Shoulder pain affects many people. Around 16% of the population experiences this discomfort annually. You need to understand which specific movements can worsen your shoulder. This guide shows exercises to avoid to prevent further injury and promote healing.
Not all shoulder pain exercises benefit you. Some can be actively harmful. For instance, improper movements often cause or worsen issues like rotator cuff injury or shoulder impingement, leading to more pain. You must learn to avoid worsening shoulder pain. These are the exercises to avoid.
Key Takeaways
Avoid exercises where you lift your arms over your head, like overhead presses, as they can hurt your shoulder.
Do not do exercises that put stress on your rotator cuff, such as upright rows or dips, to prevent more pain.
Be careful with activities that involve fast or repeated movements, like bad push-ups or certain swimming strokes.
Always listen to your body and stop if you feel pain during any exercise or daily activity.
Do not lift heavy things the wrong way or make quick, jerky movements, as these can cause serious shoulder injury.
Overhead Shoulder Pain Exercises
Raising your arms above your head can pinch your rotator cuff or stress your shoulder joint. These movements are often shoulder impingement exercises to avoid. They can worsen existing shoulder pain.
Overhead Press
When you press weight directly above your head, you put significant stress on your shoulder joint. This movement can compress structures in your shoulder. This is especially true if you have existing shoulder impingement pain. It forces your shoulder muscles into a vulnerable position. This can worsen any current shoulder discomfort.
Lat Pulldowns Behind the Neck
This exercise forces your shoulders into extreme external rotation and abduction. This position can strain your rotator cuff tendons. It also puts your neck in an awkward position. You might experience neck pain from poor head positioning. The forced range of motion can cause rotator cuff strain. Many people use poor form, leaning too far forward or using momentum.
One person noted tightness in their neck and dull aching after trying behind-the-neck pulldowns. They found switching to front pulldowns gave the same development without discomfort.
Military Press
The military press involves pressing a barbell or dumbbells overhead from the front. While it strengthens your shoulder muscles, it can be risky if you have existing shoulder pain. This exercise places a heavy load directly through your shoulder joint.
It can aggravate conditions like shoulder impingement. For a healthy shoulder, it can strengthen the rotator cuff and improve stability. However, if you already have pain, this movement can increase stress on compromised tendons and ligaments, leading to further injury. You should avoid it if your shoulder hurts.
Rotator Cuff Stressing Exercises to Avoid
You must protect your rotator cuff. These exercises put direct strain or compression on your rotator cuff tendons. Improper form or specific variations can make existing shoulder pain much worse. You should consider these movements as shoulder impingement exercises to avoid.
Upright Rows
Upright rows involve pulling a weight straight up towards your chin. This movement forces your shoulders into internal rotation and abduction. This position can pinch the rotator cuff tendons between bones in your shoulder joint. It creates a high risk for shoulder impingement pain.
You can easily irritate your rotator cuff with this exercise. If you perform lateral raises, avoid doing them with your palms down or thumbs down. This hand position increases compression of the rotator cuff muscles against the bony surface in your shoulder. This makes them particularly risky.
Dips
Dips can be very hard on your shoulders. They force your humerus (upper arm bone) into extreme extension and internal rotation. This position makes your rotator cuff resist compressive shear. It pinches tissue between bone surfaces and the tendon. Bench dips are even worse.
They fix your scapula (shoulder blade). This prevents protective adjustments in your upper back and shoulder blade. This directs compressive force towards the subacromial space. It can irritate your rotator cuff. Dips can lead to shoulder impingement and rotator cuff strain.
This happens because they require significant internal shoulder rotation. This can pinch the rotator cuff. The movement also forces your shoulder into an extreme range of extension. This causes the humeral head to move forward. This further increases your risk of injury.
Wide-Grip Bench Press
The wide-grip bench press puts extra stress on your shoulder joint. When you use a wide grip, it creates strong forces directed towards the middle of your body. This places higher demands on your shoulder joint. These increased forces happen especially during the hardest part of the lift.
This can lead to shoulder pain. A wide grip also increases the horizontal moments on your shoulder. This means more stress on the joint. You should avoid this exercise if you have any existing shoulder pain. It can easily lead to an injury.
High-Impact & Repetitive Activities
Some activities involve sudden, forceful movements. Others require repeated motions. Both types can irritate an already painful shoulder. You need to understand these movements to prevent further injury.
Poor Form Push-Ups
Push-ups are a common exercise. However, poor form can lead to significant shoulder pain. When you do push-ups incorrectly, your shoulder can shift forward in its socket. You might also have poor shoulder blade stability. Your elbows can flare out too wide.
