Steer Clear of Shoulder Injuries
From the Monmouth Medical Center May 2009 edition Health Link & Monmouth Health & Life

Contributions by: David Gentile, M.D.

To protect this flexible but vulnerable joint, David Gentile, M.D., an orthopedic surgeon at Monmouth Medical Center, suggests the following:

• Do strength and conditioning exercises geared to the sport or movement you perform regularly.

• Cross-train as well—do activities that provide strengthening and aerobic benefit, but put different stress on the shoulder.

• Stretch before physical activity and again afterward to cool down.

• If you feel tired, stop. Don’t risk hurting yourself. Rest and come back another day.

You can treat most shoulder problems yourself with “RICE”: rest, ice, compression and elevation. Other treatments include exercise and anti-inflammatory medicines to reduce pain and swelling. In some cases, when these methods don’t work, surgery is an option.