Shoulder Pain & Recovery: Why Exercise is Key

Shoulder pain can be frustrating, limiting, and downright annoying, but the good news is that there are many ways to work around it, strengthen it, and restore full function—without making it worse. The trick? Loading the right tissues, at the right time, in the right way.

Why Shoulders Are Prone to Pain

The shoulder isn’t a typical ball-and-socket joint like the hip. It’s more like a golf ball on a tee—incredibly mobile but naturally unstable. Because of this, small imbalances, overuse, or even poor posture can create big problems over time.

Common causes of shoulder pain include:

✔️ Rotator Cuff Injuries – The small stabilizing muscles of the shoulder can become strained or torn due to overuse or improper movement.

✔️ Tendon Overuse (e.g., Biceps Tendonitis) – Repetitive movements or poor scapular control can lead to biceps or rotator cuff tendons working overtime, causing pain.

✔️ Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis) – When the shoulder becomes stiff, painful, and loses mobility, often due to disuse after an injury.

✔️ Impingement Syndrome – The rotator cuff tendons get pinched between the bones of the shoulder, causing pain with overhead movement.

✔️ Labral Tears – The cartilage (labrum) that deepens the shoulder socket can tear, reducing stability and causing discomfort.

✔️ Osteoarthritis – Wear and tear over time can lead to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion.

Why Exercise is Crucial for Shoulder Recovery

Tendons love to be loaded—but they need the right kind of loading at the right time. Strengthening the muscles around the shoulder joint is one of the best ways to:

✔️ Improve stability (reducing strain on the joint)

✔️ Enhance mobility (keeping the shoulder moving pain-free)

✔️ Reduce inflammation (by increasing blood flow and strengthening weak areas)

✔️ Prevent future injuries (by addressing movement imbalances)

But not all exercises are helpful—and doing the wrong ones can make things worse.

How to Train Smart with Shoulder Pain

If your shoulder is having a bad day, that doesn’t mean you have to skip training entirely. A few smart modifications can make a huge difference:

✔️ Limit range of motion – Sometimes small adjustments (like pressing dumbbells only halfway up) can keep pain away.

✔️ Prioritize pulling exercises – Most people overwork pressing movements (push-ups, bench press) but neglect rows and pull-aparts, which balance the shoulder.

✔️ Improve scapular control – If the shoulder blade doesn’t move well, your shoulder won’t move well either. Strengthening the lower traps and serratus anterior can work wonders.

✔️ Adjust grip position – Sometimes, simply changing the angle of a press or row can eliminate pain (e.g., using a neutral grip instead of an overhand grip).

✔️ Focus on posture & priming the shoulder – Prepping the shoulder before lifting with light mobility work can help reduce pain and improve mechanics.

What About Frozen Shoulder?

One of the biggest mistakes people make when dealing with frozen shoulder is stopping all movement. I’ve worked with clients who, instead of gently working through their limitations, just gave up on using their arm entirely—which only made things worse.

✅ Good news: Frozen shoulder isn’t a life sentence. Gradual, progressive movement can restore function, even when it feels impossible at first.

💡 Key takeaway: Each phase of recovery isn’t forever—shoulders can heal, and movement is the best medicine.

PRP & Cortisone Injections: Are They a Solution?

Many people turn to PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) or cortisone injections to relieve shoulder pain. While these can help reduce pain, they aren’t a magic fix.

❌ Cortisone can reduce inflammation—leading to people overloading their shoulder without realizing they’re causing more damage. I’ve worked with clients who had cortisone injections 10 years ago, only to come to me later with worse damage because they never addressed the root cause.

❌ PRP is promising but not guaranteed—some studies show faster healing, but if you don’t strengthen the shoulder, the pain often comes back.

✔️ Bottom line? Even if you get an injection, you still need to do the rehab.

The Takeaway: Shoulder Pain is Fixable

Your shoulder isn’t broken forever. Whether it’s tendon overload, impingement, frozen shoulder, or a labral issue, smart training, patience, and progressive loading can make a huge difference.

If you’ve been struggling with shoulder pain and want to get back to lifting, training, and moving pain-free, reach out—I’d love to help you build a plan that actually works.