How to Prevent Shoulder Injuries

Extreme outdoor enthusiasts aren’t the only ones prone to injuring and popping a shoulder joint. We all push our shoulders to their limit in everyday tasks like reaching for an item stashed on a high self or throwing a ball with the kids.

The shoulder is the body’s most injured joint, caused by an array of issues like overuse with repetitive movements, arm straining above your head, and general wear with older age.

Injuries can occur to the underlying bone of the ball-and-joint socket, or the connective tissue or muscle surrounding the joint. Since no one wants to have shoulder surgery, here are the top ways to prevent shoulder injuries:

Pay attention to what your body is telling you

During physical activities, tune into your body by consciously checking for signs of shoulder soreness. Many shoulder injuries are subtle at the time of damage, only fully flaring up hours or days later. Don’t just ignore the pain, you could make it much worse!

Stay in shape with regular exercise and a healthy diet

Keep your shoulders in tip-top shape with regular exercise and a healthy diet. This means always warming up and cooling off before any workout to give your muscles time to warm up beforehand and stretch out afterwards, especially weightlifting!

Eating a healthy diet can help keep you at an appropriate weight, preventing shoulder strain in instances where you are lifting your own weight.

If you do have an injured shoulder, consider shoulder surgery

If you do have a should injury, start by icing the affecting area and rest the shoulder for an extended period. Ask your doctor first, but you should be able to take over-the-counter pain medication to provide some pain relief. If your doctor recommends seeing a shoulder surgeon, make sure you follow through with the appointment! Nothing is more important than your health.