Shoulder impingement is a painful condition that can be caused by poor posture or overuse of the shoulder joint. It occurs when inflammation compromises your ability to transfer force from muscle to bone without feeling pain, leading to reduced range of motion, as well as affecting areas such as the chest, neck, and upper back/spine. This article will provide insight into how to prevent shoulder impingement, as well as what to do if it has already occurred.
What Are the Causes of Shoulder Impingement?
Common causes of shoulder impingement include overuse movement patterns and weak posterior muscles. If you are engaging in repetitive exercises with your arms at a high intensity, this can put strain on your shoulders and lead to impingement. Additionally, having poor posture or unevenly working your shoulders can cause weakness in the muscle groups and leave them vulnerable to injury.
How Can You Prevent Shoulder Impingement?
The best way to prevent shoulder impingement is through proper form when exercising, including taking frequent rest days in between training sessions. Additionally, increasing mobility and stability can help ensure that force is being transferred through the body properly and reducing any potential for injury. Stretching the shoulders prior to exercise can also be beneficial in loosening tightness or tension that may have built up over time due to improper technique or prolonged physical activity. Finally, it’s important to ensure that you’re evenly engaging both sides of your body so that no one side becomes weakened due to overworking it more than the other side.
What Can You Do If You Have Already Developed Shoulder Impingement?
Suppose you have already developed shoulder impingement due to overuse or bad posture. In that case, taking some time off from physical activity is important for your body to recover fully before attempting any strenuous exercises again. During this time, focus on improving mobility & stability with exercises such as wall slides and Turkish get-up Y’s+T’s+W’s (10 reps each/3 rounds). By properly warming up and stretching out any tightness before resuming physical activity after an injury has healed, you can ensure that force is being evenly distributed throughout your body instead of concentrating too much stress on one particular area which could potentially lead back into shoulder impingement once again.
In conclusion, shoulder impingement can be an excruciating condition if not taken care of properly; however, there are ways that you can prevent yourself from experiencing it all together by focusing on even engagement while exercising and taking frequent rest days between sessions. Additionally, suppose it has already been experienced. In that case, focusing on improving mobility & stability with exercises such as wall slides and Turkish get-up Y’s+T’s+W’s (10 reps each/3 rounds) before returning back into strenuous activity should help reduce any further damage from occurring due connective tissues being compromised by inflammation.
