Shoulder injuries are extremely common in the active person, but sports and car crashes aren’t the only culprits in painful shoulder injuries: falling, mowing the lawn and scar tissue or stretched ligaments from previous injuries also contribute to your shoulders inability to perform at its top level.
The shoulder is made up of humerus and the scapula: the top of the arm bone and the shoulder blade, respectively. The humerus fits into a socket of the scapula and is joined with the collarbone. Ligaments and tendons connect the bones and muscles.
If any of the aspects of the shoulder are damaged, stretched or stressed, the shoulder can be damaged. Repeated overhand motions, as in sports related injury like football, tennis or swimming, can stretch the ligaments and cause the shoulder to slip from it’s socket. Repeated overhead movements can also cause the shoulder bones and muscles to wear away.
Shoulder Sprains and Separarations
Shoulder sprains, also called shoulder separations, occur when the ligaments that hold the collar bone to the shoulder tear. This injury is common is car crashes when the safety belt applies extreme pressure to the person it is protecting.
Falling and landing with the hand and arm outstretched can cause terrible damage to the shoulder. Muscles and tendons tear, bones become dislocated and damage can become permanent if not given time to heal.
Even the most mundane of household chores can cause shoulder strain, such as pushing the lawn mower, catching a falling object or hanging curtains. Any movement that puts pressure on the shoulder or requires overhand motion puts your shoulders, as well as your rotator cuff, at risk. Conversely, remaining sedentary can cause your joints to freeze, especially when previous injury and scar tissue are relevant.
Helping Your Shoulder Heal
When shoulder damage occurs, the best advice is to let it heal; a full range of motion may not be recovered otherwise. Some people will ignore the pain symptoms their body sends them and continue to use their shoulder as if nothing ever happened; eventually they become used to the pain. This avoidance of the issue is inadvisable Paying attention to arm weakness and steady pain, as well as body limitations are excellent ways of treating concerns before they become issues.
If at any point your arm feels weak or you can’t lift it over your head, or if you can’t put pressure on your arm, lay on that side, or have a bump on your shoulder, the best advice is to apply ice to the shoulder and compress the arm into a sling and seek medical attention.
Shoulder injuries are extremely common and can occur whether you are active or sedentary. Take care in your everyday life to make sure your shoulders are as stress free as the rest of your body.
Contact Our Atlantic City NJ Personal Injury Attorneys
I invite you to contact us. Lombardo Law Group, LLC has been representing clients in personal injury matters across Southern New Jersey since 1993. We have office conveniently located in Hammonton, NJ and Atlantic City, NJ. If you have suffered an injury as the result of an accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, suffering, and lost wages. If you think someone else is at fault for an injury you suffered, it is important to seek legal representation as soon after the injury as possible. There are time deadlines that must be met and correspondence with insurance companies that must be properly handled. If you have suffered an injury to your shoulder or another part of your body as a result of someone else’s negligence, contact us today by phone (609) 445-4300 for a free, initial consultation.
