Lean on Me

You never know when you'll need a strong shoulder.

They're a metaphor for strength: Atlas carried the weight of the world on his. Lesser mortals carry lesser burdens, emotional and physical, on theirs, and cry on other people's.

Ever since human beings first stood up and started walking around on two legs, our shoulders have been taking a beating. No wonder they're the most frequently injured part of the upper body.

Design is partly to blame; one of the shoulder's most useful features is also a liability The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, but the socket is shallow; like a saucer. While this gives the arm with a wide range of motion, it also contributes to instability in the joint and susceptibility to chronic and overuse injuries.

Most shoulder pain develops from muscle imbalance, friction and fatigue caused by overuse in activities like swimming and throwing. These activities can cause microscopic tissue damage, inflammation and swelling in the muscles and tendons.

Overuse injuries.

Because its socket is so shallow, the shoulder is very dependent on strong rotator cuff muscles, the infraspinatus, subscapularis, supraspinatus, and teres minor, to maintain the stability of the humeral head in the glenoid fossa. These muscles also rotate the shoulder; so they are brought into play when the joint is under greatest stress, such as during throwing motions.

Powerful, repetitive motions can cause microscopic fraying of the rotator cuff tendons. These tendons can also tear; requiring surgical repair and a long, difficult rehabilitation, which is not always successful.

If tendinitis occurs in the rotator cuff tendons as they run under the acromioclavicular (AC) arch, it causes pain and limits the range of motion when you raise your arm, a condition called impingement. Tearing of these tendons limits strength and range of motion even further.

Bursitis, an inflammation of the bursae sacs that lubricate the joint, is another result of overuse.

What about traumatic injuries to the shoulder?

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Table of Contents

Foreword: Billie Jean King

Comments by Barb Harris
Editor in Chief,
Shape Magazine

General Health
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Common Medical Problems
Dental Health
Emergency!
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Eating Disorders
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