Our arms spend so much time in front of our bodies, it causes our shoulders to take the brunt of many of the things we do. Many of us slump, round and reach forward most of the day. Maybe if we had four eyes, two in the back of our heads, our shoulders might have a fighting chance to stay pain free throughout our lives. If your shoulders are at risk and you add tennis to the list of your activities, it might not be long before you feel the creep of the pain settling in. Stabilizing your shoulder blades is a great place to begin taking better care of your shoulders.
Researchers at Ohio State University found that shoulder pain is one of the top three complaints, falling behind lower back pain and neck pain. It is really no wonder when you look at how the shoulder is secured. Instead of using a girdle of ligaments, the shoulder is actually stabilized by four short muscles that are in close proximity to the shoulder. These four muscles are often referred to as the rotator cuff muscles.
The four muscles act in concert and each need to remain at their optimum lengths. If you let the front ones shorten and the back ones lengthen, which often occurs as the result of rounding your shoulders, you are creating an unbalanced vulnerability in your shoulder. Proper alignment takes body awareness. One of the first things to become aware of is your shoulder blade position.
We have all seen "dowager's syndrome" where an older woman's upper back forms a hump and you can often see the shoulder blade tips protruding from her back. A lifetime of letting your shoulder blades shrug up and forward can set the stage for the back to curve unnaturally as in "dowager's hump". There are a number of awareness techniques you can begin using today to help stabilize the shoulder blade and keep the rotator cuff muscles in balance.
The proper position for your shoulder blades is flat against your back, even during movements such as shoulder presses with weights. One visualization that I like to use with clients is to think about tucking your shoulder blade tips into your two back pockets. A great exercise to do each day is a set of snow angels against a wall. Stand with your back against the wall, feet about four to six inches out from the wall shoulder width apart and knees slightly flexed. Your buttocks and upper back should touch the wall but keep a natural S curve in your lower back. Bend your elbows and place the backs of your hands against the wall near your head. Move them up and together over your head while keeping the backs of your hands on the wall throughout. Be aware of your shoulder blades and try to keep them moving flat against the wall as well. Start the movement downwards, bringing your elbows towards your waist. Gently pinch your blades together and pause here. The whole movement should be a slow, relaxing, methodical movement.
This exercise is a great way to take a break from a desk or computer job and bring circulation into the area. Do ten to twenty of these each day and you will feel the difference. And don't forget now that you have circulation in the area, perform a few shoulder and rhomboid stretches to keep things limber!
