Cure Sore Shoulders With 5 Easy Stretches

Introduction

The rhomboid major and minormuscles in the shoulder are the muscles that enable the shoulder blade to move. It is thanks to these muscles that shoulder blades are attached to the thoracic wall. The purpose of these muscles is to stabilize the shoulder blades, pulling them downward and together. These small muscles also help maintain proper posture and keep the shoulders from dropping forwards. As a result of being in constant use, these muscles can easily become sore and tense, especially if you sit in a hunched or slouched position all day behind a desk.

In addition to postural causes, sore shoulders and painful shoulder blades can also be caused by a variety of conditions. In the majority of cases the pain is caused simply by posture or overexertion, however some more serious conditions are also factors behind this type of pain. If you are experiencing more severe pains in this area then it can also be indicative of a heart attack, or of gallstones. Consequently you must ensure you see a doctor or other health professional to get checked out properly. It is highly likely that there is nothing serious, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

Returning to the purpose of this hub, if your rhomboid muscles have become sore and tensed because of a lot of exertion or bad posture, you should try the following shoulder blade stretches to help alleviate your aches and pains.

The 'Wall' Stretch

The name for this stretch is a bit of a give away. It's a very easy stretch to complete, but is quite effective and will help loosen your muscles. You can do this first stretch with one arm or with both your arms at the same time. Face a flat wall in a standing position, while making sure that you are so far from the wall only the tips of your fingers come into contact with the wall. Now let your fingers climb up the wall while walking towards it slowly. Ultimately, this will raise your hands and will stretch your fingers as far up as possible while you will be standing closest to the wall.

Door Handle Stretch

Again this is a really easy shoulder blade stretch that you may do with a chair, door handle or towel rail. Grab hold of your chosen object with both hands while standing in front of it. Now lean toward the object but do not move your arms, and step backwards slowly while maintaining a firm grip on the object. This will ultimately bend your torso at a 90 degree angle and will extend your arms completely. If you chose to use a door handle (and the door is closed) then this can be useful as you can apply a bit more stretch to your shoulders than you could with a moveable object.

Door Frame Stretch

This particular stretch concentrates on each side of the shoulder one at a time. This means you will have to complete this stretch on one side first, and then repeat it on the other side. This way you will be able to equally stretch both sides. Stand in an open doorway and raise your arm in a 90 degree angle out to your side. Point your forearm toward the ceiling and extend your upper arm horizontally. The vertical part of your arm should be placed against the door-frame. Lean forward and take really gently half steps. This stretch will prove to be beneficial not only for curing pain between your shoulder blades, but also for stretching out your chest and upper back.

The 'Arms Behind Back' stretch is an easy stretch that adapts with your progress.

Source: Rowan University

Arms Behind Back Stretch

Keep your back straight and extend both your hands behind your body while keeping them clasped together. Gently lift your hands toward the ceiling and maintain this position for at least 20 seconds as you stretch your shoulder blades to the max. Return to the initial position gently and repeat until you feel relief in your shoulder blades.

Overhead Arm Stretch

This is probably one of my favorite shoulder stretches as it is one of the best 'quick fixes' to relieve tension in your shoulders and get rid of some of that stiffness. Basically you take each arm one at a time and raise it above your head. Then bend the arm at the elbow so that your hand and forearm go behind your head and touches your opposite shoulder. The more you can push your elbow in and slide your hand down your upper back the more you will feel this stretch.

The main benefits of this exercise is to stretch the posterior deltoid muscle, together with the triceps. Once you have done this for one side, make sure you also stretch the other side to ensure they are stretched evenly.

Conclusion

If you ever feel like your shoulder blades and muscles feel sore or tensed you can perform any of the above shoulder blade stretches to provide quick relief. For longer term relief you will want to look at what the causal factors are of your aches and pains, whether it be bad posture or over-use. In the case of bad posture, you can look at getting a more ergonomic chair, keyboard and desk (see these tips). Taking a break regularly is also important, and so is undertaking a regime of strengthening exercises in addition to just stretching. These will help you to build up muscular strength and stability that will minimise the soreness that develops in your shoulders.

Of course if you have a high level of pain then this may indicate something more serious, so don't ignore your body, if you are in pain then please see a medical practitioner.

Thanks for reading this hub and I hope it has given you a few useful ideas to help alleviate your shoulder pain.