Shoulder Pain SOS: Solutions for Teenagers
Today’s teens have so much on their plates. From preparing for college to after-school activities, they have a lot of demands that keep them moving, and pain shouldn’t slow them down. For young athletes, this should be a time to try new things and enjoy a variety of activities as they discover who they are and what they enjoy. Being burdened with pain and injury should not be at the forefront of their minds. But unfortunately, it is becoming a more common occurrence. Having an understanding of how to address these issues as they arise is important so they can enjoy the years ahead pain-free, and the team at ALIB is here to help!
Aiden’s Story
Meet Aiden! Aiden is an 18-year-old athlete who is a competitive swimmer and volleyball player. He came to ALIB when persistent shoulder pain began keeping him from fully enjoying his favorite sports. His shoulder pain was to the point where he was having trouble sleeping, and daily activities were becoming difficult. He says, “I had extreme inflammation in my shoulder, which was really affecting my life. I could do certain things for swimming, but I had to stop top spin serving in volleyball, and I had to sleep on my back with a pillow under my bad arm so I wouldn’t wake up in more pain.”
Shoulder pain is a common complaint for active teens like Aiden, but with the support of professional physical therapists, it can be alleviated. Aiden made the right decision to seek the help of the team at ALIB. When young athletes have pain, it is imperative that they learn effective strategies to help themselves heal. This empowers them to care for themselves and avoid more serious problems down the road.
Why Teens Should Get Help with Their Pain
Working with teens gives our team a wonderful opportunity to educate them on how the body works, and how they can keep themselves pain-free throughout their lives. One of Aiden’s biggest takeaways from his time with our physical therapists was learning how the body is all connected. He says one of the most important things he learned was, “how all the muscles connect, and that one imbalance causes pain elsewhere. It has helped me to keep my body happier while playing sports.”
This is one of the most important concepts we provide our patients through our physical therapy practice. Once you begin to look at the body in this way, you gain a new understanding of how to avoid pain.
Understanding Shoulder Pain
Many people try to manage their pain on their own, and without an understanding of the interconnectedness of the body, they may do more harm than good. Let’s use Aiden’s shoulder pain to clarify how trying to fix pain by starting at the source is mostly ineffective.
If we look at a teenager’s typical day, they are likely seated at school, looking down at a phone, or working at a computer. This positions the spine with the head forward and the upper back hunched. When you take a spine that has been conditioned to stay in this position and ask it to play volleyball and swim, other areas of the body will likely run into trouble. Because Aiden loves to play sports that require a lot of overhead shoulder movement, it is no surprise that this is where pain showed up for him.
Shoulder mobility is greatly inhibited when the upper back is hunched, and the head is forward. You can experience this for yourself by taking your arms overhead while sitting up straight, and again with a hunched upper back. You can see through this example that what needs to be corrected is the spine and not the shoulder itself.
Aiden’s Recovery
With the help and guidance of Dr. Paula and Lauren, not only was ALIB able to help relieve Aiden’s pain, but he left with a new understanding of how his body works and how to take care of it. This is information that will help Aiden stay out of pain throughout his life.
After Aiden’s time with the team at ALIB, he says, “I can play volleyball totally pain-free. And I don’t have to worry about making it worse or being in pain the whole day after. I can sleep how I want; I can swim as much as I please, and not have to worry about how much pain I’m in.”
If pain is inhibiting your ability to enjoy the things you love, ALIB is here to help. Don’t wait to seek help. The sooner we can address your pain, the sooner we can set you on a path to recovery and to a lifetime of pain-free movement.
