A Guide to Shoulder Injuries

The 2 most common causes of shoulder injuries are a traumatic event or an impingement. Traumatic injuries can be caused by a fall or lifting too heavy a weight. These usually result in a tear of the small rotator cuff tendons at the shoulder. In extreme cases there may be ligament sprains, dislocated joints or even a fracture. If you notice immediate pain following a traumatic incident you should follow the RICE protocol: R = Rest I = Ice C = Compress (this is sometimes difficult at the shoulder and supporting the arm is more relevant) E = Elevate or support. If symptoms persist you should consult your GP or physio for a full evaluation and treatment plan. Impingement injuries are far more common. They often occur insidiously building up over a prolonged period. They involve the tendon of one of the rotator cuff muscles rubbing against the shoulder as the arm is raised. The symptoms usually include pain, especially lying on that arm. Difficulty lifting arm above shoulder level or behind your back. In the long term the shoulder becomes very stiff and this is termed a frozen shoulder. The condition is very restrictive and often you are not able to perform simple tasks like dressing, grooming hair or lifting any weight at all. If we lift the arm correctly the shoulder also moves so the tendon does not rub on it and therefore we do not injure ourselves. However if you have poor posture with rounded shoulders, or if your arm moves excessively in the shoulder socket you will be prone to this injury. Additionally suddenly

increasing an activity that involves lots of overhead movements can lead to fatigue and therefore incorrect movement and impingement. Common activities are tennis and swimming. Unfortunately the treatment for this can be lengthy. The first stage is to manage the pain and minimise the strain on the shoulder. You should keep moving the shoulder within pain free limits but support it as much as possible by resting the arm on a chair arm or table when sitting and in a pocket when walking. As the pain subsides the range of movement can be increased. The most important part of the treatment is to establish what caused the injury and rectify this to prevent recurrence. Your physio will be able to assess your posture and movement pattern and correct any imbalances that might have contributed. Obviously prevention is better than cure and if you are concerned about your posture or stiffness in your neck or shoulder you can book an appointment with Functional Physio for a Kinetic Control movement analysis. We can then give you specific exercises and advice to ensure you remain fully mobile and dont suffer this debilitating condition.