Stop It Before It Starts: Simple Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain

Stop It Before It Starts: Simple Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain

If you’ve ever suffered a shoulder injury, then you know how debilitating it can be. Not only are you experiencing persistent pain, but most shoulder injuries also restrict the range of motion in the joint, making day-to-day tasks — from grabbing a cup off the high shelf to brushing your hair — feel nearly impossible.

At McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy, our McKenzie-trained physical therapists take a focused, evidence-informed approach to understanding why your shoulder hurts and how to restore its function. While shoulder pain is often localized to the joint, it can also be connected to issues in the cervical or thoracic spine.

We offer interventions for acute shoulder pain and guide patients through complete rehabilitation, whether or not surgery is needed. In many cases, physical therapy alone is enough to fully resolve a shoulder injury—especially when treatment targets the root cause of the problem.

Below are a few practical, evidence-backed strategies to help you stay ahead of shoulder problems and keep doing what you love without interruption.

What Causes Shoulder Pain and Injury, Anyway?

Your shoulder is an incredibly complex ball-and-socket joint with several moving parts, including:

Three separate bones: the humerus (arm bone), scapula (shoulder blade), and clavicle (collarbone)
Cartilage that wraps and protects these bones from rubbing against each other
Three main ligaments that connect your shoulder’s bones
A collection of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff that wrap and support the shoulder joint
And your bursae, which are small fluid-filled sacs that protect your tendons

Damaging any of these structures can lead to shoulder pain, weakness, and immobility. Some people injure their shoulders through sudden, acute injuries, especially if they’re active — a hard fall on the football field could tear your rotator cuff or dislocate the arm bone out of your shoulder socket.

However, many shoulder injuries are actually overuse injuries, meaning the pain and immobility symptoms occur due to repeated micro-injuries in your shoulder’s tissue. Often, sports-related shoulder injuries are tied to overuse, especially in activities with repetitive overhead motions like throwing a ball or certain swimming strokes. Using improper form, especially during repetitive activity or exercise, can also contribute to overuse injuries. A weak upper back or poor trunk control often shifts unnecessary demand onto the shoulders. Preventing shoulder pain is often about more than just addressing the joint—it’s about treating the movement system as a whole. Our therapists use McKenzie-based assessments to determine whether your shoulder symptoms might actually be referred from the neck or upper back, allowing us to tailor treatment more precisely.

5 Ways You Can Help Prevent Shoulder Pain

Strengthen your upper body: Strong upper back and shoulder muscles are better able to provide the shoulder joint with the support and stability it needs, meaning you’ll be less likely to suffer an injury. Not sure how to get started? Our PTs can walk you through some appropriate exercises.
Keep your mobility: We can show you simple range of motion exercises that will get the blood flowing to your joints, keeping them healthy. Reaching overhead, across your body, or behind your back are all basic stretches that can do wonders — just make sure you never force a movement.
Don’t forget to warm up first: Many popular recreational activities put you at risk for a shoulder injury, including swimming, pickleball, and tennis. It’s crucial that you warm up your shoulder before you dive in. Try some quick cardio paired with active shoulder stretches (like arm circles).
Maintain proper posture: Proper posture isn’t about standing up straight all the time; it’s about maintaining postural awareness and keeping your spine in alignment no matter what you’re doing. And if you have a sedentary job, move around regularly. Both habits will help keep your upper back and shoulder strong.
Pay attention to ergonomics: If your workspace isn’t shoulder-friendly, you might wind up with an overuse injury. Simple changes — like adjusting the height of your computer monitor or maintaining good posture when using hand tools — will reduce repetitive stress and lower your chances of developing shoulder pain.

Need A Little Help? We’ve Got You

At McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy our McKenzie-trained therapists can help you prevent shoulder injuries as easily as we can treat them! Whether you’re looking for a shoulder stretch and strengthening routine, postural corrections, or some simple ergonomic adjustments, we’re here for you.

Call us today to get started!

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This strawberry quinoa salad is loaded with fresh herbs, burrata cheese and chopped pistachios. Topped with a lemon dressing, it’s heavenly!

Enjoy This Seasonal Healthy Recipe!

Mother’s Day Strawberry Quinoa Salad

2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced

1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 ball burrata cheese

¼ cup fresh basil leaves

¼ cup fresh mint leaves

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh herbs, like parsley, chives, etc

freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 cup chopped pistachios (or roasted +salted pistachios)

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pinch salt and pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Cook the quinoa according to the directions (it’s usually 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups liquid, simmering for about 15 minutes and let it cool.)

