A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Handle the small problems so they don’t develop into a big problem.

How often do we say “Oh it’s not a big deal. My shoulder will heal itself.” Then we continue with faulty movements and now things have progressed to a bigger problem and the pain just won’t go away.

Does this sound like you?

Rotator cuff problems may begin as a small muscular imbalance. In turn, this causes impaired movement in additional joints than can lead to much worse issues. Someone may still be moving in a faulty patterning and not using proper range of motion, causing rotator cuffs to become weak. An impingement (a compression of joints where damage occurs) is found often in people aged 35 years and older. In younger people and athletes whose sport requires overhead arm movements like tennis, faulty mechanics can lead to hyper movements that stretch the whole structure, increasing instability in an area that is by nature hypermobile. How someone moves must be analyzed and taken care of to retrain movement patterns and strengthen weakened muscles.

Lets face it: we can all move. We can raise our arm overhead, generally without pain. Even when we’re not challenged we still do this movement on an almost daily basis. Listening to our bodies, addressing the small problems (and addressing them before a serious problem develops) is the answer. We like to think of Pilates and suspension training as an intelligent approach to our sports.

The good news is anyone can learn to move correctly. Just slow down, take a step back to review your movements and you’ll eventually come back stronger. In order to stay on top of your game, you must take care of the little things with caring and educated instructors, before you get sidelined for a much larger issue.