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What
is a shoulder impingement?
Types of shoulder impingement
How can I prevent a shoulder impingement?
Improving sports performance
Shoulder impingement rehabilitation
for athletes
Types of impingement
include:
- Bursitis
Frequent extension of the arm at high speed under high load, such as
pitching a baseball or playing racquet sports, can cause bursitis. Medical
research shows that the older you get, the more likely you are to develop
bursitis.
- Tendinitis
Tendinitis develops over time and is likely to occur when a person whose
muscles are not in good condition starts an overly aggressive training
program. In younger athletes, the causes of tendinitis are similar to
those of bursitis.
How can I prevent
a shoulder impingement?
One of the best ways to prevent these overuse injuries from recurring
is to listen to your body and take a break, or seek medical care for your
shoulder inflammation instead of trying to "work through the pain."
Furthermore, the rehabilitation
exercises should be continued to ensure protective strength, range of
motion, and stability of the injured area. Other preventive techniques
include:
- Don't play tennis
or golf in an attempt to "loosen
up" tightness. When a shoulder injury is ignored, it can become
the source of chronic problems.
- If your shoulder
is sore after you use it actively, especially at the limits of your
reach, give it some rest. If pain persists or worsens, consult your
doctor.
- Do exercises to
strengthen arm, back, and chest muscles.
- Learn the proper
technique for exercise and sporting activities. This will decrease stress
on all your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, including those around
your shoulder.
Improving Sports
Performance
The key to improving sports performance after recovering from a shoulder
impingement is a proper rehabilitation
program, and adhering to some of those same principles after the injury
is gone. Refer to the rehabilitation exercises.
Remember the following:
- Do exercises to
strengthen arm, back, and chest muscles.
- Learn the proper
technique for exercise and sporting activities. This will decrease stress
on all your muscles, ligaments, and tendons, including those around
your shoulder.
Also, the single most
important aspect of improving performance is stretching before and after
you step onto the field, court, ice, or golf course.
Benefits derived from stretching include:
- increased physical
efficiency and performance
- decreased risk
of injury
- increased blood
supply and nutrients to joint structures
- increased coordination
- improved muscular
balance and postural awareness
- reduced stress
- enhanced enjoyment
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