Shoulder pain is a very common issue; it’s estimated that up to 70% of people will experience shoulder pain in their lifetime. Often, this type of pain can be caused by an injury to the rotator cuff. It can come from osteoarthritis in your shoulder as well. However, tense muscles could be the issue if you’re feeling pain between your shoulder blades.
Physical therapists have many techniques at their disposal for reducing muscle tension. One effective option for decreasing pain between the shoulder blades is therapeutic stretches, and there are two stretches in particular that you might want to try for this type of shoulder pain.
1. Cross-body stretch
Reaching across the body is a movement that involves the rhomboids and trapezius muscles, and both of these muscles can be the site of shoulder pain. One therapeutic exercise your therapist might prescribe to stretch these muscles and reduce pain between the shoulder blades is the cross-body stretch.
How to do the cross-body stretch
- Stand up straight or sit up straight on the edge of a stable chair.
- Slowly stretch your right arm across your chest until you can grab it with your left hand.
- Hold this position for five to 10 seconds. You should feel a stretch between your shoulders. To deepen the stretch, you can use your left hand to pull the right arm closer to your chest.
- Release the stretch and return to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps to stretch the opposite shoulder.
- Go on repeating the steps until you’ve stretched both shoulders three times.
2. Rounded-shoulders stretch
Movements that cause you to reach your arms in front of you use the muscles between your shoulder blades. They can also be used to stretch the muscles to decrease pain between the shoulder blades. An exercise your therapist might recommend that uses such a movement is the rounded-shoulders stretch.
How to do the rounded-shoulders stretch
- Stand or sit on the edge of a stable chair with good posture.
- Slowly raise both arms in front of you until they’re about shoulder height.
- Clasp your hands with your palms facing away from you.
- Let your head drop toward your chest.
- Reach forward with your arms until your shoulders are rounded and you feel a stretch between them. Concentrate on pulling your shoulder blades away from each other.
- Hold this stretch for five to 10 seconds.
- Return to the starting position, and rest for about 10 seconds.
- Repeat these steps until you’ve completed them three times.
Stretches aren’t the only treatment option Panther Physical Therapy can offer for your shoulder blade pain
You don’t have to rely on stretches alone to treat your shoulder blade pain. At Panther Physical Therapy, our team of therapy specialists are ready to help you in many ways. For instance, we offer free screenings that can help jump-start your therapy process. Our team can also create a treatment plan for shoulder pain that’s personalized to your needs.
Are you ready to start getting our help with your shoulder pain? Contact us today for more information or to schedule your free screening.