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The Shoulder Part 1: Mobility
Shoulder Mobility
While shoulder mobility is important for more than being able to scratch your back when no one else is around, that is one major benefit! If you play baseball, softball, volleyball or tennis, lift weights, swim, or have a production job that involves overhead movements, it is very easy to see the importance of shoulder function. You also know how difficult life can become with a sore or injured shoulder. But what if you are mostly sedentary with an office job? We’ll touch more on that in part 2.The shoulder is a rather shallow joint to allow for a wide range of movement. Ideally, shoulder range of motion should be equal between the left and right side. A quick and easy way to generally screen your shoulder mobility is to place the back of your dominant hand on your low back and slide it up your back. Then switch sides and perform the same task with your non-dominant hand. Compare how far you can reach side to side. Then place the palm of your dominant hand on the back of your neck and slide it down your back. Switch to your non-dominant hand and repeat, again comparing side to side. It is not uncommon for your dominant side to have less motion than your non-dominant side.
Side note: It is important to understand that changes can occur in shoulder mobility for overhead and throwing athletes. These athletes predominantly focus on training one side more than the other. It is possible that trying to make both sides equal may have a detrimental effect on their performance. At Elite Sport & Spine, we recognize these differences and understand the benefits of some asymmetry in specific athletes.
Shoulder Pain & Injuries
The nature of the shoulder joint makes it highly susceptible to repetitive use injuries. The wide range of motion and numerous muscles that surround the shoulder provide amply opportunities for injury. A proper balance of mobility and stability in the entire shoulder girdle is important to keep the joints and muscles functioning properly and pain free.For example, the ability to extend through the upper back and stabilize the shoulder blade against the rib cage are vital for proper shoulder motion.
If either of these are not functioning properly, it can put undue stress on the muscles and joints of the shoulder. Through orthopedic tests and functional movement screens, it is possible to evaluate for the cause of the injury. It may be due to the joint not moving properly, the muscles becoming unbalanced (with some working overtime while others do not perform their proper function), or a combination of these two have occurred. We perform a complete exam and evaluation of the entire shoulder girdle (shoulder joint, rotator cuff, shoulder blade movement, and thoracic spine movement). This allows us to treat the cause of the biomechanical abnormality and not only the painful area. If you are experiencing shoulder pain, give our office a call today at (262) 373-9168 or schedule online.