5 tips for shoulder complaints

The shoulder is an important joint in our body it connects the arm with the torso. Often people think the shoulder is a single joint. However, this is incorrect. Several joints work together: the clavicle joint, the shoulder blade joint and the glenohumeral joint (commonly referred to as “shoulder joint”). Because the shoulder is built so complexly, the risk of injury or shoulder complaints is quite high. Shoulder complaints together with knee and back complaints belong to the most common complaints in the Netherlands. In many cases, you can do a lot yourself when it comes to shoulder injuries. Below we have compiled a number of tips that can help you with shoulder complaints.

Tip 1: Give your shoulder relief

If you suffer from shoulder complaints, try not to put too much strain on your shoulder. Moving within the pain threshold is desirable. This may sound obvious, but it is very important. Take rest until the complaints decrease try not to lift too much. If the complaints hardly diminish, visit your doctor for possible treatment.

Tip 2: Keep moving

Lack of movement. If you don’t use your shoulder enough, complaints can arise. These are often varying, nagging pains. Keep moving within the pain threshold. When moving within the pain threshold, you can think of rotating your shoulder forwards and backwards and making small rotating movements with your arms also small lifting movements forwards and sideways with your arms.

Tip 3: Prevent with a warm-up

Do you regularly suffer from shoulder complaints after sports? Try to prevent this by doing a warm-up before you use your shoulders a lot. Especially when swimming or doing racket or throwing sports it is advisable to do a warm-up.

Tip 4: Change your working posture regularly

A prolonged static posture causes the body to stiffen. This happens because there is no such thing as a good static posture. You need to move. Try to keep moving in a healthy way. Dynamic sitting! Do some stretch exercises or walk to a colleague once in a while. Try to make it a routine to make it easier to stick to.

• Move sufficiently
• Do stretch and flexibility exercises
• Take mini-breaks

Tip 5: Place your laptop at a healthy height

The laptop is increasingly replacing a fixed PC. It is mobile and you can work with it almost anywhere. But there is a problem posture. The screen is often too low, causing you to slouch. Neck down, shoulders raised. This puts pressure on the shoulders and neck areas where people often start feeling pain. Use a laptop stand and work with an external keyboard and mouse.

• Use a laptop stand
• Use an external keyboard
• Use an external mouse

Do you need a brace for your shoulder? Check out our shoulder braces.