Shoulder pain is common when you have hobbies or a job with repeated overhead motion. Playing sports with repeated shoulder motions can create pain, too. It’s common to develop biomechanical habits that may not cause day-to-day problems but that wear down joint components over time.
The shoulder is a strong joint that’s also flexible, giving it a complex design that makes it vulnerable to osteoarthritis and other degenerative conditions. Your bad habits now can develop into musculoskeletal issues down the road.
The team at Southern Westchester Orthopedics & Sports Medicine has the expertise to help you through any stage of shoulder pain. Schedule a visit when you’re experiencing issues that aren’t responding to your home care efforts.
Both sudden injuries and wear-and-tear type conditions can affect components of the shoulder. For injuries resulting from habitual use, it’s most often repetitive strain causing the problem.
Repetitive strain injuries usually occur due to the mechanics of movement. Your form when playing a sport or working a job can create inflammatory problems or you could routinely overload your shoulder, resulting in gradual erosion of bone or soft tissue.
Overhead motions tend to wear down the shoulder faster. Working with your arms frequently overhead or playing a sport with overhead movements are common troublemakers.
Bursitis and tendinitis often result from habits like these. In the shoulder, it’s usually the bursa sacs or tendons that suffer, irritating nerve tissue and causing pain.
The cartilage covering over the ends of shoulder bones can also pay the price. This is an early stage of osteoarthritis, a degenerative joint condition. There are actually two joints within each shoulder, and all four of your shoulder joints can be vulnerable to arthritic conditions.
Identifying the bad habits within your body mechanics is part of the treatment process. You must modify movements that irritate your shoulder and its components to reduce the risk of re-injury.
These are some of the habits that might be making your shoulder pain worse:
One of the worst habits for your shoulders is ignoring the warning signals that pain represents.
Micro tears occur in muscles and other soft tissues. Even if a single event doesn’t cause significant shoulder damage, the tears can become cumulative without sufficient recovery time. And bad habits can exacerbate the problem.
If you’ve been telling yourself your shoulder problems will get better yet you’re still in pain, it’s time to see one of our orthopedic specialists. With three locations — in Yonkers, Bronx, and Mamaroneck, New York — we’re well-placed to serve you. Call the nearest office or request an appointment using the convenient link on this page.
