Shoulder pain: When to exercise vs. when not to do it

If your shoulders creak and feel uncomfortable, you often stretch by rotating your shoulders widely. Many people start shoulder exercises thinking their shoulder muscles are lacking. However, when your shoulders are uncomfortable, you should identify the exact cause before moving. In some cases, exercise can actually be harmful.

When your shoulder hurts, you should move only after identifying the cause.

Middle-aged shoulder ailments that bother you... Exercise is not always the answer

 

The shoulder is one of the joints most prone to injury. It is very busy, moving 3,000 to 4,000 times a day, and it is the only joint that rotates 360 degrees, giving it a wide range of motion. Additionally, as people age, shoulder muscles weaken, forcing the joint to bear more weight on its own, which accelerates wear and tear. This is why shoulder pain frequently occurs in middle-aged and elderly individuals.

 

If this condition persists for a long time, it can lead to disease. The main diseases are frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tear. Both conditions are primarily caused by degenerative changes, and their incidence is increasing with the aging population, making them particularly noteworthy among middle-aged and older individuals.

 

Experts say that preventing degenerative changes through exercise is most important to prevent frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tears. However, they caution that if pain is already present, caution should be exercised. This is because the appropriate timing for exercise differs between the two conditions.

 

First of all, even if you experience pain, it is recommended to continue exercising regularly for frozen shoulder. To move the shoulder properly, the joint capsule needs to be flexible. Frozen shoulder is a condition characterized by inflammation of the joint capsule, which causes it to thicken, and adhesions between tendons and ligaments. This results in limited shoulder movement and pain. When symptoms are severe, even washing the face or shampooing can become difficult. Due to these movement restrictions, many people become afraid to exercise. However, in fact, gradually moving the shoulder helps loosen the joint capsule and surrounding tissues. In other words, even with pain, consistent exercise can restore shoulder mobility and alleviate frozen shoulder symptoms.

 

On the other hand, if shoulder pain is caused by rotator cuff tear, exercise can actually be harmful. Rotator cuff tear is a condition where degenerative changes occur in the rotator cuff surrounding the shoulder, leading to a tear. When the tear is mild, stretching and shoulder strengthening exercises can be helpful. However, when the tear is severe, exercising can overstimulate the rotator cuff, worsen the damage, and intensify pain. There is also a risk of secondary conditions such as calcific tendinitis and acromioclavicular joint arthritis. Therefore, if symptoms such as reduced joint movement due to pain or muscle weakness suggest a severe tear, exercise should be avoided and treatment should be prioritized.

 

Frozen shoulder and rotator cuff tears show differences in some symptoms, but since both conditions cause pain when moving the shoulder, they are often confused. In the case of rotator cuff tears, even complete tears can sometimes have mild symptoms. Therefore, when experiencing shoulder pain, it is advisable not to make a self-diagnosis, but to identify the exact cause at a hospital before starting exercise.

 

Exercise gradually step by step... Be careful with strength training.

If you have no shoulder conditions or have received a professional diagnosis confirming that you can find the cause of pain at the hospital and perform exercises, it is recommended to exercise gradually. It is best to start with stretching. Stretching helps loosen tight shoulder muscles, improve the flexibility and range of motion of the shoulder joint, and aids in preventing and alleviating shoulder conditions, preventing injuries, and enhancing athletic performance.

 

When stretching, it is important to do so within the range of motion of your joints and muscles. Over-stretching can cause damage to muscles and joints. When stretching, maintaining an appropriate level of stimulation is crucial, and it is advisable to stop if you feel pain. Additionally, start with easy movements and gradually progress to more difficult ones, performing all stretching exercises slowly. When the muscles are stretched to their maximum, taking deep breaths to relax the muscles is beneficial.

 

If you have sufficiently improved shoulder mobility through stretching, it is recommended to incorporate shoulder strength exercises as well. Of course, strength training should also start with easy exercises. Performing strength exercises with incorrect posture can actually cause injury to the shoulder joint. In particular, there are cases where a 'click' sound occurs when the shoulder tendons collide with the acromion, the shoulder blade. Ignoring this sound and continuing with strength training can lead to degenerative changes in the tendons. Additionally, if you become overly ambitious with weights, the degenerative changes can accelerate, increasing the risk of tendinitis or even tears.

 

Therefore, when doing strength training, it is advisable to avoid movements that produce sounds in the shoulders and to start with easy exercises gradually. Additionally, rather than immediately lifting dumbbells, it is recommended to first master proper form through bodyweight exercises and then gradually increase the weight.

 

Kim Ga-young, HiDoc Health and Medical Reporter, hidoceditor@mcircle.biz

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A few years ago, under the diagnosis of shoulder impingement syndrome.

I had surgery and received manual therapy.

Stretching is important during manual therapy.

Consistently, anytime and anywhere, lightly.

Stretch your shoulders by pulling them back firmly.