Hi,

Just a quick post to let you know that I'm a guest speaker on Richard Bacon BBC Radio 5 Live Show tonight at midnight.

I will be talking about what can be done to prevent injuries to athletes. If you're not a night owl you can catch the show anytime during the next week on the Radio 5 Live website.

I work with some of the country’s top weightlifters and powerlifters. In fact this year alone I have worked with three British Champions. Hence, when it comes to lifting weights, it is something I know a lot about.

My advice is simple. If you have shoulder pain, avoid the military press, the bench press and the lat pull down (see full article for more details). If you don’t have shoulder pain, always maintain proper technique if you do these exercises. If in doubt, find a good personal trainer to guide you.

Gym exercises to avoid

When I talk about a steroid injection for shoulder pain, I really mean a corticosteroid/cortisone injection. This is basically a really strong anti-inflammatory which reduces swelling and pain in the affected area.

Cortisone injections are great for things such as shoulder bursitis, which can cause impingement syndrome. They get right in on the swollen sac of fluid (bursa) and reduce the inflammation.

However, there can be side-effects with cortisone injections, and caution should be observed. The placement of a corticosteroid injection can be a little hit and miss, with many doctors actually missing the right spot. And also too many injections in one spot can cause wasting and disintegration of the fatty tissues around the joint.

My advice is to try natural anti-inflammatories first. Ice, heat and gentle exercise all helps to reduce inflammation. Physiotherapy can also help, as can electrotherapy such as ultrasound. If this fails, you could see your doctor who may prescribe you oral anti-inflammatories and as a final option a steroid injection may be worth considering.

Strapping can be great, but also it can also cause problems. If you have to put your shoulder through a lot of stress or high impact, such as a competitive game of tennis or baseball, then strapping may give support and strength to the shoulder.

Strapping is best used if you are suffering from an injury. The strapping will help to take load from the tendons and ligaments, and transfer it to the tape, this reducing the stress on the tendons.

But strapping should not be worn all the time. Overuse the strapping, and you could weaken your shoulder as your body gets used to having the support, and the ligaments naturally soften as the strapping takes over.

So short term use, and in pain, use strapping to ease your discomfort. Make sure you see a trainer, physical therapist or physiotherapist for application if you possibly can.

Bra straps often to cause shoulder pain, neck stiffness, and back ache. Its almost always due to two things: large breasts, and poorly fitted bras.

Now before you run to the local plastic surgeon and ask for a breast reduction, there is a lot you can do to reduce the load. Firstly, make sure the bra is fitted correctly. Read my article for help on how breast size is determined, and how bras are fitted.

Secondly, maintain good posture.

Next, strengthen the back and shoulder muscles. For great shoulder exercises visit: ExercisesForShoulderPain.com

Seatbelts save lives, but sometimes they can also cause pain too. During a road traffic accident they can cause severe chest, shoulder and rib compression and lead to extensive bone bruising, and sometimes even fracture of the breast bone and ribs.

Repetitive regular driving can also bring in its own set of problems. The seatbelt can pull against the shoulder and cause muscle aching and fatigue. It sometimes can rub the tip of the shoulder causing pain. In people with shoulder impingement syndrome, this can be rather painful.

Another tip for you: if you have shoulder surgery, avoid driving for at least two weeks as the position of the arm on the steering wheel can put a lot of tension through the shoulder.

Please always wear a seatbelt, and make sure your passengers do the same.

More information:

Seatbelts and Shoulder Pain

Carrying Heavy Bags causes Shoulder Pain

Carrying big bags, especially for women, is very fashionable at the moment. Sienna Miller is a great example, and many others. Women carry oversized bags and put them on one shoulder, and this causes shoulder and neck pain.

My tip today is simple. Always spread the load evenly if you are carrying a bag. For example, if try not to load one shoulder all the time.

Swop shoulders regularly, or use a bag which can fit on both shoulders like a rucksack. Another tip is never to over-load the bag with unnecessary items.

The extra weight may not seem a lot if you are walking to the car, but try walking around shops for a few hours and that weight builds up and puts a great deal of strain through the shoulder and neck muscles.

For further information follow the link below:

Shoulder Pain and Heavy Bags

If you play impact sports, you are at a higher risk of sustaining severe injury to the shoulder. Such injury includes Shoulder dislocation, acromioclavicular joint separation or dislocation, and rotator cuff tearing.

Wearing shoulder supports and sports protection can help cushion the blow from impact injuries like a rugby tackle. Of course if the impact is high enough, damage may still be sustained. But you might just help reduce the impact.

It is best to maintain as much shoulder strength as possible as this helps to stabilise the shoulder joint and protect against dislocation.

Keep your Head Up for Shoulder Relief

People that walk along the pavement looking at the ground eventually get a rounded back and shoulder pain. When the chin drops forwards, the back rounds and the shoulders fall forwards. We call this scapular protraction, and it’s a postural “no-no”.

So to rectify it, imagine you have a fishing-line attached to your chin. Now pull the fish line upwards to raise the chin. Your eyes should now be on the horizon line, chin up, and the back straightens and shoulders fall back into a more natural position.

This is really simple and effective so do give it a try.

Using an Ergonomic Mouse for Shoulder Pain Relief

I often recommend the vertical mouse which means your forearm is not fully rotated to click the mouse button. You are probably asking, “what has this to do with my shoulder?”. Well the shoulder orientates the arm which orientates the forearm and wrist. Using an ergonomically friendly mouse takes loads of tension out of the arm and shoulder muscles.

Also, make sure the mouse slides properly. If it is constantly getting stuck on the mouse mat, it takes a lot more repetitive effort to move the pointer to precise locations on the screen.