The shoulder is one of the most frequently used joint in the body. Due to its high ability to move, it has a large range of motion but in contract it is not very stable. Due to its poor stability, it is at greater risk of injury. One of those injuries is shoulder impingement.

Shoulder injuries are very common from young athletes to seniors. One of the most common shoulder injuries is shoulder impingement. Shoulder impingement is when you move your shoulder and some of the soft tissue structures in your should pinches underneath the bone in you shoulder.

Range of Motion Versus Decreased Shoulder Tightness

After a course of physical therapy consisting of stretching and mobilization exercises of the posterior shoulder, research shows that complete resolution of internal impingement symptoms is associated with correction of posterior shoulder tightness but not with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit or GIRD improvement.

GIRD and posterior shoulder tightness have been suggested as causative factors in internal impingement of the shoulder, a shoulder injury mainly seen in throwing athletes. The tightening of posterior shoulder capsule results in abnormal motion of the humeral head with passive shoulder flexion, which in turn, causes the decrease of subacromial space during overhead movements.

GIRD is considered as an adaptive mechanism to repetitive overhead motions, where gradual increase in external rotation and decrease in internal rotation occur. Shoulder pain and decreased full internal rotation of the shoulder develop when the rotator cuff tendons or posterior labrum are pinched between the humeral head and shoulder socket.

3 Key Points about Range of Motion and Shoulder Tightness

1) Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and posterior shoulder tightness have been linked to internal shoulder impingement.

2) Clients with internal rotation impingement who had received stretching and mobilization for 3 to 12 weeks with a physical therapist had a decrease in shoulder impingement symptoms.

3) In people that had a decrease in shoulder symptoms after the stretching and mobilization, were the clients that had a decrease in posterior shoulder tightness. Improvement in GIRD did not affect symptoms.

Take Home Message (THE PART YOU MUST READ!)

It is important to have a qualified health care professional perform mobilizations on your client that has internal rotation impingement. It is also important for you to focus on stretching out the posterior aspect of the shoulder.

Plus, what was not mentioned in the abstract was the subjects also did rotator cuff exercises and scapula stabilizationexercises every day. These are exercises that I give my clients and are the difference in overcoming shoulder impingement or not.

If you do all four things, then you have a good chance of overcoming shoulder impingement.

If they only focus on one, their chances don’t look good. Start doing the four things able and get rid of you shoulder impingement pain.

Where to get More Details

Tyler TF, Nicholas SJ, Lee SJ, Mullaney M, and McHugh MP. (2010). Correction of posterior shoulder tightness is associated with symptom resolution in patients with internal impingement. Am J Sports Med. 2010 January, 38(1):114-119.

Author Bio: ATTENTION FITNESS PROFESSIONAL – Get Your $299 Fitness Education Gift HERE. Rick Kaselj specializes in helping clients use exercise to overcome their injuries. Rick shares his knowledge and experience with other fitness professionals across North America through live courses, webinars and books. Rick has also just completed the Scapular Exercises for a Pain-free Shoulder Program.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: shoulder impingement, rotator cuff exercises, scapular stabilization exercises