The most complex joint in the body requires special attention

Sean Gill

5 days ago·6 min read

The exceptional mobility of the shoulder joint is also its downfall. Being so mobile comes with an innate amount of instability. With so many muscles acting on the shoulder joint, a near-perfect balance must be found.

Poor shoulder health stems from two key factors: poor posture and less than ideal exercise selection.

Continuing to exercise with poor posture will only further the problem. Pain, discomfort, and tightness are likely to present. This also reduces our ability to produce force and lift heavy stuff — the key to building muscle and strength. And it increases the risk of injury.

This article will discuss the reasons for chronic shoulder pain and the specific strategies to manage it and ultimately overcome it.

Poor Posture Epidemic

Now more than ever are we seeing poor posture, specifically at the upper back and shoulders. It’s no coincidence this has manifested itself with the increasing worldwide use of technology, whether it be handheld devices that require us to look downwards or the screens we must look at to do our jobs.

We become slouched over, our shoulders internally rotated and our thorasic spine unable to extend. The human body loves to adapt, so this becomes the new norm. We assume this posture by default and take it with us wherever we go.

What this means for us is an inability to both stabilize and mobilize the shoulders. But luckily improving posture is as simple as restoring balance. We must mobilize tight muscles and strengthen the weak underutilized muscles.

The Pesky Rotator Cuff

Ever had a shoulder injury yourself? Or known someone with one? Then you’ve likely heard of the rotator cuff. Probably even been told it’s the cause of your pain, past or present. When the shoulder is placed in a poor position, the muscles of the rotator cuff become compromised.

Consisting of four muscles, the rotator cuff helps to enable internal rotation, abduction, and external rotation at the shoulder joint. Again, problems occur when an imbalance exists. Within the rotator cuff, both the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles allow external rotation. This might seems advantageous when you learn that only the subscapularis muscle contributes to internal rotation.

It’s not quite that simple, however, as big and often well-developed muscles also contribute to internal rotation. These include the lats, pecs, and anterior deltoids (front side ‘shoulder muscle’). You can see now that the infraspinatus and teres minor need as much help as they can get.

How we Train in the Gym

It’s nice to see our hard work in the gym pay off. Especially those muscles that stare back at us in the mirror. No one can be blamed for training those muscles particularly hard — it’s simply human nature. But doing so will compromise balance, the one thing the shoulder joint craves.

Anterior delts, pecs, and lats — the upper body muscles we love to see in the mirror. And as you now know, also the ones pulling our shoulders into an undesirable position. As previously discussed, this is a matter of balance. A balance that can be restored over time.

Fixing the Problem (and Preventing Reoccurrence)

Fixing shoulder posture and ultimately resolving shoulder pain isn’t that complicated. Implementing effective exercises to mobilize and strengthen is all that is needed. Perform these exercises regularly and consider limiting your pressing/pushing movements (only in the meantime) in the gym for optimal results.

Once your shoulder pain is better managed or even resolved, it is not the time to discontinue these exercises. Prevention is always better than treatment. Consider including the exercises in your warm-ups to ensure they are done. A maintenance dose of three times per week is all that is needed. After all, they can all be done at home with minimal equipment.

Mobilize

1) Thorasic extension on a foam roller

1. Lay with your upper/middle back (bottom of the neck to the bottom of the rib cage) on the foam roller
2. Bend your knees and keep your butt and feet firmly planted
3. Exhale and let your upper back extend over the foam roller
4. Spend a few seconds here and return to the starting position
5. Move up and down along the rib cage for 2–5 minutes

2) Wall slides

1. Seated or standing, form an L shape with both arms
2. Try to touch both the elbows and back of hands to the wall
3. As you extend your arms overhead, do your best to maintain these two contact points
4. Hold the top position for a few seconds and return to the starting position
5. Perform for 3 sets of 10 reps

3) Doorway stretch

1. Form an L shape with your arm
2. Place your arm from hand to elbow against the door frame
3. Push your chest forward slightly to initiate the stretch
4. You may also choose to stretch both sides at once to save time
5. Hold for 1–2 minutes on both sides

Strengthen

1) Banded face pull

1. Hold a light resistance band tied at face height with an overhand grip
2. Keep your body still by tensing your core and glutes (butt muscles)
3. Pull the band, leading initially with the elbows before pulling through with the hands
4. Hold the end position for a second and return to the starting position
5. Perform 3 sets of 10–15 reps

2) Banded external rotations

1. Using a light miniband, either hold each end or place your hands inside of it
2. Keep the elbows tucked in by actively pressing them against your side
3. Pull the band apart by only moving your hands
4. Hold for a second and return to the starting position
5. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps

3) Banded pull apart

1. Hold a light resistance band at each end, increasing the resistance by using a closer grip or decreasing it by moving your hands further apart
2. Keep your body still by tensing your core and glutes
3. Pull the band apart until it contacts your chest ensuring your shoulders do not raise upwards
4. Hold for a second and return to the starting position
5. Perform 3 sets of 10–15 reps

Final Thoughts

Achieving and maintaining good shoulder health is as easy as finding an ideal balance. By changing your habits both in and out of the gym, the road to eliminating shoulder pain is one that is easily traveled. Start today by incorporating these simple exercises into your routine. And remember, keep it going in the long-term — prehab is always better than rehab.