5 Best Shoulder Impingement Exercises

Shoulder impingement exercises are the group of exercises that can treat your shoulder impingement syndrome. Do you know what the 5 best shoulder impingement exercises are? The 5 best shoulder impingement exercises include supported rotator cuff external rotation with a dumbbell, wall slide exercise, side-lying external rotation, posterior capsular stretch, and floor cobra raises. These exercises are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs of this article.

Shoulder impingement syndrome is a painful and common condition in athletes and the general population. It is also known as subacromial impingement syndrome. This injury occurs due to the space reduction between the humeral end and the acromion of the shoulder joint. In this condition, the structures of the shoulder joint may become irritated or inflamed with various symptoms and characteristics. 

Shoulder impingement may affect your daily life activities including combing hair, showering, or reaching up to the level of the cupboard. Besides these symptoms, you can also have severe pain from performing any movements involving the shoulders. Shoulder impingement accounts for 44% to 65% of shoulder complaints. This article encircles the shoulder impingement exercises to provide you relief from this painful condition. Let us first discuss shoulder anatomy to understand the basic concepts of shoulder impingement exercises.

Shoulder joint

The shoulder joint consists of three basic bones

• The shoulder blade or scapula
• Humerus or the upper end of the shoulder joint
• The collarbone or clavicles
• The acromion is also part of the shoulder joint that connects the clavicles with the shoulder blade

These bones are connected with a variety of muscles, tendons, and ligaments. When you lift your shoulder or arm, the rotator cuff muscles and tendons slide below the acromion. If the space between the tendons and acromion is reduced, it may cause restricted movement, causing shoulder impingement. Before moving into exercises for shoulder impingement, let’s look into details about shoulder impingement syndrome.

How to know that we have shoulder impingement syndrome? 

There is a very easy diagnostic self-test to know whether you have shoulder impingement syndrome or not. This is the way to perform the self-test.

• Take your hand from the affected side and place it on the opposite shoulder with no pain. Your elbow should be properly bent while resting down towards your chest.
• Try to lift your elbow in an upward direction along your face.
• If you are having pain while doing this, it suggests that you are having shoulder impingement

Besides this test, simply, if you get pain while lifting your elbow, you may have shoulder impingement syndrome. 

You should also check out this detailed article on Neonatal Marfan Syndrome

What are the common causes of shoulder impingement syndrome?

Shoulder impingement may occur because of a variety of factors. Here are some of the common causes that may stimulate shoulder impingement syndrome.

• Bony abnormalities of the acromial head that reduce the subacromial space
• Poor posture maintenance 
• Repetitive compression due to physical activities
• Any acute injury to the shoulder muscle
• Aging of the tendon
• Inflammation of bursa which are smaller fluid sacs
• Wearing out of the rotator cuff tendon of the shoulder joint causes osteophyte formation – these are the bony fragments that cause the narrowing of the subacromial space 

These are the primary causes of shoulder impingement syndrome. Secondary shoulder impingement syndrome is mainly associated with the start of impingement during repetitive physical motion. It is commonly related to the weakness of rotator cuff muscles, trapezius, and serratus anterior muscles. The weakness of these muscles collectively affects the movement of the arm and shoulder blades. Having a good knowledge of female muscle anatomy will help you understand this better.

Shoulder impingement syndrome is commonly associated with athletic activities and people who actively participate in sports. In addition, it also affects the people who perform swimming, carpentry work, hairdressing, painting, decorating, and other repetitive motions. Moreover, several environmental factors may serve as the risk factors for shoulder impingement syndrome. With advancing age, the prevalence of shoulder impingement syndrome increases due to the weakening of muscles and other associated factors. 

Some studies support the concept of physical therapy to improve the symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome. Physical therapy exercises for shoulder impingement include multiple muscular exercises to coordinate the muscle movements with daily voluntary activities. Here are some shoulder impingement exercises to help you deal with the painful symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome. 

