Injuries caused by the overuse of shoulder and arm muscles

Your shoulder joint is the most mobile joint of your body which puts it the shoulder muscles and joint at risk for injuries.

Whatever you do whether it’s playing a sport such as badminton, golf, or tennis, or carrying out household activities, the shoulder muscle is always being used.

Due to its high mobility and range of motion, the stability of your shoulder joint is compromised. The shoulder joint is also surrounded by many delicate structures that may also become injured. This will cause you shoulder pain.

Shoulder injuries may consist of damage to muscles, tendons, nerves, ligaments, or the joint itself.

What are the causes of shoulder pain?

Rotator cuff tear

The rotator cuff is the group of four muscles that surrounds the shoulder joint. These muscle work to move the arm. Their tendons fuse with the shoulder joint to increase the strength of the joint and provide stability.

Any of these muscles can tear, either partially or completely, due to traumatic injuries, degeneration, old age, or tendon inflammation. The result is a painful and swollen shoulder joint.

You can prevent rotator cuff tears by warming up the shoulder muscles before putting any strain on the muscle.

You can work on your shoulder strength at home using the loop resistance band for performing exercises including resisted internal-external rotation, abduction, flexion, and extension.

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Bicep tendonitis

Your biceps muscles work to flex your arm at the elbow. An inflammation of the bicep tendon or bicep tendonitis, occurs due to repetitive small movements. It can also be caused from a prior rotator cuff tear. It causes pain in the shoulder and functional limitation. The pain will be found in the front of the shoulder and can radiate down to the arm. Bicep tendonitis makes up 5% of all bicep injuries.

If your bicep tendonitis is in the acute stage, you need sufficient rest and icing to reduce the inflammation of the tendon.

You can work on mending your bicep muscle at home. Some effective home exercises for bicep tendonitis include, bicep stretch and flexion of the forearm using a Thera Band.

Arthritis

Arthritis is the inflammation of the cartilage that lines the joint surfaces. In the shoulder joint, the common cause of arthritis is overuse, old age, or repetitive trauma.

Shoulder joint osteoarthritis accounts for 5% to 17% of all shoulder problems. It does not seem to occur as often as osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joint, but its symptoms can be disabling.

Symptoms of shoulder joint arthritis is pain, and stiffness in your shoulder, your range of motion is also limited, and carrying out your daily chores can be difficult. Osteoarthritis can lead to other shoulder conditions, such as a frozen shoulder.

Therefore, to resolve the symptoms of shoulder arthritis, you can perform resistance band exercises at home. You need to be gentle and work out moderately as your shoulder will not be able to bear vigorous exercises and heavy weightlifting.

Frozen shoulder:

As stated in its name, frozen shoulder is where the shoulder’s normal movements are restricted in all directions. The majority of the affected people are presented with an inability to raise their arm to the side and overhead.

The causes of a frozen shoulder can be a previous shoulder dislocation, arthritis, old age, or diabetes. Frozen shoulder affects about 11% to 30% of people with diabetes mellites.

Carrying out a wide range of exercises is the best way to resolve a frozen shoulder. These include,

– Pendulum exercise (The shoulder hangs at the side of your body while leaning over a chair. Gently swing the arm back and forth. This loosens the shoulder joint.)
– Wand exercises (Lying on the ground, the arms are outstretched in front of you, elbows straight, raise your arms up over your head. This stretches the shoulder joint.)
– Shoulder wall circles (Standing parallel to a wall and moving your arm in a wide circle along the wall.)
– Wall climbing with hand (Standing in front of a wall, place your hand on the wall in front of you and then walk your hand up the wall until your elbow is straight.)

A frozen shoulder is extremely painful, so before starting any exercise, you need to apply a hot pack to your shoulder to reduce the pain and soften the surrounding tissues. You can exercise using a Pilates circle to assist your shoulder ranges.

Shoulder instability or dislocation:

Your shoulder joint is the most mobile joint of your body, which also means that it is the least stable joint of your body making it more prone to instability and dislocations. Your shoulder can dislocate in the anterior, posterior, or inferior direction depending on the mechanism of injury. However, more than  90% of all shoulder dislocations are in the anterior direction.

If you have shoulder instability or increased ligament laxity (relaxation of the ligaments around a joint) due to any reason, then you are at a higher risk of dislocating your shoulder.

You can prevent your shoulder from further damage after dislocation by using a shoulder brace. Using the Arm Sling with an Adjustable Strap, the weight of your arm is taken off the shoulder, reducing the level of pain and strain until your shoulder joint regains strength.

Once your shoulder is out of the sling, you may want to use Kinesio tapes to increase the strength of the shoulder joint, while keeping it stable.

Remember to always consult your doctor or Physician for advice and support if you are suffering with shoulder pain.

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FAQ

What is an overuse injury to the shoulder?

An overuse injury occurs when repetitive motions or excessive strain cause inflammation or damage to the shoulder joint or muscles. Common injuries include rotator cuff tendinitis, bursitis, shoulder impingement, and labral tears.

What are common arm and shoulder injuries due to repetitive movements?

Common injuries include rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, shoulder impingement, bursitis, and frozen shoulder, all caused by repetitive movements or overuse.

What injuries are associated with the shoulder?

Shoulder injuries include rotator cuff injuries, dislocations, labral tears, fractures, bursitis, and frozen shoulder, often caused by trauma, overuse, or repetitive strain.

What are the symptoms of an overworked shoulder?

Symptoms include pain (especially with movement), stiffness, weakness, swelling, tenderness, and clicking or popping sensations in the shoulder.

How to heal an overused shoulder?

Rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medications, gentle stretching, strengthening exercises, physical therapy, and modifying activities to avoid further strain can help heal an overused shoulder.