Pain in Shoulder After Workout: What's the Big Deal? 

Workouts are often part of a healthy lifestyle and promote good overall fitness. We are often told that pain is part of the process and will subside naturally. However, there are certain cases where the pain is more than just a post-workout burn and can have more severe implications. Shoulder pain, in specific, can be painful and dangerous when left unattended. The acromion, the joint that connects the collarbone to the shoulder blades, is one of the least stable joints in the body and is susceptible to severe damage after workouts. 

Say Goodbye to Shoulder Pain: Understanding the Causes 

To comprehensively tackle pain in shoulder after workout, it is essential to understand its causes. While basic exercises can cause shoulder pain, it is mainly caused by weightlifting. While lifting weights is generally healthy and considered a good practice to maintain strength in the body, improper techniques and routines can end up causing long-term shoulder pain, ultimately ruining your fitness journey. The key cause of shoulder pain roughly includes lifting.

Don't Strain Your Rotator Cuff 

A rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that allow free shoulder movement, and it is crucial to ensure that you don't strain it during workouts. 

Avoid Tendinitis: The Biceps Blues 

When the tendons that connect your bicep muscles to your shoulder are overworked due to extensive workouts, it causes Bicep tendonitis. These can, in turn, cause further shoulder pain when left unresolved. Ensure to phase out your bicep workout to avoid this condition. 

Don't Get Stuck: Impingement Syndrome

The impingement syndrome is often observed in those who work out or swim regularly, as this is caused by constant rubbing of rotator cuffs against the shoulder blades. This is easily avoidable by reducing the pace and repetitions in your workout routine. 

The AC Joint: A Common Culprit

The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is essential to the shoulder as it ensures that your shoulder cap and collar bone are held together safely. When overworked, the AC joint undergoes strain and inflammation, leading to complications in the shoulder. 

Pain in Shoulder After Workout: Who's at Risk?

While shoulder pain is caused in various ways, including sports injuries, poor posture, or symptoms of other chronic conditions, and can thus affect most people, regular gymgoers or weightlifters are more likely to have shoulder pain due to increased stress around the shoulder. 

Overuse: Too Much of a Good Thing 

Working out regularly and strengthening your shoulder to prevent long-term ailments is generally considered good practice. That being said, it is important to have a long-term plan for your workout and ensure that you won't overuse your shoulder to achieve short-term goals quickly. Overuse can lead to rotator cuff, AC joint, and shoulder injuries. 

Bad Posture: A Pain in the Neck and Shoulder

One of the common causes of shoulder pain is bad posture, which leads to muscle fatigue and tension. This causes strain in the neck, and as observed commonly, the pain often radiates down to the shoulder. Further, positioning the shoulder blade, the arm as it is raised, etc., is important to maintaining a fit shoulder.

Weakness: Don't Skip Arm Day

We know excessive workouts or increased weight lifting can cause shoulder pain, but what if you never work out? Experts say that weakness in the shoulder due to lack of exercise can also be a severe problem in the long term. Therefore, pick up your dumbbells and start your upper body routine. Just remember to take breaks and not overdo it.

Bad Form: When Technique Goes Wrong

The benefits of regular exercise are evident and thus need to be encouraged. Still, in trying to achieve your goals, you may ignore precautions and measures involved in correctly performing a workout. Bad form and technique are the major cause of injury and pain - avoid it at all costs, even if it means you have to be patient. 

Shoulder Pain Prevention: Work it Out!

There are several methods to avoid excruciating shoulder pain that often arises due to overextension. 

Get Warmed Up: Don't Skip This Step 

Warming up your muscles through simple stretches is generally considered a healthy practice before participating in any physical activity but is especially crucial before getting into a strength training session as muscles undergo a more significant intensity of wear and tear. To avoid shoulder pain, make it a habit to go through a proper warm-up session. 

Form Matters: How to Exercise Safely 

Proper form is key to a successful workout as it helps you exercise more efficiently without wasting your movements. You also end up targeting the wrong muscle groups leading to poor results. Regarding safety, the correct posture is critical to avoid muscle, ligament, bone, or tendon injuries, which may lead to chronic issues. 

Baby Steps: Progress Gradually 

The secret behind fitness success is having long-term goals and following through with a workout plan in a step-by-step, phased manner. Don't get discouraged when your targets aren't observable daily, and continue to make slow progress to ensure that you maintain fitness without any shoulder pain. 

A Balanced Workout: More Than Just Upper Body 

Remember to treat your body as an interdependent unit. No amount of progress made on one part is helpful if other factors are neglected. Upper-body workouts contribute to increased functional strength and health, but it is essential to work out all muscle groups in the body. Include cardiovascular exercises to go with strength training for improved fitness. 

Shoulder Pain Relief: Rest, Stretch, and Recover 

Workouts can be incredibly fulfilling but cause increased fatigue when conducted too often. Thus, post-workout recovery and rest days are essential to maintaining strong shoulders as it prevents muscle fatigue, reduce chances of injury, and improve future workouts' efficiency. It is necessary to avoid shoulder pains. 

The Power of Rest: Let Your Shoulder Heal 

The significance of rest cannot be emphasized enough! When shoulder muscles are repeatedly worked out or strained, it creates muscle tension and inflammation. It is thus recommended to give at least 24 hours of rest before targeting the same muscle group again so that it gets time to recover from the previous workout. Further, rest is required to combat any existing pain in the shoulder. 

Stretch it Out: Simple Exercises to Relieve pain.

Whether you regularly work out or not, don't forget to regularly stretch your shoulders to release tension and loosen your muscles. 

Over-the-Counter Relief: When to Take Anti-inflammatories 

While basic levels of shoulder pain could be dealt with through adequate rest, it is best to consider over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication when the pain affects daily activities and sleep or is accompanied by swelling, bruises, or tenderness in the affected area. 

Physical Therapy: Get Professional Help 

After taking over-the-counter medications, getting requisite rest, and trying other home remedies, such as applying ice, the pain is expected to subside. However, suppose the shoulder pain persists despite these measures. In that case, it is best to consult a professional physiotherapist, as expert advice is the best way to recover from serious physiological ailments such as intense shoulder pain. 

Don't Let Shoulder Pain Hold You Back! 

Physiotattva's goal is to make sure that you can achieve your fitness targets without any hurdles and ensure that you can maintain optimal fitness without suffering from serious issues such as shoulder pain. Our expert physiotherapist recommend that you rest well, maintain the correct form and technique and take regular breaks to avoid shoulder pain after a workout. If you are suffering from any post-workout complications, let us know. Call us: +91 89510 47001. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

What causes shoulder pain after workouts? 

The two key causes of shoulder pain after workouts are overuse and bad form or technique. When the shoulder muscles, joints, or tendons are strained due to overuse, it causes increased inflammation and pain. 

How can I prevent shoulder pain after workouts?

Some things you could do to prevent shoulder pain after workouts include resting well, warming up before and after the workout, stretching regularly, and taking medications if required. 

What are the remedies for shoulder pain after workouts?

Some remedies for shoulder pain after workouts include applying ace, taking adequate rest, and taking a break from working out the muscle group until it recovers to ensure that it doesn't undergo further tension and inflammation.