Shoulder blade pain is one of the most common health concerns for women, but it can also be a major obstacle to personal and professional success. It’s hard to move around, perform everyday tasks, and even sleep. Painful shoulder blade symptoms can range from stabbing pain to intense aching that is why it is important to know top 3 shoulder pain relief exercises.
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What Causes Shoulder Blade Pain?
One of the most common causes of shoulder blade pain is a condition called osteoarthritis, which is a type of arthritis that affects the bones in a joint. Osteoarthritis can occur anywhere in the body, but the shoulder blades are one of the primary areas where it often occurs. It’s also possible that you might even experience shoulder blade pain due to an injury.
Another cause of shoulder blade pain is when cartilage wears away as you age. This leads to painful conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis. With this condition, your joints become inflamed and they swell up, causing intense pain.
The third cause of shoulder blade pain is if your muscles are weak or tight around your shoulder blades. The muscles around your shoulders are responsible for supporting your arms and keeping them aligned properly. If they’re not functioning correctly because they’re too tight or too weak, then you’ll have problems moving properly and sleeping at night as well as performing everyday tasks with ease.
Ways to Relieve Shoulder Blade Pain
There are a few ways to relieve shoulder blade pain, but the most effective ones are physical therapy exercises.
Exercises can help improve mobility in the shoulder joint and reduce pain by strengthening muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. They also provide relief for neck and back pain that often accompanies shoulder blade pain.
If you’re not an exercise person, you can use heat or foam rollers to get relief. Non-physical means of self-care, like meditation or stretching, can also help alleviate shoulder blade pain.
Here are three exercises that you can do daily to bring shoulder pain relief.
1. Tennis Ball into the Shoulder Blade
Tennis Ball into the Shoulder Blade
You need a tennis ball or a denser ball like a rocket ball. If you are flexible enough, you can massage the mid part of the shoulder blades with your hand. If you aren’t, you can move up against the wall and press the ball between your body and the wall. Bend your knees, move your body, and massage the shoulder blade area. Often shoulder blade pain happens when the muscles around the shoulder blades are tight. We want to loosen them up by massaging the tennis ball into the shoulder blades. Do one set of 3 circles one way and 3 circles the other way. You are moving the ball around the mid part of the shoulder blade as supposed to the bony part. You can progress up to 5 repetitions each way around the shoulder blades.
2. Pretzel Stretch
Pretzel Stretch
Intertwine your arms and then raise your elbows, then return back down. This stretches the mid-back area. This exercise moves the shoulder blades, stretching the muscles in between the shoulder blades which are often tight and stiff. Start off with one set of 3 repetitions on each side, alternating the arms. Hold the stretch for 5 seconds and then you can progress to a longer hold.
3. Back Arch
Back Arch
Stand with your feet slightly wider apart in order to provide support and stability to the lower body. Extend your arms over your head and try to arch through the mid-back. Your focus isn’t in the low back – try to work on the mid-back area. We don’t want too much movement in the low back area in this mobility stretch. We are working on loosening up the mid-back area. Tightness around the shoulder blades, mid-back muscles can cause shoulder pain. Do one set of smooth controlled movements. Hold the end position for a second or two. Start off with 3 repetitions and progress to 5. You can then progress to 10 repetitions.
Shoulder blade pain is a commonly experienced condition and can be caused by a number of factors. One of the causes of this pain is the repetitive use of your shoulder muscles. While there are many ways to alleviate this pain, one of the most effective solutions is to exercise your shoulder muscles by using these three simple exercises.
Take care!
Rick Kaselj, MS
If you are looking for an easy and fast way to release your tight shoulders, then click here to check out the Shoulder Pain Solved program.
