subject: A Better Treatment For Shoulder Pain May Be Simple Exercises [print this page] When you cannot figure out why your shoulder is causing you a lot of pain, it is time to visit your doctor. Simple stretching exercises could be the best treatment for shoulder pain. One way to treat and prevent problems with your shoulders is to perform stretching and strengthening exercises.
Your doctor may have you perform a few resistance exercises with him to determine how serious the pain is. Pain in the shoulder can often be the result of a repetitive motion, either by the type of work you do or perhaps playing a sport such as tennis or softball. A great way to relieve the pain and possibly stop it from coming back is to perform a series of full range-of-motion stretching and strengthening exercises frequently.
In fact, you should always stretch your muscles before and after playing a sport. Simple, gentle stretching such as rotating your arm inward and outward and doing slow, full arm circles in both directions will help prevent muscle imbalances and ease tension on the joints.
Bursitis is most apparent in shoulder joints. It is the result of working the shoulder too hard. A group of four muscles and their tendons supports the shoulder joint when it is moving. Those muscles are the rotator cuff. Weak or exhausted muscles will not be able to keep the shoulder joint stable resulting in bursitis.
Rotator cuff exercises include resistance stretches with immovable objects, stretches including a handheld weight and stretches using resistance bands. These types of exercises will strengthen the rotator cuff to help stabilize the shoulder. A strong rotator cuff helps to prevent soft tissue injuries from recurring.
Changes occur in rotator cuff tendons as we age, resulting in less flexibility and more susceptible to injury. With aging comes a gradual loss of muscle mass, strengthening exercises can help to neutralize the loss. Starting an exercise program such as yoga can alleviate pain associated with shoulder joints. Studies have shown that practicing yoga postures or mediation or both can reduce pain for people with arthritis, back, neck and shoulder pain and other chronic conditions.
Stretching and strengthening exercises are an excellent treatment for shoulder pain. Starting an exercise program can help prevent the pain from returning. If your doctor does not think exercising will help your condition, do some research and try exercising before deciding to take medications or undergoing surgery. I was experiencing pain in my left shoulder and went to see my doctor. He suggested either pain medication or stretching exercises. I opted for the exercises and also started a yoga program. My shoulder pain is gone and my range-of-motion is as good as new.
