Shoulder Pain and Popping (SHORT & LONG TERM FIX!)

Summary

In this Athlean-X video, Jeff Cavaliere addresses the common issue of shoulder pain during overhead movements, focusing on the importance of the rotator cuff muscles. He explains how these muscles, particularly the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor, are crucial for keeping the humerus head centered in the shoulder socket, preventing impingement and potential tears. Jeff demonstrates a simple wall exercise to activate and strengthen the rotator cuff, aiming to alleviate shoulder issues and promote safe, effective training.

Takeaways

• 🤔 If you experience popping, clicking, or snapping in your shoulder when raising your arm, it's important to understand the underlying cause.
• 👨‍⚕️ As a physical therapist, Jeff Cavaliere emphasizes the importance of diagnosing the issue before suggesting exercises for immediate relief and long-term solutions.
• 💪 The shoulder blade plays a crucial role in shoulder movement, and its upward rotation is necessary for full arm elevation.
• 🔍 The rotator cuff muscles, particularly the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor, are often overlooked but are essential for shoulder health.
• 🏋️‍♂️ These muscles help to keep the head of the humerus centered in the socket, preventing it from migrating upward and causing pain or injury.
• 🛑 If the humerus head migrates upward, it can lead to impingement, tendon pinching, and potentially a rotator cuff tear, which is a common shoulder issue.
• 🧱 To strengthen the rotator cuff, Jeff suggests a wall exercise that involves positioning your arms and elbows against a wall and attempting to raise them overhead.
• 📈 This exercise can help reposition the rotator cuff muscles, allowing for better shoulder movement and potentially reducing or eliminating shoulder noises.
• 🏥 Long-term training of the rotator cuff muscles is key to preventing shoulder injuries and maintaining healthy shoulder function.
• 💪 Jeff's Athlean-X training system is designed to not only help with muscle growth and strength but also to ensure safety and prevent injuries.

Q & A

What is the main issue discussed in the video?

The main issue discussed in the video is the shoulder pain, specifically popping, clicking, crunching, or snapping sensations experienced when raising the arm overhead.

What is the role of the shoulder blade in raising the arm overhead?

The shoulder blade helps in raising the arm overhead by providing upward rotation, which is necessary to complete the motion fully.

What is the function of the rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder?

The rotator cuff muscles, including the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor, help to stabilize the upper arm by keeping the head of the humerus centered in the socket, preventing it from migrating upward and pinching the joint structures.

Why is it important to keep the head of the humerus centered in the shoulder joint?

Keeping the head of the humerus centered in the joint is important to prevent it from banging into the roof of the joint and pinching the tendons, which can lead to a rotator cuff tear over time.

What exercise is recommended in the video to help with shoulder issues?

The video recommends an exercise where you position your arms against a wall, focusing on keeping your fingers and elbows against the wall as you raise your arms overhead to help activate and strengthen the rotator cuff muscles.

How many repetitions of the wall exercise are suggested in the video?

The video suggests doing the wall exercise for about five or six repetitions.

What is the expected outcome after performing the wall exercise?

After performing the wall exercise, one might experience reduced or eliminated shoulder cracking, popping, or snapping sensations, as the rotator cuff muscles have been temporarily repositioned or activated to allow for better arm movement.

Why is it crucial to prevent shoulder problems as discussed in the video?

Preventing shoulder problems is crucial because once a shoulder issue develops, it can be difficult to recover from, especially considering the many strength movements that require shoulder activation and involvement.

What is the Athlean-X Training System mentioned in the video?

The Athlean-X Training System is a program designed to help individuals get bigger, stronger, and better-looking while also focusing on safety and injury prevention, as emphasized by Jeff Cavaliere, who is a physical therapist.

How can viewers get more information about the Athlean-X Training System?

Viewers can head to athleanx.com to get more information about the Athlean-X Training System.

What is the purpose of the Athlean-X Training System according to Jeff Cavaliere?

The purpose of the Athlean-X Training System is not only to help individuals get bigger, stronger, and faster but also to keep them safe in the long run, as stated by Jeff Cavaliere, who prioritizes safety alongside performance gains.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Understanding and Treating Shoulder Issues

Jeff Cavaliere from Athlean-X introduces the video by addressing a common shoulder problem experienced by many, particularly when raising the arm over the head. He explains his role as a physical therapist in diagnosing and providing immediate and long-term solutions. The video focuses on the importance of the shoulder blade's upward rotation and the often overlooked rotator cuff muscles, which are crucial for the arm's movement over the head. Jeff identifies the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles as key players in preventing the humerus head from migrating upwards, which can lead to impingement and rotator cuff tears. He suggests a wall exercise to activate and strengthen these muscles, which can help in repositioning the humerus head and alleviating shoulder pain. The exercise involves placing the arms against a wall and attempting to raise them over the head while maintaining contact with the wall, which helps in externally rotating the arm and creating more joint space. Jeff emphasizes the importance of long-term training and prevention to avoid severe shoulder injuries that can hinder strength training and overall fitness progress.

