The end of shoulder pain can depend on a number of factors. One of them is your understanding of how your shoulders work and what is typically the source of your pain.
It’s possible that you reached this article because of one of these two reasons:
- Do you have pain in your shoulders and would like to make a change?
- You did not hurt your shoulders, and you want them to stay that way.
You’re in the right place if your shoulder pain is severe and you want to be able to move and do exercises freely. Keep reading to learn more about how you can end shoulder pain.
Mobility in Your Shoulders
Your shoulder blade rotation is like your hip mobility during a deadlift. If your hips can’t move back far enough to grab the weight, then you need to do something. Deadlifts can cause back pain for many.
Your lower back is usually the “something else”. You can hurt yourself if your lower back does the work of your hips.
The same goes for shoulder movements. You may be able to get away with this for a while if soft tissues and the joint capsules are performing the same work as larger muscles such as your deltoids. You’ll eventually have to deal with it.
How to Get Rid of Shoulder Pain
The good news is that many of the issues with overhead presses and bench presses are caused by problems with your shoulder blade movement and thoracic mobility. These issues can be fixed, which will make you feel more comfortable during these exercises and many others.
Instead of trying to learn 15 different variations on rotator cuff exercises let’s focus on the root cause of both these common movements – scapula and thoracic. This will allow you to perform more effective shoulder pressing moves with less discomfort.
Shoulder Pain Solution #1 – Breathe (But Do It Correctly)
To correct your thoracic position, the first thing to do is to take a few moments to practice a breathing drill. You might be thinking, “Breathing?” But keep with me.
The position of your torso is directly affected by how you breathe. Breathing incorrectly can limit your thoracic motion which, as we have discussed, has an effect on shoulder motion. These drills will help you:
- Deepen your breathing with slow, deep inhales and powerful exhales.
- Focus on slow movements and getting more movement, not just the reps.
Shoulder Pain Solution #2 – Foam Roll Like a Pro
Next, you will bring the foam roller in to treat the tissues of your thoracic spine. Be sure to pay attention to how it’s going to be used.
These are known as T-Spine Extensions. Let’s discuss what this movement isn’t:
- It’s not you dragging around a bunch of people.
- It’s not that you are trying to make a lot of movement by flaring out your ribcage. You should keep your abs engaged during this drill to ensure that movement comes solely from your upper back.
- It is not your goal to touch the ground with your back. This is not a Gumby situation.
You are trying to get more movement from your thoracic spine. That’s all. It will feel subtle at first, and it may be hard to feel. You can do it if you work hard enough and you will soon feel freer in your upper back, shoulders, and neck. This is what you want.
End Shoulder Pain Today
So the next time you or someone you know is experiencing shoulder pain, don’t automatically think they need to get surgery. You can simply use some of these tips we’ve discussed today and see how you feel. We hope that you now have a ton more knowledge about your shoulder and how to treat it.
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