Don’t Let Your Shoulder Sideline You: 3 Key Tips from a PT

UNLOCK YOUR REACH, POWER YOUR SERVE, AND STAY ON THE COURT

Rotator cuff injuries account for more than half of all shoulder complaints in adults with reported shoulder pain. Injuries are multifactorial in nature: trauma, wear and tear, overuse, and age-related tendon atrophy. For throwing/swinging athletes, it is imperative to have a balanced strength and mobility routine to maximize shoulder health.

Here are my TOP 3 TIPS to improve performance and minimize injury risk:

1. Improve your thoracic spine (mid to upper back) flexibility

The thoracic spine is naturally rounded forward (slouched) and often gets worse with aging due to poor postural habits and the effects of gravity.

On training days, spend a few minutes stretching the thoracic spine over a foam roller into a slightly arched (extended) position. The extended position of the thoracic spine is necessary for full overhead shoulder range of motion. Improved thoracic mobility will help your reach on overhead shots!

2. During resistance training, focus on ribcage and shoulder blade range of motion

Your ribcage flexibility has a direct effect on how well your shoulder blade (scapula) can move. A stiff ribcage will limit shoulder blade motion and drastically increase the strain on the rotator cuff.

When exercising, include unilateral push/pull drills and allow your ribcage to rotate/bend. Performing these exercises with moderate resistance will increase the strength of your abdominal muscles and create more power and speed on your serves!

3. Load your shoulder appropriately to minimize muscle atrophy

Make sure to use a cable machine or free weights to provide appropriate strength training to the shoulder complex. For competitive and recreational athletes, a theraband is not enough load and creates an abnormal resistance profile!

In muscle (EMG) studies, the rotator cuff shows significant activity when the arm is raised overhead. Meaning, this is how you should train this muscle group! Vertical pushing and pulling exercises (ie. shoulder press and lat pulldown) are fantastic exercises to improve rotator cuff strength and resilience. Improved strength and resilience equals more time for pickleball!

Questions? Reach out to Dr. Dan to keep your game strong and injury-free—so you can spend more time on the court.

Dr. Dan Munkley

InspireMVMT

Personal Training

617-759-0525

www.inspiremvmt.com