Should you Really Stop Lifting Overhead?
Lifting Overhead? Yay or Nay?
You’ve had a sore shoulder for a while now and your doctor or physiotherapist has told you no more lifting overhead… but is that really the best advice?
Our shoulder complex is a very complex part of the body and allows the most range of motion of any joint in the body. When a healthy shoulder moves, the large ball-and-socket joint (glenohumeral joint) makes up about 2/3 of the movement with the other 1/3 of the movement coming from the shoulder blade moving on the rib cage (scapulothoracic joint). As we reach over shoulder height, our shoulder blades should rotate upward and tip backwards. If this doesn’t happen, some of our rotator cuff tendons and other soft tissues can be pinched in a small tunnel called the subacromial space, leading to rotator cuff tendon problems and what’s called subacromial pain syndrome.
So you might say… that’s exactly why I shouldn’t reach or lift overhead! But what about when you decide to put a heavy dish back into a high cupboard, play with your grandchild, or join that recreational volleyball, league? All things you don’t want to avoid, right?
Here’s the problem, we spend so much time with our shoulder blades pulled downward and tipped forwards! We need to keep the muscles that pull our shoulder blades downward and tipped forwards mobile and loose while strengthening the muscles that rotate them upwards and tipped backwards.
Here are a few exercises to try at home to keep your shoulders healthy and ready for whatever comes your way!
Wall Slides
- Stand approximately 12-18” away from the wall and put your pinkies and forearms on the wall
- Be sure to stand up nice and straight, don’t arch your back!
- Putting slight pressure into the wall, slide your forearms up the wall while keeping your forearms perpendicular to the floor
- As you reach the top, let your shoulder blades wrap around your rib cage and tip backwards
- Come back down to the starting position with elbows bent and shoulder blades relaxed
Shoulder Blade “I”s
- Start lying on your stomach on your bed or floor
- With your arms along your side, pinky finger side of the hand facing up, squeeze your shoulder blades downward and together while lifting the arms up slightly
- Focus on the muscles around and below the shoulder blade
- Hold the contraction a couple seconds, then relax slowly
Theraband External Rotation
- Stand and hold an elastic in your hands, tuck your elbows in tightly at your side and bend your elbows 90 degrees
- Tuck your shoulder blades down and together
- Rotate your shoulders by moving your hands away from each other, keeping your elbows tightly at your side and bent at 90 degrees
- Slowly return to your starting position
Now, it’s important to note that if you have pain or weakness reaching and lifting overhead, it is a good idea to set up a time to have your shoulders assessed by a physiotherapist or chiropractor. A qualified healthcare professional can identify what needs to be addressed to reduce pain and keep you reaching for the sky.
If you’re having shoulder aches and pains or just want to make sure your shoulders are ready for the Chatham-Kent softball season, call Peach Physiotherapy at 519-358-7342 to schedule a one-on-one assessment to find out how we can help!