Shoulder problems

[jennifer660]

After years of martial arts, are your shoulders starting to cause problems?

I injured my right shoulder playing volleyball 9 months ago, and now my left one is acting up too. I get shooting pain when reaching forward or overhead, making me drop my arm.

Who else has shoulder issues, and what helps you?

[emattson]

Actually, this is a good women related topic. While men too suffers from shoulder pain, women can be at greater risk because of several factors--smaller size, less muscle mass, and perhaps hormones resulting in greater shoulder instability. Other factors not relating to gender can increase the risk of joint pain--obesity, age, genes, smoking, and other medical disorders.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/pain/hea ... ms#excerpt

The one aspect I love about karate is their strict rule of good body health. Exercise is encourage to manage body weight and smoking is strongly discouraged. In classes. I occasionally hear discussions about injuries from hyperextension. People may be tempted, when throwing a punch, to reach out as far as possible. Doing that too many times can result in shoulder injuries. Overextending the arm doesn't make much of a difference anyway. A step forward is better. Notice in sanchin that the arms are always slightly bent.
https://www.healthline.com/health/hyperextension

I once suffered shoulder pain. It started when the pandemic started in 2020 and I had to start working from home. At the time, I didn't have any home office so I had to convert my walk-in closet into one. My "chair" consisted of a bean bag. I couldn't do any better because a normal desk wouldn't fit and I risk a slow and lingering death if I shop around too much. Also, I needed to work a lot of overtime. I still got laid off. So much for the old saying that hard work brings success. After several months of overtime, I wrecked my right shoulder. My arm's range of motion was dramatically reduced and suffered from pain. I then scheduled a physical therapist which prescribed me stretching and muscle exercise routines which were very helpful. She did not use any drugs. After a few months, my arm returned to normal and I can swing it in full motion. After getting fully vaccinated, I managed to rebuild my office with a high quality office chair and a duel-monitor setup supported by two custom made monitor stands.

I recommend hiring a physical therapist. Insurance should cover it.

[gmattson]

Interesting topic. Many coaches avoid talking about hyperextending punches and kicks, resulting in joint injuries.