Steer Clear of Shoulder Injuries

By David R. Gentile, MD, FACS
 

From the Monmouth Medical Center | May 2009 Edition | Health Link & Monmouth Health & Life Contributions 

To protect this flexible but vulnerable joint, David R. Gentile, MD, FACS, an orthopaedic surgeon at Monmouth Medical Center, suggests the following:

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

Cross-train in addition to doing 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 dont work, surgery is an option.

These tips were extracted from the Goodbye, Shoulder Woes article in the Barnabas Health PDF.