Chronic shoulder subluxations can cause poor posture, shoulder trauma, or repetitive actions that cause frequent bending and lifting. Chronic shoulder subluxations result from repeated or long-term strain on the shoulder joint. As the name suggests, chronic shoulder subluxations occur over a long period. However, they do not necessarily indicate a structural issue with the joint itself. Instead, they offer an imbalance in muscle strength within the shoulder (often due to weak scapular stabilizers).
Chronic subluxations can cause serious long-term injuries, including arthritis and tendonitis. In this condition, constant, nagging pain in your shoulder will never disappear. You might be able to treat the pain with medication at first, but it will always return after you stop taking it. If you have chronic shoulder pain, see your doctor immediately to rule out any severe or life-threatening conditions. In addition to chronic subluxations, a few other conditions can contribute to shoulder pain. These include:
- Tennis elbow – a condition caused by repetitive motion over time in the elbow area.
- Bursitis – Inflammation of the bursa sac in your shoulder joint.
- Chronic dislocation – a condition where the joints in your shoulder don’t stay in place.
- Calcific tendonitis – a condition caused by calcium buildup in the tendon that connects bone to bone
These imbalance strains are common and can result in pain, stiffness, and a limited range of motion. To avoid chronic shoulder subluxations, we must maintain proper alignment through a combination of exercises and lifestyle changes. Focusing on strong core muscles, posture correction, and strengthening exercises can prevent our shoulders from becoming chronically strained. 
2 Exercises to Avoid If Your Client Has Chronic Shoulder Subluxations
- Any traction or Pulling Movement like Rowing Exercises, because most familiar with a subluxation in the shoulder dislocation, the head of the humerus ends up moving anterior; therefore, any type of traction is unsuitable for it adds up promoting subluxation.
- The High Five Maneuver or anything involving a high five and a lot of strength machines; there’s usually a PEC Fly Machine which ends up putting an individual into 90/90, and they bring elbows together, promoting subluxation, especially if they have anterior shoulder instability. Avoid any of those 90/90 positions.
This is the last part of the exercise considerations for a client with chronic shoulder subluxations.
In the first part, I talked about three things you need to consider before giving your client exercises if they have chronic shoulder subluxations.
In the second part, I talked about three activities that your client should do if they have chronic shoulder subluxations
Enjoy the video, and please leave a comment below on any tips you have for working with a client with shoulder subluxations or exercises you recommend.
P.S. – If you are a fitness professional looking for a great understanding of shoulder injuries, increased confidence in working shoulder injuries, and exercises for shoulder injuries, I would recommend attending the Exercise Rehabilitation of the Shoulder Course.
Rick Kaselj of Exercises For Injuries
