Should you stop exercising if your shoulder hurts? Your shoulder is one of the most complex and overused joints in the body – so should you immobilise it or keep moving? The answer to this depends on the kind of pain you’re experiencing. New activities or exercises can cause your muscles to stiffen and become painful. Just sometimes, a really painful injury occurs – so how can you tell the difference?
Sore shoulders after exercise
Sore muscles caused by intense sports activity, gardening or DIY are usually not serious. Muscles start to feel stiff and painful hours after the activity is over. This is called ‘delayed onset muscle soreness’ (DOMS). It’s believed to be caused by microscopic tears in the muscles, which occur naturally through intense use. The process of healing these tears leads to stronger muscles. This kind of soreness is alleviated by traditional treatments such as a hot bath, massage and light exercise. Gentle stretching and walking will make you feel better but avoid overstretching the sore area. The video below will help you to ease your shoulder pain.
Sharp, sudden and unusual pains are likely to be more serious. A fall onto an outstretched arm can easily injure the shoulder joint. If you have severe pain in the shoulder area and feel that the arm is not properly in the shoulder socket or if you have a lump on your collarbone then you might have a dislocation or a fracture. In this case don’t exercise, seek medical advice.
Is shoulder pain a rotator cuff injury?
A rotator cuff injury is a common and painful issue. The rotator cuff is a team of four muscles which stabilise the shoulder joint and basically keep the humerus (arm bone) in its place within the shoulder joint. As we get older, the top rotator cuff tendon tends to get thinner and so progressive wear and tear can make you more likely to suffer a tear or strain. Repetitive actions like swimming or gardening, sudden falls onto an outstretched arm or violent movements can all cause this kind of problem. You’ll notice it as a dull ache deep in the shoulder (particularly at night when it may prevent sleeping) and you’ll have difficulty raising your arm above 90 degrees or putting a jacket on. Exercises can help a lot. We can tell you the best ones to do.
Other common causes of shoulder pain
Other common causes of shoulder pain are a frozen shoulder, a torn cartilage and bursitis. These feel similarly painful and affect movement but the treatment is different for each one so an accurate diagnosis is needed. To find out exactly what’s wrong, our physio or chiropractors will be able to perform specific tests to narrow down what’s causing the pain. If appropriate, special exercises and pain management can help you to recover quickly.
So don’t leave it to chance – come and get checked out at Sundial.
For more information on shoulder pain click here.