Overusing Your Shoulders Can Leave You Tense

In a classic Greek myth, the titan Atlas is tasked with holding up the world (or just the sky, depending on the version) on his shoulders. It’s his punishment for being on the losing side of a war against the up-and-coming Olympian gods. It’s not hard to imagine poor Atlas’ shoulders being very tired as a result! You don’t have to carry the literal—or even figurative—weight of the world on your own shoulders to overuse them, of course. Shoulder tension is a pretty common complaint in modern life.

Your shoulders are important for moving and using your arms. They get their heaviest use when you perform motions like throwing or lifting. Like other joints, your shoulders can suffer from wear and tear in your daily life. Overuse issues are easier to develop than you might think, too.

Repetitive arm motions, particularly throwing and raising your arms above your head, are some of the most common sources of overuse pain. Lifting things when you do chores around your house, rock climbing to stay in shape, or simply tossing a ball are a few ways you might fatigue your shoulders, leaving them sore, unstable, and possibly prone to other injuries. Even stress and poor posture can contribute to strain and painful tension in your shoulder muscles.

Since you use your shoulders every time you use your arms, painful tension that makes the joint difficult to move is definitely a problem. It can get in the way of your everyday tasks. The good news is that a little physical therapy can go a long way in relieving tension and reducing damage from overuse. Simple stretches help loosen tightened areas. Exercises help your muscles move and work correctly. A method called dry needling targets “trigger” areas within a painful muscle group, allowing our experts at Castle Pines Physical Therapy and Cherry Creek physical therapy to release tension more directly.