Take a moment for yourself and close your eyes. Focus your attention on your shoulders and nothing else. There’s a big chance you’ll feel some discomfort or pain in that area. Feeling tightness or pain on your shoulders is actually quite common to adults.
We ask a lot from our shoulders with all the activities we do throughout the day. It’s no surprise that with all the work your shoulders endure, you’ll eventually feel some level of discomfort. That discomfort can lead to pain and can even become a chronic problem.
Causes of Shoulder Pain
The shoulders are perhaps the most complex and flexible joint in your entire body. They are tasked with giving you the mobility to move your arms freely and do a complete 360-degree range of motion.
That level of complexity can also come with a couple of problems. Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain are arthritis, impingement, instability and overuse. If you tend to do a lot of these things, then shoulder pain can become a real problem. To help you get your shoulders in shape and reduce the amount of pain you’re feeling, here are a few exercises you should do.
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Across the Chest Exercise
This is one of the simplest stretches you can do. Some people may think it’s too easy to have any effect on your shoulders, but after doing 10 reps of this, you’ll definitely feel some effect on your shoulder.
To do the stretch, bring your right arm across your chest by guiding it at the elbow with your left hand. Following this motion will place your right arm at the crook of your left elbow. Hold the position for about a minute and repeat the action on your left arm. Five reps on each side should be enough.
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Neck Release
While sitting up straight, slowly tilt your chin towards your chest, then hold it there until you can feel the pressure on the back of your neck. Right after that, lean your head to the left to start stretching your right shoulder. Do this on your left shoulder as well. Hold both positions for about a minute.
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Chest Expansion
This requires a couple of things before you can start the exercise. You’ll need an exercise band, rope or basically anything you can hold on to. Take the band behind your back and grasp it with both hands. Pull your shoulder blades together and gently lift your chin toward the ceiling. Hold for 10 to 15 seconds while breathing deeply. This time, 3-5 reps should do it.
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Chair Twist
Get a chair, sit down and keep your hips facing forward and your ankles placed directly below your knees. Start twisting your upper body to the right by bringing your left hand and resting it on your right thigh. Hold this for 30 seconds before doing the same stretch with your right hand. Doing this 3-5 times will stretch your neck and shoulders just enough to feel it.
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Pendulum
The pendulum exercise is a great way to test your flexibility, especially if you have some injury to your shoulder joint. Start by leaning over and supporting your non-injured arm with a chair. Let your injured arm dangle straight down in front of you. Use the same arm to draw imaginary circles in the air that gradually grows from a small circle to a big one. Reverse the direction periodically and repeat the same motion. Repeat the exercise at least 5-10 times throughout the day.
Conclusion
While shoulder pain is common to most adults, you can always do something to lessen the pain or even prevent it from happening. These exercises are designed to be performed on a regular basis to ensure your shoulders are always in good condition.
Don’t let yourself suffer from any injuries or bodily pain. Ask help from expert physiotherapists only at Anytime Physio. We are a team of highly trained physiotherapists offering injury rehabilitation, podiatry, massage and dry needling in Brisbane. Book an appointment and start your journey towards health and recovery!
