Pain at the Front of the Shoulder

Are you experiencing pain at the front of your shoulder? This one’s for you, keep reading.  The shoulder joint is a complex joint that moves in more directions and through a larger range of motion than any other joint in the body. Its bony structure consists of the shoulder blade (scapula), collar bone (clavicle), and humerus. There are many muscles and ligaments contributing to its proper function. Because of the complexity of the shoulder there are a multiplicity of reasons a shoulder joint may cause pain. This short summary will address a common lifting error which causes pain at the front of the shoulder. 

For those olympic lifters out there who train the clean and jerk, and snatch movements, you are aware of the second pull position where the bar is high and against the chest (i.e. when lifting an object to chest height). As the bar is moved through this position the rotation of the shoulder often leads to the shoulder falling forward. This position will put unnecessary strain on the front of the shoulder and over stretch ligament and tendon sometimes leading to chronic shoulder pain. This poor positioning can be due to poor mobility with shoulder internal rotation (like reaching behind the back) or lack of scapular control where there is a lack of strength or coordination to keep the shoulder back and engaged throughout the movement. Poor posture with long hours at a desk job or driving can also contribute to this lifting fault.

The other common position fault seen commonly is with pushups or ring dips. When the chest is lowered to the ground if there is weakness in the triceps athletes will compensate by widening their hands which causes the shoulder to come forward straining the front of the shoulder. This is largely a positioning error which can be corrected, but will likely show back up during periods of fatigue if proper strengthening and positioning is not effectively trained.

When preparing for a lift I’d suggest assessing the feeling of the shoulder in the positions it will be placed in during the lift and if there is pain or the feeling of a tight stretch this should be addressed with specific mobility exercises and controlled load prior to performing a full speed movement or lift. For pain at the front of the shoulder I prescribe most of my patients a shoulder extension stretch by having them reach back to a bar behind them and grabbing the bar with the palms facing down. It is imperative to keep the shoulders back and engaged through the stretch to target the correct tissues and not add to the problem. Moving the hands closer or moving the chest down will add additional stretch. Daily posture and scapular control should also be facets of a good rehab program. Mountain Performance Physical Therapy in Twin Falls, Idaho offers treatment for shoulder pain with a good track record of keeping athletes active in their sport. Don’t let your shoulder pain turn chronic, address it before it gets worse.