If You Have Pinching and Aching Shoulder Pain, Do These Six Tips Today

Hey Team. Carpentry is a great field. If I were to rewrite my life… I would consider this profession as it has so many different attributes—building homes, cabinetry, fine carpentry, woodworking… so many skills. Plus, you get to acquire all of the fancy equipment. Why has this piqued my interest? I have been watching more YouTube and Instagram videos lately to learn more about building options as my wife has some summer plans for me. An outdoor shed and greenhouse, a pergola, and upgrading our fireplace mantle are just a few. But, as I watched these videos, I realized this is an artwork in action. These skilled individuals have honed their craft and are now playing with different options, plus their efficiency in execution is impressive. 

The other association I have noticed with carpentry is the amount of time a person is working overhead. Stabilizing a board overhead, pushing for prolonged periods, carrying or twisting, or maintaining a position are all pretty standard. Anytime I am performing an upgrade, renovation, or a new building project and I have to work overhead… I start to develop some shoulder pain. Pain to the shoulder is always in the front, is sore to the touch, and the amount of pain at night only intensifies. The pain is best described as a “pinch .” This is an excellent description as the most classic reason for this pain is Shoulder Impingement. 

What is Shoulder Impingement?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that attach the upper arm bone to the shoulder. They help you lift and rotate your arm. The rotator cuff sits under the top of the shoulder, called the acromion. If you have shoulder impingement, your rotator cuff catches or rubs against the acromion. When you lift your arm, the space (bursa) between the rotator cuff and acromion narrows, which increases pressure. The increased pressure irritates the rotator cuff, leading to impingement. Essentially, any activity closing this space interval in the shoulder will lead to shoulder impingement. 

Common Symptoms:

Shoulder impingement leads to a collection of consistent symptoms. Here is the list of top symptoms:

•          Pain to the front of the shoulder with intermittent wrapping to the side

•          Pain with working or lifting the arm away from the body

•          Weakness to the shoulder

•          Minor pain to constant pain in the shoulder

Causes of Shoulder Impingement

Shoulder impingement is a mechanics concern. The shoulder only has a small interval for the tendon of the rotator cuff to pass through, making pinching possible. A few variables are seen when shoulder impingement is suspected. 

1.         An impact trauma:  fall to an outstretched arm, sleeping with your arms overhead for long periods, or a forced movement the rotator cuff cannot resist.

2.         Repetitive overhead trauma:  Overhead activity reduces the interval space where the rotator cuff lies in the shoulder. If reaching overhead is followed by repetitive movement… shoulder impingement is more likely. This is why overhead sports (swimming, baseball, tennis) or professions (electrician, painters, carpenters) have a significant incident of injury.  

Six Tips For Shoulder Impingement to do Immediately

1.         Reduce irritation:  It sounds simple… but it can be tricky to reduce irritation. Many times we do not know the factors creating more pain. Any movement overhead narrowing the shoulder space will create irritation. We must avoid overhead activity, sleeping on the involved arm, or bearing weight on the involved shoulder. 

2.         Distraction to the joint:  A simple exercise, like the pendulum exercise, will create a small amount of joint separation. Use a light weight and allow the arm to pull out of the joint. Do not use too much weight, or the muscles will not relax.

Follow this video to apply: 

3.         Light range of motion: Simple stretching of the joint to gradually increase pain-free range of motion and help improve the shoulder function. Watch this video to perform a modified sleeper stretch.

4.         Avoid overhead or behind the body movements:  If you are lifting weights or with regular daily movements, avoid activity behind the head. This movement will create more pinching to the shoulder overall. Some other weight lifting activities to avoid: full motion with a bench press, lat pull down behind the head, or straight overhead push press. 

5.         Scapular activation: Certain muscles assist with shoulder movement by rotating the shoulder blade (scapula) upward while reaching overhead. Commonly, these muscles working together are essential to keep the shoulder from “pinching .” Strengthening the muscles around the shoulder blade will allow the shoulder more efficiency in reaching overhead. 

6.         Postural Stretching:  Stretching the muscles to the front of the chest will be necessary to reduce shoulder “pinching .” These muscles attach to the shoulder from the chest and restrict motion overhead. Rounded shoulders and a winging scapula are witnessed when these muscles are restricted. Doorway stretching is a great way to improve mobility and open the shoulder interval. This video is an easy way to improve mobility to the front of the chest.

Overall, shoulder impingement is a common injury affecting many people yearly. Restricted chest muscles, poor strength to the scapular muscles, and impact to the shoulder are common causes, but these can be avoided or corrected. Overhead activity and repetition are a surefire way to start developing the characteristic sharp pain in the shoulder. The following six tips above are great ways to help correct any shoulder impingement you are currently experiencing. 

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