- Lift properly. It’s important to lift with your legs and keep your back straight when lifting anything, including heavy boxes and other materials.
- Don’t skip the warm-up. It’s important that you not only exercise correctly but that you warm up your muscles properly before jumping right into exercise. A proper warm-up only takes about five minutes to get your muscles and joints ready for activity.
- Ease into exercise. If you haven’t be active in a while or you are trying a new exercise program, start slowly to avoid injuries.
- Maintain good posture. When at home and at work, it’s important to use good standing and sitting posture. Check yourself throughout the day and correct your posture as necessary.
- Stay in shape. By maintaining good muscle tone and keeping your body in good physical condition, you can help prevent shoulder injuries. Weight training is one way you can engage the muscles and tendons that support the joints of the body, especially the shoulders.
- Use a step stool. If you find yourself straining while reaching for an object that’s out of reach, you should get a step stool or small ladder. Better yet, put items you use regularly on shelves within reach.
- If you are in pain, stop. If you find discomfort in your shoulders while doing an activity, stop the activity and rest the joint. Talk to your doctor about what is happening so that you can get advised on how to proceed so you don’t cause further injury or harm to your shoulder.
Most shoulder injuries respond well to nonsurgical remedies. If you find yourself dealing with shoulder pain that won’t go away, it’s important to see a doctor for evaluation and treatment to prevent it from getting worse. To learn more, call (219) 795-3360 to schedule an appointment.
