You’re going to see a physical therapist after you’ve hurt your shoulder. It’s an exciting but an anxious time, since you’ve probably been away from the gym for a while. While you’re raring to get back into shape, there’s always the danger of hurting your shoulder again, which would mean more waiting… and then rehabilitation AGAIN. Here are the five biggest mistakes that people make when they return to training after a shoulder injury.
Too Much, Too Soon
It’s one of the biggest mistakes that both seasoned athletes and gym neophytes both make. They have been inactive for too long and are in a rush to get the most out of their workout. So, that means that they may put too much weight on or run too far. Their body, which is not used to it, will likely balk, or worse, get injured again. So, take it slow and ramp up at a reasonable pace. There’s plenty of time to get your strength back. Use that time wisely. Otherwise you’ll be making life more difficult for both you and your physical therapist.
Not Communicating
When it comes to post-injury instructions, sometimes it feels like a doctor hands over a patient a muddy road map with 3/4s of it obscured and tells them to figure out how to get to their destination. Also, that doctor is hands-off when it comes to talking with a physical therapist. To be fair to doctors, they are busy people, but they could take a little more time. There are others that can take the blame too – the patient doesn’t always tell the physical therapist all the relevant information and that can also lead to injury.
Unequal Shoulder Strength
Unless you’re an athlete who makes their living throwing – like a quarterback or pitcher – then you need to have equal shoulder strength. Having one shoulder weaker than the other can be disastrous if you try to do exercises that involve a more complex series of muscular interactions, like bench press. You definitely don’t want to be having someone have to get a barbell off your neck because you were trying too much too soon with unequal strength.
Not Hitting Cause Of Problem
Sure, you can build up your shoulder strength, but if you ignore the other parts that surround it that might be contributing to the shoulder pain, then you’re likely going to wind up being right back at Square One sooner than later. So you need to work on that area too so that you can keep on working out and feeling good without having to worry about having a relapse.
Improper Maintenance
Your body is like a car. If you don’t take proper care of it, it’s going to have a bad decrease in performance over a shorter period of time. You need to maintain the muscles and surrounding tissues and cuff. Your shoulder has a lot of smaller parts that need attention too. Ignore those at your own risk or you might find yourself on the sidelines again, waiting to go back into the gym.
Feel like you’ve gone down the checklist on the “not to-do” list and are ready to get yourself back in shape after an injury? Dr. Steven Moalemi and his excellent staff at Empire Physical Medicine & Pain Management will be more than happy to work with you in achieving that goal. They will map out the best plan and have your feeling fit and healthy!
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Empire Physical Medicine & Pain Management
7 W 45th St floor 9,
New York, NY 10036
Phone: (646) 665-7109
Website: https://manhattanpainrelief.com
