The Fit to Farm column offers practical, evidence-informed strategies to reduce injury risk, improve mobility and build strength that supports the realities of life on the farm.
Shoulder pain is one of the most common joint complaints we hear about at the clinic. This makes sense as the shoulder has a lot going on. Shoulders are relatively shallow joints with a large range of motion and not much structural stability. This means that although they are quite mobile and help us with a variety of movements, they tend to fall victim to soft tissue irritations, capsule injuries and frequent nerve compression.
Some of the most common shoulder complaints from farmers are impingement syndromes: tendinitis (usually of the biceps or rotator cuff tendons) and frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis). Impingement and tendinitis are broad terms that essentially imply either pinching/compressed soft tissue (usually from postural issues) or poor mechanics (movement) causing too much friction on a tissue. Frozen shoulder has more complex roots, including hormonal shifts with age, trauma or prolonged stress.
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Humans spend the bulk of our time using our arms in front of us or overhead. On the farm, we often see repetitive motions involving arms reaching forward (driving), throwing or carrying, or repetitive rotation.
Whether it’s fixing machinery or feeding cows, chances are much of your day is spent using your arms in a 180-degree range in front of your body. If you do lots of work with your arms above 90 degrees, you have a higher risk of tendinitis (friction and irritation of the tendon) in your bicep tendons, which enter at the front of your shoulder, and the tendons of your rotator cuff (which also enter at the front of the shoulder).
Both impingements and tendinitis happen when we have a forwardly rolled upper body position, caused by repetitive work with our arms in front of us, and perpetuated by the same.
When our posture is rolled forward it tells us that the stabilizing muscle groups that fill the upper back are likely not working as well as they could. The shoulder capsule becomes compressed in the front portion, and this puts even more strain on some of those inactive muscle groups in the back.
Supporting the shoulder often involves a combination of pain relief through manual therapies and corrective movements that free up the front aspect of the shoulder and bring stabilizing strength to the postural groups in the back body.
I often prescribed the following movements for shoulder cases. Give them a try, a few times per week, as either a preventative routine or as part of your rehab for an existing shoulder complaint. As a bonus, these movements can also support back complaints, neck tension and overall posture.
Wall rotations: Leaning against a wall, press the entire spine from hips to base of the head into the wall (knees can be slightly bent and feet slightly ahead of you). With your elbows touching the wall, lift your arms up to create a 90-degree angle and then rotate forearms toward the wall. Repeat this daily three times for five to ten rounds.
90/90 rotations: Laying on your side with knees bent up towards your chest (your knees should be at about 90 degrees from hips), stack the arms straight out, perpendicular to your body. On an exhale rotate the top arm over towards the opposite direction to where you’re facing so that you end up rotated through your upper body with eyes looking toward the moving hand. Repeat on each side two to three times per day, in rounds of ten movements.
Scapular retractions: Seated or standing, keep the arms relaxed, pull the shoulder blades toward one another and slightly downward. Hold for a few breaths, then release. Repeat five to ten times, a few times per day.
Shoulder irritation or dysfunction should not impede your day. If you have pain that limits your range of motion, it’s important to seek professional guidance from a qualified athletic therapist, physiotherapist or medical professional so that you can be assessed and treated appropriately.
