left shoulder pain

While performing simple everyday activities, your shoulders assist you in almost everything. Shoulder muscles work when you lift, grab or reach out for something on a high shelf, drive a car, or brush your hair.

Pain, stiffness, or weakness can make it difficult to do all that. Shoulders are one of the most used joints with an immensely wide range of motion.

They are also the parts most prone to injury, requiring time to rehabilitate. Once injured, they are more likely to get hurt again. Common reasons are repetitive movements and too many arm actions above the head.

If you are not sure about the reason for your shoulder pain, make an appointment with Dr. Tanveer Bhutani. It will be diagnosed what the origin and underlying issue for the pain is, and it can be treated.
However, you can take certain precautions that help strengthen the shoulder muscles and safeguard you from pain and injury.

 

1. Warm-up Stretches: Preventing Shoulder Pain

Always do stretching exercises before your workout or game. This is especially essential when you have had an injury before. Do light exercises such as brisk walking, jogging, and arm rotations.

Common stretching & warming-up exercises include the pendulum, rotation, running, and arm stretches, etc.

 

2. Rest

Just think it over. If there is an activity that might have caused the shoulder pain, modify or stop that activity. Rest your joint till you feel strong enough to return to that activity, game, or task.

Meanwhile, you can switch to other activities like jogging or riding a stationary bicycle. You must move your shoulders gently, allowing them to heal. Resting the shoulder muscles makes them rehabilitate.

 

3. Listen to your Body

Your body always gives you signals that you are overdoing something or a certain action is just not right. However, we choose to ignore them. Listen to your body.

It talks. If your shoulder is getting sore after any activity, do not ignore it. If there is stiffness, discomfort, or pain, slow down.

Not stopping will cost you a lot of time in the future. There is no new to rough it out and make things worse.

4. Build up the Shoulder Strength & Endurance

It is important to increase the strength and endurance of the shoulder to keep it healthy and pain-free. There is nothing better than pumping strength into your muscles for preventing future injury. Take the help of your orthopedic surgeon and physiotherapist to make your shoulder joint strong and safe from pain. Regular exercise can keep it strong & flexible. However,

1. Do not exercise if you get pain.
2. Stop when you feel it is enough.
3. Watch your posture while performing the exercise lest you make it worse.
4. Do not forget to warm up before starting.
5. Poor technique can cause additional damage, so consult a professional

 

5. Increase the Range of Motion

a) The Pendulum Stretch

1. Stand & bend at the waist.
2. Let your arm hang down perpendicular to the floor
3. Keep the neck relaxed.
4. Move your arm in a circle up to 20 times
5. Do it twice or thrice a day.

 

b) Overhead Shoulder Stretch

1. Stand Straight.
2. Interlock your fingers and keep them in front of you.
3. Now bend the elbows, raise your arms and place your hands behind your head.
4. Gently squeeze your shoulders together & move the elbows back.
5. Repeat 20 times approx.
6. You may do it four to five times a day.

 

6. Avoid Repetitively Stress

If your job or work involves performing similar actions repeatedly, make your way around it. Take rest every 20 minutes, watch your posture(do not slouch all the time), keep your spine erect while standing or sitting.

If you work on a computer, your desk height should be such that your mouse is at a slightly lower level than the elbow. Keep walking and stretching off and on. Do not perform too many actions above the head or far away from where you have to reach out with difficulty.

At work, you can ask your boss for alternative tasks when you feel like your shoulder needs a rest.

 

The Takeaway Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is pretty common among people. The unique anatomy of this ball and socket joint gives a tremendous range of motion but also makes it prone to stress, injury and pain, especially for sports persons if they are not careful.

However, with the above precautionary measures and tips, you can have healthy shoulders for life. If there is any discomfort or pain you can seek immediate care. You must make an appointment with a sports and bones specialist right away if there is a deformity, sudden swelling, inability to move, weakness, or unbearable pain.