The Importance of Shoulder Mobility, Stability, and Strength: Key Insights for Athletes and Active Individuals

Unlocking Optimal Performance and Pain-Free Movement

Shoulder health is paramount for athletes and active individuals alike. From lifting weights to simple daily tasks, shoulder mobility, stability, and strength are essential for a wide range of movements. At Forward Physio, we specialize in helping you achieve peak shoulder function, ensuring you remain pain-free and perform at your best. This blog post explores the critical aspects of shoulder health, providing actionable advice to enhance your shoulder stability and mobility.

Why Shoulder Mobility and Stability Matter

Dr. Tanner demonstrating overhead shoulder mobility.

The shoulder is involved in virtually every upper body movement. Whether you're picking up a water bottle, reaching for an item on a high shelf, or performing a complex athletic maneuver, your shoulder plays a vital role. Here are some everyday examples where shoulder mobility is crucial:

• Lifting objects like your cat or dog (or child)

• Reaching overhead

• Fastening a seatbelt

• Brushing your teeth

• Washing your hair

• Putting on a belt
  

Understanding the Shoulder’s Anatomy

Diagram showing the anatomy of the shoulder, including bones and muscles.

The shoulder is a highly complex joint comprising several bones and muscles that work together to facilitate movement and provide stability. Key structures include:

• Bones: The humerus (upper arm bone), scapula (shoulder blade), clavicle (collarbone), thoracic spine, and ribs.

• Joints: The glenohumeral joint (humerus and scapula), acromioclavicular joint (acromion on the scapula and clavicle), and sternoclavicular joint (sternum and clavicle).

• Muscles: The rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, subscapularis), latissimus dorsi, levator scapulae, pectoralis minor, long head of the biceps, rhomboids, and trapezius and a few others! 18 in total!

• Cartilage: The labrum, a key structure in maintaining shoulder stability, acts like a suction cup for the arm bone. Any damage to the labrum can lead to instability and increased injury risk.

Given its complex anatomy, the shoulder requires a balance of mobility and stability to function correctly.

Movements of the Shoulder

The shoulder's impressive range of motion includes six degrees of freedom:

• Abduction: Moving the arm away from the body.

• Adduction: Bringing the arm towards the body.

• Internal Rotation: Rotating the arm inward.

• External Rotation: Rotating the arm outward.

• Flexion: Raising the arm forward.

• Extension: Moving the arm backward.

It's no surprise that maintaining optimal mobility and stability can be a difficutly task!

Enhancing Shoulder Mobility

Foam rolling is an effective exercise to enhance shoulder mobility.

Mobility is the foundation of healthy shoulder function. Before focusing on stability, it’s crucial to ensure your shoulders have full mobility. Restricted mobility can lead to compensatory movements and potential injuries. While we like to improve mobility, this does not mean we disregard stability while also improving mobility! Here are some effective mobility, and realistically, also, stability exercises. Pick 2-3, names of exercises are hyperlinked to videos!

1. Foam Rolling the Lats: 2 minutes to release tension.

2. Thoracic Spine Extension: 2 minutes to improve upper back flexibility. Stop at points that feel tight, prevent ribs from tilting upward! Think of a string holding the bottom of your ribs to your pelvis!

3. Internal Rotation Barbell Smash: 2 minutes to release tight internal rotators. This can be uncomfortable initially but feels incredible after a few seconds, don't do if you don't feel comfortable!

4. Banded Extension and Flexion Mobilizations: 2 minutes each to enhance range of motion. This is a banded extension mobilization.

5. Capsular Mobilization with Kettlebell Rotation: 2 minutes to improve joint capsule flexibility. Perform with a decent sized KB (15# F/25# M). Video starts exercise around 40s.

6. Dead Hangs: 2 minutes in 10-30 second intervals to decompress the shoulder joint.

Building Shoulder Stability

Upside-down kettlebell holds are excellent for improving shoulder stability.

Once mobility is achieved, stability exercises teach the body how to control and use this new range of motion effectively. Pick 1-2! Key stability exercises include:

• Upside Down Kettlebell Holds: Challenges shoulder stability and can replicate lifting of various objects overhead. Think of a box that has uneven weight!

• Sidelying Kettlebell Holds: Strengthens the shoulder stabilizers.

• Banded Shoulder Press: Enhances control during shoulder flexion (lifting arms overhead), can add in dumbbells for extra spiciness.

• Palms up full arm extension while lying on stomach and thumbs down/thumbs up "T’s" : 10-20 reps each to strengthen the posterior shoulder muscles.

Strengthening the Shoulders

Shoulder press exercises are crucial for building shoulder strength and stability.

Strength is the final component of shoulder health. After establishing mobility and stability, strengthening exercises can induce beneficial changes in the muscle tissue, leading to improved performance and reduced injury risk. Effective strengthening exercises include:

• Shoulder Press Variations: Landmine, military, dumbbell, or barbell.

• Rear Delt Flyes/Face Pulls: Excellent for scapular strength and stability.

• Advanced Lifts: For those experienced and with adequate mobility, moves like the clean and jerk, overhead squats, and snatch can be included. These are technically difficult and should not be performed without appropriate coaching.

Client Success Stories

At Forward Physio, we have numerous success stories that highlight the importance of shoulder health. For instance, Cristian had been suffering from shoulder pain due to a labrum tear for two years. After just three sessions focusing on mobility, stability, and strength, he reported significant improvement and was able to return to lifting without pain and incredible range of motion.

Take the Next Step Towards Shoulder Health

Improving your shoulder mobility, stability, and strength can significantly enhance your quality of life and athletic performance. At Forward Physio, we are dedicated to providing personalized treatment plans that address your specific needs. 

If you’re struggling with shoulder pain or want to optimize your shoulder health, book a free discovery call with Forward Physio today. Our expert team is here to help you move better, feel better, and live better.

About Forward Physio

Forward Physio is committed to excellence in outcomes, respect for time and punctuality, empowerment and freedom of movement, and a commitment to health. Specializing in working with athletes and active enthusiasts, we offer services in Tampa and St. Petersburg to help you achieve your health and performance goals.

For more information or to book your free discovery call, visit our website or call us at (813)-603-7071. Keep moving forward!

Dr. Nick

References

1. American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) APTA. (n.d.). Shoulder Pain and Mobility Deficits: Adhesive Capsulitis. Retrieved from https://www.apta.org/patient-care/evidence-based-practice-resources Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

2. McClure, P., & Michener, L. (2015). Staged Approach for Rehabilitation Classification: Shoulder Disorders (STAR-Shoulder). Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, 45(4), 318-338. doi:10.2519/jospt.2015.5941 Mayo Clinic

3. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2020). Shoulder pain. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/shoulder-pain/symptoms-causes/syc-20378253 National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

4. NIAMS. (2021). Shoulder Problems. Retrieved from https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/shoulder-problemsPubMed

5. Kibler, W. B., & Sciascia, A. (2010). Current concepts: scapular dyskinesis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(5), 300-305. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2009.058834