It is a common occurrence to get aches and pains in the shoulders at some point during our lives.  You reach up to get something on the top shelf and get a new twinge in the front of your shoulder. You perform a common activity -- one that you do every day -- but this time your shoulder zings with an unfamiliar pain.  Why?

   The accumulation of all seated activities including computer work, leaning over a desk, driving, etc. tends to cause people to round their shoulders forward.  The shoulder blade must be able to move out of the way in order for the arm to raise smoothly overhead.  With slumped shoulders, overhead activities become more difficult because the shoulder blade compresses the rotator cuff.  The rotator cuff holds the shoulder in the joint and is very important for shoulder stability.  When the rotator cuff is damaged, the shoulder stability is compromised and pain increases quickly in intensity and frequency. Contrary to the hip, which has a complete ball and socket joint, the shoulder does not have a great amount of bone structure for stability.  Instead, the shoulder relies more on muscle/tendon and ligament connections.  Therefore, muscle damage interferes with shoulder function more quickly and easily in comparison to hip injuries.

   As demonstrated above, the shoulder blade muscles are an integral part of correct shoulder motion.  These muscles secure the shoulder blade to the rib cage providing an anchor for arm movements.  If the shoulder blade is loose on the rib cage, the arm can not produce as much force with lifting, throwing, pushing etc.

   Imagine the importance of having a good grip on a fishing pole when you are trying to reel in a big fish.  If you do have a good grip, you may be having a frying feast tonight.  If you don’t have a good grip, you will be telling a tall story about the one that got away. The same is true with your shoulder.  If you are using your shoulder blade muscles well, securing your shoulder blade to the rib cage, you will be able to accomplish many more tasks with your arms and will be less likely to injure your shoulder in the process.

   In order to avoid shoulder pain, a solid understanding of correct posture is a must.  Sitting upright with the head, rib cage and pelvis in alignment helps bring the shoulder blades back onto the rib cage.  When bringing the shoulder blades back, be sure to not over arch the lower back at the same time.  The lower back should be relaxed but not slumped.  Maintaining an upright posture allows for better functioning of the shoulder as a whole and decreases the tendency to injure the shoulder.  When reaching across a desk, be sure to keep your shoulder blades on your rib cage.  Too many times, people reach forward, bringing the shoulder blade forward to extend the arm’s length.  Again, this places the rotator cuff in a compromised position. If you can not reach as far as you would like, you then need to bend at your hip to bring your upper body further forward.

   So the next time you are reaching overhead or sitting at the computer, remind yourself to place your shoulder blade back onto your rib cage.  It will help open up the space for the rotator cuff and allow your muscles to do their job more easily.  You will find that your shoulder will be more flexible and stronger.