Shoulder impingements occur when shoulder tendons and muscles rub against shoulder bones. If your shoulder pain is severe, you may have difficulty working, playing sports or performing daily tasks. Shoulder impingements can even cause further damage if not treated.
Shoulder impingements can be addressed with physical therapy. A physical therapist can design a treatment plan to relieve shoulder impingement pain. You can also use such a plan to help you return to the activities you enjoy. In many cases, they can even help shoulder impingement sufferers avoid rotator cuff surgery. A physical therapist can provide all these benefits because they use various treatment techniques.
To avoid further damage, a physical therapist can prescribe shoulder impingement rehab exercises to reduce pain and restore strength and stability to your shoulder.
Here are 4 types of shoulder impingement rehab exercises that your physical therapist may include in your recovery process:
- Posture exercises — Posture directly impacts muscle strength, balance and injury proneness. Correcting poor posture when exercising and going through everyday life can alleviate shoulder impingement pain. That’s why your physical therapist may add this type of rehab exercise to your treatment plan.
- Range-of-motion exercises — Your joints and soft tissue can benefit from these exercises. Active, passive or assisted range-of-motion exercises can help your injured shoulder in several ways. They can help make reaching up over your head possible again. In addition, they can also make it easier to do things like get dressed in the morning.
- Breathing or circulation exercises — These are also exercises that can help your body heal more quickly. For instance, your physical therapist may have you do breathing or circulation exercises to speed recovery, improve blood flow or reduce stress.
- Strengthening exercises — Good balance and stability are dependent on muscle strength and endurance. If weak shoulder muscles aren’t addressed, you may find yourself with another shoulder impingement in the future. That’s why PT plans for shoulder impingement rehab typically include strengthening exercises.
Besides prescribing shoulder impingement rehab exercises, physical therapists are trained in assessing the state of your body’s function, strength and range of motion. They can also assess the level of pain you experience when performing basic tasks.
Whatcom PT can help you discover the right shoulder impingement rehab exercises
Tired of living with shoulder impingement symptoms? Our team at Whatcom Physical Therapy is here to help. A free screening at one of our clinics can get you started on the road to recovery. Our physical therapists will design a rehab program for you that’s intended to reduce pain and create more mobility via rehab exercises and other proven techniques.
Contact our team today for more information on our shoulder pain treatments or to schedule an initial appointment.
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