Often you may hear doctors say that exercising and working out can cure various body pains. However, some exercises may be the cause of severe shoulder injuries.
Exercise is an integral part of a person’s life. It is significant to maintain a healthy lifestyle, both physically and mentally. However, working out more than the suggested hours and vigorous exercises can lead to shoulder injuries. If you have hurt yourself by using improper techniques or excessive weightlifting, seek medical attention immediately for shoulder injuries in La Jolla. You can also ask the gym staff or your personal trainer to help you as they are required to obtain first-aid certification, so they should be familiar with such injuries.
Common Shoulder Injuries From Working Out
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Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff is the most common shoulder injury. It is usually caused by weightlifting and sports activities such as baseball pitching, swimming, and tennis (serving). Basically, rotator cuff injuries are caused by activities that involve lifting your hand over your head.
The rotator cuff is a set of 4 muscles around the ball of your shoulder joint. They allow a full range of motion. When these activities are done, it can cause the top part of the shoulder blade to pinch the rotator cuff muscles. This is a type of impingement shoulder injury.
Symptoms of rotator cuff injury may include the following:
- Loss of strength in the affected arm
- Your arm makes a clicking or popping sound when moved
- Limitation of movement
- Pain in movement
- Shoulder Dislocation
Shoulder dislocation happens when the ball part of the joint pops out of its socket. This ball may slip downward, backward, or at the front. When a strong force hits your shoulder, such as a sudden blow or when you rotate the joint in the shoulder too far, it can pull the bones out of their place.
Symptoms of a dislocated shoulder:
- Pain is the primary symptom
- Immobility of the arm or difficulty in moving
- The shoulder is visibly out of place
- Muscle spasms
- Swelling
- Bruising/redness
- AC Joint injuries
The AC or acromioclavicular joint is a place in the shoulder where two bones meet. One of these bones is the collarbone, and the other is called the acromion. Therefore, the point where these two meet is called the AC joint.
Exercises where elbows are lowered behind the shoulders, such as in a bench press or chest fly, can cause harm to this joint. Stress from exercises causes tears and fractures over time. If not treated at the right time, this can lead to inflammation of the joint and cause extreme pain.
Symptoms of AC joint injuries include:
- Pain
- Limited motion
- Swelling
- Tenderness at the top of the shoulder
Working out is essential and cannot be ruled out. However, if you are not careful, you may cause permanent damage to your shoulder joints. Therefore, it is crucial to take small breaks between gym sessions. Also, remember to ease off on sports activities and working out until your doctor permits you to return.
