Bicep tendonitis, rotator cuff tendonosis, labrum, AC joint, brachioplexus pain and everything in between are some of the most common diagnosis for shoulder pain. Shoulder pain can be an extremely nagging issue that impacts dumbbell work, overhead presses, pull ups, bench presses and all your other mechanical lifts. It could also impact your sport - tennis, pickle ball, basketball, football, golf, etc. Often these exercises and sports can negatively impact your shoulder meaning it could potentially do more harm than good to continue to ‘push through’ the pain. At this point of the rehab, rest is a viable option or even other pain relieving modalities and treatments.

What happens if you have done all that and the pain continues to linger and fester?
What happens when you’ve rested and the pain has gone down but when you go back to lifting, exercising, or returning to the sport you love, the pain reappears?
How then do you begin to navigate your pain?
What then do you consider when you begin your health and fitness, sport journey again?

Rest and symptom relieving modalities are a great option under specific circumstances - when you need to alleviate the pain and decrease the symptoms that are so debilitating, pain relief is what is needed most. When the body has gone through the pain relieving and tissue healing phase, it is time to begin to the process of reintroducing your body to certain ‘stressors’ in a pain free, systematic, and individualized way.

There is a GAP that exists between the time pain has started to go down to the level of physical activity you engaged in - the GAP must be closed and resting and pain relieving modalities unfortunately does NOT close that gap.

Introduction of ‘stressors’ into your system by adding load in ways that are specific to you are a great way to begin loading your shoulder and increasing fitness tolerance - it is not only a great way, but is efficient and effective in getting you back to fitness/sport and closing that frustration gap!

LOAD the shoulder - make it individualized, specific, pain-free!