Shoulders. What to say about shoulders? Such a well used and relied upon part of the body. We carry the weight of the world, responsibility, bags and children on them.
The position of your shoulders will greatly influence the range of movement that you are able to achieve from them. Rounded shoulders will make it difficult to raise your arms above your head but so often that is the position we spend hours in. Looking down with rounded shoulders is what we do with a screen in our lap, while talking to children, walking, sitting on in a car, train, bus…
I do not follow the line of encouraging ‘correct posture’ because this can be different from person to person. What I do advocate is ‘fidgeting’, changing position and variety of movement. Look at a child (away from a screen) and see if they willingly sit still for prolonged periods. Also look at them walking and running, they aren’t hunched over looking at the ground, they are looking up and around, and moving their arms.
Be kind to your shoulders, body and mind. Look at the faces of people around you, admire the wildlife and buildings. Stand up straight when reaching for something from a high shelf or holding a hairdryer. Move your shoulders through their full range, for example swim front and back crawl, play catch with your children or a friend, take up a racket sport and yoga.
If you are a patient of mine I may have prescribed some exercises. These videos should remind you how to do them, but remember if they aggravate your symptoms please stop and talk to me before continuing.
Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
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