Shoulder Impairment Exercises
Shoulder impairment, more commonly referred to as shoulder impingement, is a result of inflammation or irritation in the bursa sacs that are located in your shoulders. The injury often stems from repetitive motions, such as throwing a baseball or working as a barista. While inactivity often helps reduce inflammation, performing exercises after several days of rest helps improve flexibility and restore range of motion.
STRETCH EXERCISES
Rest and inactivity for several weeks is a popular, non-surgical treatment for shoulder impingement, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. With that said, it is important to maintain range of motion during this time of limited activity. Stretches, such as cross arm stretches and wrist rotation stretches help keep the muscles and tendons in your arms from tightening up due to inactivity. To perform a cross arm stretch, stand up straight with your arms at your sides and knees slightly bent. Cross your left arm over your right side, locking your right arm at your left elbow and pulling the arm until you feel a shoulder stretch. Hold for 10 seconds, repeating with your other arm until fatigued.
RANGE OF MOTION EXERCISES WITHOUT WEIGHTS
Before returning to weighted exercises, you must first perform range of motion exercises to help build strength and reintroduce certain movements to your arms and shoulders. Range of motion exercises vary from internal rotations to external rotations. To perform an internal rotation, lie down on your side with your inner arm bent at the elbow and forearm flat on the ground. From here, rotate your forearm up and towards your chest, continuing to rotate until your hand is nearly touching your chest. Slowly lower your arm back down, repeating with both arms until fatigued.
WEIGHTED LIFTS
After you have sufficiently rested and immobilized your shoulder, performing weighted exercises is important to restoring muscle mass and strength to your shoulders. Weighted shoulder exercises range from light flys to dumbbell presses. To perform a light fly, stand up straight with your knees slightly bent and a dumbbell in each hand. With your palms facing your body, lift your arms up and away from your body until they are parallel to your shoulders. As you lift up, rotate your hands so your palms are facing the ground. Slowly lower your arms back down, repeating until fatigued.
CAUTION
While shoulder impairment exercises may help improve range of motion and strength in your shoulder and arm, it is important to use caution when performing these exercises. Talk to your doctor or physical therapist to make sure you are ready to be performing shoulder exercises. In more severe impaitment cases, shoulder surgery may be required, resulting in additional weeks of limited mobility. If you experience any pain during the exercises, stop the exercise and continue to rest your shoulder until all inflammation has gone down.