Lateral Shoulder Pain: Causes and How to Fix It

First, it’s important to make sure there are not any imbalances or muscle weaknesses in your rotator cuff.

You see, your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that attach the humerus (arm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade). These muscles and tendons work to stabilize the shoulder joint and allow for a wide range of motion. When any one of these muscles becomes weak it can cause the other muscles to compensate for it which puts extra stress on these muscles and the shoulder joint, increasing the chance of injury. When you see a physiotherapist they will check for muscle imbalances as well as other relevant factors and recommend a specific treatment plan to correct them. Addressing these imbalances/weaknesses can decrease the chances of it happening again.

Next, it is important to maintain good posture hygiene. Employing poor posture habits such as sitting for very prolonged periods of time can place extra stress on the shoulder joints. A physiotherapist can give you specific advice on how to reduce this stress brought on by poor posture habits.

Third, it is important to temporarily avoid activities that put strain on the shoulder joint. When you are rehabbing your shoulder injury, you want to reduce stress on the joint as you heal. As you improve, you’ll want to gradually increase stress to the shoulder to allow it to become stronger. A physiotherapist can guide you through a loading program to address appropriate times to protect and stress the shoulder.

And finally, be sure to warm up before participating in any activity that puts stress on the shoulder. 

By following these simple tips, you can help prevent shoulder pain and keep your shoulders healthy and strong.

Lateral shoulder pain can be a very annoying problem. However, it is often easily treatable with some simple home remedies or physiotherapy. If you are experiencing lateral shoulder pain, you can find a top physiotherapy clinic near you by clicking the search button on this page.