The shoulder has an extensive range of motion and often required in repetitive actions that make it susceptible to injuries. The usual shoulder injuries that occur in the gym include tendonitis, strains on the rotator cuff, impingement and bursitis. Take note that these injuries tend to occur due to overtraining or incorrect techniques during gym activities such as yoga, weight lifting, swimming and recreational sports such as basketball. Various shoulder injuries can be prevented, but when it comes to acute injures, conservative treatment measures often include application of ice and rest.
Bursitis
Bursae are sacs that are filled with fluid that are found around the joints. These sacs provide a cushion between the bones and soft tissues as well as minimize friction in between these structures. When bursitis develops, it involves inflammation of the bursa.
An acute case of bursitis around the shoulder can develop if the joint sustained a direct hit or fall. As for chronic cases, it is often associated to tendonitis or impingement which results to excessive friction or pressure on the bursa sac.
The symptoms include tenderness over the swollen bursa and pain during movement. The best way to prevent bursitis is to observe proper warm up and cooling down before and after an exercise routine as well as allowing sufficient recovery between workouts. For proper treatment, a doctor should be consulted.
Rotator cuff strain
The rotator cuff muscles are responsible for stabilizing the shoulder joint. A strain on the rotator cuff occurs when the muscle is overly stretched and ends up with a partial or complete tear.
The strain can also occur if the muscles are not adequately warmed up, overly stretched out or excessively overloaded which can be triggered by incorrect weight lifting techniques. The symptoms include shoulder pain, joint instability and stiffness as well as muscle weakness. A strain can be prevented with proper warm up but make sure that the shoulder joint is not stretched excessively and increase the weight slowly. The immediate treatment for a strain includes rest and application of ice. A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms become worse.
Tendonitis
The tendons are responsible for connecting muscles to bones. Tendonitis is a condition in which the tendons are inflamed. The tendons of the rotator cuffs and biceps are typically affected, but tendonitis can develop in any tendon in the body.
The exact cause of tendonitis includes overstretching or pulling, compression and overloading of the tendons. The indications include shoulder pain, stiffness and tenderness on the affected tendon. The best way to prevent tendonitis from developing includes proper warm up, increasing weight increments steadily and a stretching routine. Since tendonitis can be chronic in nature, physical therapy might be needed to facilitate with the recovery process.
Impingement syndrome
Impingement syndrome occurs when the subacromial bursa, supraspinatus and biceps tendons are crushed. Over time, these structures become inflamed. Always remember that impingement can also occur due to constant overhead movements of the shoulder. The symptoms include shoulder pain and increasing pain during overhead shoulder movement.