Fight off shoulder pain with stronger shoulder muscles.
One may assume that moving one’s arms around are thanks to the muscles in said arms, right? Well, not exactly. Subtler movements such as in your hands or elbows are certainly in the arm itself, but actually moving the entire arm around? That’s all in your shoulders, baby. This is why chronic shoulder pain can be such a frustrating thing. Imagine having to manually move your entire body just to maneuver your arm to pick up a glass. That’s what trying to live without moving your shoulders is like.
In order to prevent shoulder pain, as well as soothe existing shoulder pain, you need to perform exercises that work your upper body and shoulder muscles. Dumbbells and bench presses and such seem like the obvious choice, but there’s actually a better one: planking. No, not the outdated internet meme, the exercise. The classic plank, wherein you support yourself with your toes and elbows and lift your midsection off the ground not only builds muscle in the core, but in your shoulders as well. A stronger core also leads to better posture, and your shoulders are less likely to develop pain if they’re not sagging all the time.
An important thing to note is that while exercise is beneficial in alleviating shoulder pain, it only works on intermittent pain that comes and goes. If your shoulder is in constant pain, no amount of exercise is going to make that go away. You should see a doctor to determine the origin of the pain, as it may be something serious like a torn rotator cuff.