Once the quinoa is cooled, toss it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the lemon dressing. You can do this based on your preference – add more if you want, or add it on after you make the entire salad!

Stir in the strawberries, some of the fresh herbs, the lemon zest, a few cracks of black pepper and the burrata cheese. Stir in any remaining herbs and add on more dressing if you wish. Toss on the chopped pistachios.

Taste and season the salad with salt and pepper as needed. If needed, you can add more dressing, or serve the salad as is with the dressing on the side so people can use it themselves.

This stores great in the fridge for a day or so, but if making it for a party, assemble the salad right before leaving so the berries are fresh!

Honey Lemon Vinaigrette

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the lemon juice, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Drizzle it over the quinoa and use any extras for serving.

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Ergonomic Tips for Good Shoulder Health

Ergonomics is a field of study focused on optimizing the environments in which people work, ensuring a safe, happy, and productive workplace.

Whether you work in an office or at a construction site, your job might contribute to your shoulder pain. Simple ergonomic adjustments can help minimize your risk of a shoulder injury.

At McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy, our team evaluates not just your shoulder joint but the entire movement system, including your spine. Our certified McKenzie therapists take a targeted approach to identifying and resolving symptoms.

If You Have an Office Job…

Adjust your desk and chair so your elbows rest at a 90-degree angle.
Keep your mouse and keyboard close together to avoid overreaching.
Position your monitor so the top is at or just below eye level.
Take regular breaks to stretch and reset your posture.

If You Have a Manual Job…

Avoid bending your torso to pick up items (even if they aren’t heavy). Instead, use positioning devices (like a forklift) to bring the items right in front of you.
Avoid repeatedly lifting items above your head whenever possible, and remember to keep what you’re lifting close to your body.
Take regular breaks to reduce fatigue from repetitive movements.
Warm up before the workday to prepare your shoulders and spine.

Call McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy for Personalized Support

Want to reduce stress on your shoulders throughout the day? Our physical therapists offer personalized ergonomic evaluations and movement strategies to help you feel and function better. Call today to schedule your visit.

Request Appointment

Our Patients Get Great Results

“I just finished my fifth PT course of treatment at McCabe & Brady–foot, knee, Achilles tendon, shoulder, hip–and have had great results every time. Alex has an impressive depth of knowledge in diagnosing and hands-on treatments. Her approach is to adapt prescribed exercises with the feedback gained through each session and results of the patient’s at-home follow-through. My husband was treated by Steve and was very pleased as well, especially when Steve immediately recommended some medication which my husband’s doctor had not thought about, but which rapidly alleviated severe pain while PT got started. (My husband’s doctor followed the physical therapist’s advice.) I highly recommend McCabe & Brady Physical Therapy.“

— Susie H.

It’s finally spring! For most people, this means warm weather, getting outside, and appreciating the blooming flowers and beauty of nature. However, if you have allergies, you might be dreading all of the above.

Don’t give up on the idea of enjoying the season just yet. Did you know there are several natural ways you can help lessen the severity of your allergies? Here are three ways you can start fighting off your allergies, beginning today!

1. Manage stress

Were you aware that stress hormones can wreak havoc on your body, even weakening the immune system? This in turn can worsen seasonal allergies.

A physical therapist can help you to manage your stress by prescribing you with an individualized exercise routine that fits with your lifestyle and personal fitness goals. Other therapeutic methods, such as massage therapy, acupuncture, and aquatic therapy, also have stress relieving properties.

2. Avoid unhealthy foods and drinks

Toxins in the body frequently aggravate allergies. Allergies can flare up when the liver is working overtime metabolizing our stress, medications, alcohol, and processed foods. Therefore, avoiding fatty foods and alcohol can help lessen your allergy symptoms.

3. Clean the house

This one sounds obvious, but it can do wonders to help mitigate allergies! Many allergy triggers can be removed from your home with regular cleaning, which can help relieve your pesky symptoms.

For example, something as simple as changing your pillowcases on a regular basis can improve your symptoms since allergens can transfer from your hair to your pillow at night.

To discover more natural methods for allergy relief, contact McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy today!

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If you’ve experienced the outstanding care at McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy, why not share it with your friends? Referring them means giving them access to personalized treatment that can make a real difference in their health and well-being. Help them find a trusted healthcare partner—refer a friend to McCabe and Brady Physical Therapy today!

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Stop It Before It Starts: Simple Tips to Prevent Shoulder Pain