This puts extra stress on your shoulder joint. You might see your shoulder rolling or ‘dumping’ forward, which is called protraction. Other signs of bad form include sagging hips, bent knees, or bad trunk stability.
Your elbows might be too wide or too narrow. You might not push enough force through your hands. Spinal misalignment also contributes to poor form. All these mistakes increase your risk of shoulder injury.
Improper Swimming Strokes
Swimming is often considered gentle on joints. Yet, certain strokes can worsen shoulder pain. Freestyle and butterfly strokes are especially risky. They involve repetitive overhead motion and inward rotation of your shoulder. This constant inward rotation strengthens some muscles more than others. This creates muscle imbalances.
These imbalances stop your upper arm bone from staying centered in the shoulder socket. This causes shearing and compression within the joint. This can lead to “swimmer’s shoulder.”
This condition involves inflammation, irritation, or injury to your shoulder joint and rotator cuff. Repetitive overhead motion in strokes like freestyle, backstroke, and butterfly often causes shoulder impingement syndrome. Here, your rotator cuff tendons get pinched, causing pain and limited movement.
Throwing Motions
Throwing motions put extreme stress on your shoulder. This is true for sports like baseball or even just playing catch. Repetitive throwing can cause microtraumatic stresses on your shoulder joint. It pushes the limits of your tissues.
The overhead throw is very fast. It generates high forces at the shoulder joint. This makes the stabilizing structures vulnerable. You can suffer a SLAP tear. This happens where your bicep tendon connects to the labrum, a fibrous tissue in your shoulder socket.
Repetitive stress can tear this area. You can also experience internal impingement. This is when part of your shoulder gets pinched during the wind-up phase of a throw.
Rotator cuff tendinitis or tears are also common. The four rotator cuff muscles work hard during throwing. This leads to overuse injury. It can cause inflammation or irritation of the tendon. This can progress to fraying or tearing. Inflammation of the bursa, called bursitis, also can occur.
General Activities to Avoid
Beyond specific gym routines, some daily habits and broader movement patterns can worsen your shoulder pain. You must understand these activities to avoid further injury. These are not always obvious shoulder pain exercises.
Incorrect Heavy Lifting
Lifting heavy objects incorrectly often causes shoulder injury. You might use too much weight. You might not warm up properly. Poor lifting techniques are common. You might add a swinging motion instead of a controlled lift. Lifting a weight that is too heavy for you puts great strain on your shoulder. This can place your rotator cuff in an unfavorable position, especially during movements like bench presses. You risk straining your rotator cuff and proximal biceps tendon when you lift heavy, like during squats or military presses.
Ignoring Pain Signals
Your body sends you signals. You must listen to them. Ignoring pain can turn a minor muscle strain into a chronic injury. This limits your mobility and affects daily life. Ignoring pain can also hide serious health conditions. This delays diagnosis and treatment. It might lead to more invasive procedures later. Pain also stops you from performing well.
It hinders effective training. This leads to setbacks and longer recovery times. Chronic pain can also affect your mental health. It increases stress and anxiety. You might experience sleep problems. Always prioritize pain-free movement. Safe strengthening exercises, like shoulder squeezes and table-top presses, exist. You should discuss these with a professional. Stretching muscles after strengthening your rotator cuff can help restore range of motion. This prevents injury.
Rapid, Jerking Movements
Quick, jerking movements increase your risk of acute shoulder injury. Many people hurt their shoulder by overstretching their arm. They might lift something heavy with a quick-jerk motion.
These movements, especially with high loads, can cause muscle tendon unit failure. Your shoulder can get pinched when it moves into extreme positions. This can lead to rotator cuff tears. It can also cause bursitis. Heavy loads and momentum can lead to microinstability. This means your shoulder moves too much. It can even cause dislocations. This damages the labrum and cartilage in your shoulder.
Avoiding certain exercises is paramount for managing and recovering from shoulder pain. You must understand which movements pose the highest risk. These include overhead lifts, exercises that stress your rotator cuff, and high-impact activities.
Always listen to your body. Prioritize pain-free movement. To prevent future shoulder injury, incorporate rehabilitation exercises like shoulder blade squeezes. These strengthen your rotator cuff. Maintain good posture. Always warm up your shoulder muscles before activity.
Avoid sleeping on your side with your arm trapped. Take breaks from repetitive motions. Consult a healthcare professional or physical therapist for personalized advice. They can create a safe exercise plan. Take a proactive approach to your shoulder health and injury prevention.