain and prevent further problems.
Don't wait until something hurts before treating it. If there's something wrong with your shoulder or its muscles, book an appointment with us right away, so it doesn't get worse.
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