Do you experience pain in the front of your shoulder when doing an upper body workout? If so, you may have shoulder impingement. The shoulder joint is designed to have a great deal of motion in three different planes. The term impingement refers to certain structures in the shoulder girdle becoming trapped while you are going through these motions, which oftentimes can manifest as pain.
The most common presentation of shoulder impingement is a combination of tissue tightness and lack of stabilizer muscle engagement. Treatment would therefore focus on maintaining appropriate tissue length and rotator cuff muscle training.
You can use the following self-assessment exercise to find out if you have shoulder impingement. Raise your arm out and upwards towards the ceiling. If you have pain in the 60-120 degree range, you would most likely benefit from interventions for shoulder impingement.
In this video, Fit Club Physical Therapist Dr. Otto demonstrates some basic interventions for treating shoulder impingement.
If you have any questions or concerns about this condition, call or email us today to take advantage of our Free 15 minute consultation!
