Two effective shoulder stretches for reducing pain

Shoulder Stretches for Pain

Have you ever woken up in the morning with pain and tightness in your shoulders? This is a common occurrence for many people. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 70% of people will experience shoulder pain in their lifetime. 

Physical therapy is an effective option for your shoulder pain. Therapists can help you find ways to stretch out tense shoulder muscles, and they can also help you target muscles in the chest and upper back that are causing stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. There are a number of therapeutic exercises that therapists can use on your shoulders. Here are two stretches that can be particularly effective for shoulder pain: 

  1. Across the chest stretch

The rotator cuff and other shoulder muscles help your shoulder move in many ways, but such movements become harder to do when your muscles are stiff and painful. Your symptoms could be from poor sitting posture or from sitting at your desk for too long. They might also be caused by a muscle strain you got while playing sports. One stretch that therapists might recommend to treat your shoulder pain is the across the chest stretch. 

How to do the across the chest stretch

  • Sit up straight in a stable chair, or stand up in an area that has room for your arms to move. 
  • Move your right arm so that it’s across your chest. 
  • Use your left hand to pull the arm inward toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the shoulder. If your pain increases, stop doing the stretch immediately and contact your therapist. 
  • Hold the stretch for 30 seconds. 
  • Return to the starting position; repeat the steps to stretch your left shoulder. 
  • Continue to repeat the steps for this stretch until you’ve stretched each shoulder two to three times. 
  1. Chest expansion

Tight chest muscles can also cause stiffness and pain in your shoulders. They can pull the shoulders forward as well, and this can leave you with forward-slumped posture. Such a posture can easily lead to more pain in your shoulders, and it can even cause issues in your neck and back. To deal with tight chest and shoulder muscles, your therapist might prescribe a shoulder pain stretch called the chest expansion. 

How to do the chest expansion stretch

  • Stand up in an area with plenty of room behind you. This will ensure you have the space to lift your arms up behind your back. 
  • Grasp a bath towel behind your butt. Your hands should be palms down and slightly more than shoulder width apart; the towel should be tight. 
  • Broaden your chest and pull your shoulder blades inward. 
  • At the same time, lift your arms as far as you can behind you. 
  • Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
  • Repeat these steps two to three times in total with a short rest break between each repetition. 

Stretches are just one way Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you treat shoulder pain

Are you looking for stretches and other physical therapy methods that can treat your shoulder pain? Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team can offer the assistance you need. We can help you begin your therapy process with one of our free screenings. This service is designed to reveal the root cause of your shoulder pain and the symptoms you’re having. With this information, our team can build you a personalized treatment plan, which may include therapy methods like: 

Take the next step to start getting our help with your shoulder pain. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a free screening.