1. Supported rotator cuff external rotation with dumbbell

As the exercise name indicates, you need to provide support to your rotator cuff muscle and perform movement with the help of a dumbbell. A supported movement will help you to perform this exercise quite efficiently, without experiencing any major kind of pain.

For this exercise, sit at the side of a table. Bend your elbow at a 90° angle. Maintain your arms level at about 30° angle from your body. The table will provide support to your rotator cuff and other shoulder blade muscles. Hold a dumbbell of about 0.5kg. Turn your fist outwards. Repeat this exercise if you have a pain-free experience. Gradually increase the weight by adding 0.5kg weight increments. Turn your fist outwards by bringing your arm back to the table. Try 12-20 repetitions for 3 to 5 times per day. This is one of the best exercises for shoulder impingement.

2. Wall slide exercise

As the name indicates, this exercise supports the concept of sliding along the wall. But, you need to follow the technique to get the desired benefits properly. This exercise mainly targets the lower trapezius muscles and serratus anterior. These muscles open up your chest and shoulders. 

You need to stand with your back facing the wall for this exercise. Maintain contact with your upper back and buttocks along the wall while walking your feet out at about 12 inches from the wall. Draw in your belly to avoid the arched posture of your lower back. Bend your elbows at a 90° angle with your hands pointing up. Try to press your forearms against the wall.

Slide your arms up the Wally and then back down the wall. Start with 1 set of 10 repetitions. When you get comfortable with the exercise, do almost 3 sets of 10 repetitions. This is one of the must do shoulder impingement exercises.

3. Side-lying external rotation

The main purpose of this exercise is to involve your shoulder blade muscles by performing the external rotation. 

For this exercise, you need to lie on your side with your affected shoulder facing upward. Hold a lightweight dumbbell or resistance band with your elbow bent at a 90° angle. Slowly rotate your forearm away from your body with your elbow tucked against the side. Repeat this exercise with almost 10 repetitions per set. Moreover, try to increase weight or resistance gradually.

4. Posterior capsular stretch

For this exercise, you need to stand in an upright position with your affected arm extended across your chest. Use your other hand to gently pull the affected arm closer to your body till you feel a stretch at the back of your shoulder. Hold on this position for about 30 seconds. Repeat this exercise 3 to 4 times per day till you get relief from the symptoms. 

5. Floor cobra raises

Floor cobra raises exercise helps to provide you with a good posture by strengthening your middle and lower trapezius muscles.

To perform this physical exercise, you need to lie face down with your palms resting on the floor. Slowly perform the movement by externally rotating your arms while lifting them off the floor.
Squeeze your shoulder blades and hold this position for 1 to 2 seconds. Perform almost 10 repetitions with 3 sets per day. It can again be one of the best exercises for shoulder impingement.

What are the home remedies to manage the pain because of shoulder impingement syndrome? 

Besides following over-the-counter medication and physical therapy exercises for shoulder impingement, some home remedies can boost the recovery phase. These are as follows:

• Icing the inflamed area can quickly provide relief from the inflamed tissue or muscle. Ice can calm down the inflammation effects along the affected area.
• Self-massage the affected area with a soft tennis ball. Avoid massaging the bony points of the inflamed shoulder.

When is there a need to visit the doctor?

No doubt, self-care exercises, and therapies are the major adjuncts to the recovery period. But, it is important to consider a physiotherapist if your symptoms persist or worsen. Seek proper medical guidance if you are unable to perform daily life activities or you are having severe pain.

A physiotherapist properly assesses the condition and provides you with a proper treatment plan with regular exercises. Every person’s problem is unique from the other. So, it is crucial to get medical advice from a healthcare professional for prompt diagnosis and a treatment plan. 

Keynote

Shoulder impingement syndrome is a painful condition for athletic people and also for the general population. It can affect your daily life activities and may hinder your body movements due to painful experiences. Shoulder impingement may occur because of a variety of causes ranging from acute injury to the aging process.

Physical therapy exercises for shoulder impingement seem quite promising to improve the symptoms of shoulder impingement. So, this article will guide you through the list of physical exercises to improve the healing of shoulder muscles. 

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