skip to Main Content

The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint involving the arm and shoulder blade bone. It is part of the ‘shoulder complex’ which works very specifically to enable full shoulder range of movement and strength in all shoulder positions.

Problems with the muscles that control the shoulder blade and those which make our arms move can cause ongoing, twinging pain in the shoulder. Overhead activities such as centre bounce taps in footy or serving in tennis become particularly difficult. The shoulder can even feel weak due to pain when reaching out for something light like a cup of tee (or a stubby of beer!).

If this sounds like your shoulder, it is important to have it assessed by a physiotherapist who is knowledgeable in this area. You may notice your shoulder blade’s ‘wing’ may stick out more than other people.

You might get tightness across the middle of the back and in the shoulder blade area as well as pain with overhead activities – especially when strength is required.

The shoulder blade is surrounded by a group of muscles. These muscles act to ‘hug’ the shoulder blade to the rib cage, which allows the ball and socket component of the shoulder to work properly,. If the shoulder blade ‘wings’, it causes the socket part of the join to tilt and the rotator cuff tendons running through the shoulder joint to be pinched – thus causing pain and weakness.

Rehabilitation for this problem is very specific (though easy), and must be tailored to suit each individual. At CBSMC, our physios are specifically trained to pinpoint shoulder complex problems and treat them appropriately with specific strength training.

An easy fix does exist for a problem which may cause a lot of inconvenience, and can compromise sporting performance of any athlete.

Back To Top