What Causes Shoulder Pain and Injury, Anyway? 

Your shoulder is an incredibly complex ball-and-socket joint with several moving parts, including:

• Three separate bones: the humerus (arm bone), scapula (shoulder blade), and clavicle (collarbone)
• Cartilage that wraps and protects these bones from rubbing against each other
• The three main ligaments that connect your shoulder’s bones
• A collection of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff that wrap and support the shoulder joint
• Bursae: small fluid-filled sacs that protect your tendons

Damaging any of these structures can lead to shoulder pain, weakness, and immobility. Some people injure their shoulders through sudden, acute injuries, especially if they’re active — a hard fall on the football field could tear their rotator cuff or dislocate the arm bone out of their shoulder socket.

However, many shoulder injuries are actually overuse injuries, meaning the pain and immobility symptoms occur due to repeated micro-injuries in your shoulder’s tissue. Often, sports-related shoulder injuries are actually due to overuse, as repeated overhead motions (such as throwing a ball or certain swimming strokes) put stress on the shoulder joint, leading to symptoms.

Using improper form can also contribute to overuse injuries, such as improper posture — a weak upper back strains your shoulder muscles, making them do more work than needed. 

Preventing shoulder pain is really about preventing these overuse injuries. By making small changes, you can keep your shoulders strong, healthy, and pain-free!