05:01

👍 Engaging with the Athlean-X Community

In the second paragraph, Jeff invites viewers to engage with the content by leaving comments and giving a thumbs up if they found the video helpful. He expresses his willingness to further elaborate on any topic the audience is interested in, using visual aids like a skeleton model if necessary. Jeff assures viewers that he will continue to provide valuable content, and he looks forward to their feedback and suggestions for future videos. The paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to participate in the Athlean-X community and contribute to the discussion around fitness and health.

Keywords

💡Rotator Cuff

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, providing stability and enabling a wide range of motion. In the video, Jeff Cavaliere emphasizes the importance of the rotator cuff in preventing shoulder injuries, particularly when performing overhead movements. He mentions that neglecting these muscles can lead to issues like shoulder impingement and rotator cuff tears.

💡Shoulder Impingement

Shoulder impingement refers to the compression and irritation of the rotator cuff tendons and bursa as they pass through the subacromial space. In the script, Jeff describes how improper shoulder movement can lead to the head of the humerus migrating upward, causing it to bang into the joint's 'roof' and pinch the rotator cuff, which can eventually lead to tears.

💡Supraspinatus

The supraspinatus is one of the four muscles that make up the rotator cuff. It is responsible for initiating arm abduction and helping to stabilize the shoulder joint. Jeff explains that if the supraspinatus tendon gets pinched due to improper shoulder movement, it can lead to a rotator cuff tear, which is a common shoulder injury among athletes and fitness enthusiasts.

💡Infraspinatus

The infraspinatus is another key muscle of the rotator cuff, located on the back of the shoulder. It plays a role in externally rotating the arm. In the video, Jeff discusses how this muscle, along with the supraspinatus and teres minor, helps to keep the head of the humerus centered in the shoulder socket during overhead movements.

💡Teres Minor

The teres minor is a small muscle of the rotator cuff that aids in shoulder external rotation and stabilization. Jeff mentions this muscle in the context of its role in shoulder health, particularly in maintaining the proper positioning of the arm during overhead lifts and presses.

💡Humerus

The humerus is the long bone in the upper arm that extends from the shoulder to the elbow. In the video, Jeff discusses how the head of the humerus needs to be kept centered in the shoulder socket to prevent impingement and injury. He explains that the rotator cuff muscles help to achieve this by externally rotating the arm.

💡External Rotation

External rotation is a movement of the shoulder joint where the arm is turned outwards away from the body. Jeff demonstrates an exercise in the video that focuses on external rotation, aiming to strengthen the rotator cuff muscles and improve shoulder health by ensuring the arm can rotate properly without impingement.

💡Shoulder Blade

The shoulder blade, or scapula, is a flat bone that serves as the attachment point for many muscles involved in shoulder movement. Jeff mentions that the upward rotation of the shoulder blade is crucial for full arm elevation, and that it works in conjunction with the rotator cuff muscles to facilitate proper shoulder function.

💡Athlean-X

Athlean-X is a fitness program developed by Jeff Cavaliere, which is designed to help individuals get bigger, stronger, and healthier. In the video, Jeff refers to Athlean-X as a resource for those seeking a comprehensive training system that not only promotes muscle growth and strength but also prioritizes safety and injury prevention.

💡Physical Therapist

A physical therapist is a healthcare professional who helps individuals restore, maintain, and promote overall fitness and wellness by developing treatment plans for those with injuries or medical conditions. Jeff, being a physical therapist, uses his expertise in the video to diagnose and provide solutions for shoulder issues, emphasizing the importance of understanding and treating the root causes of shoulder problems.

Highlights

Jeff Cavaliere from Athlean-X explains common shoulder issues and how to address them.

Physical therapists can help identify and treat shoulder problems like popping or clicking.

Proper shoulder blade movement is crucial for raising your arm overhead.

The rotator cuff muscles are often overlooked but are essential for shoulder health.

The supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint.

These muscles prevent the head of the humerus from migrating upwards and causing pain.

A rotator cuff tear can occur if the tendons are constantly pinched and worn down.

Exercises are needed to keep the rotator cuff muscles strong and prevent shoulder issues.

A wall exercise is demonstrated to help activate and strengthen the rotator cuff.

The exercise involves positioning your arms against a wall to externally rotate them.

Progressive reps of the wall exercise can lead to improved shoulder mobility.

Temporary repositioning of the rotator cuff can alleviate shoulder cracking or popping.

Long-term training of the rotator cuff muscles can prevent shoulder injuries.

Prevention is key to avoiding difficult shoulder recoveries, especially for strength athletes.

Athlean-X offers training programs that focus on both strength and safety.

Jeff Cavaliere emphasizes the importance of safe training to prevent long-term shoulder damage.

The Athlean-X training system is designed to help users get stronger while staying safe.

Viewers are encouraged to comment and upvote if they find the video helpful.

Jeff Cavaliere invites viewers to request more explanations on specific topics.

Transcripts

what's up guys jeff cavaliere

athleanx.com if you are one of the many

that gets popping clicking crunching

snapping whatever the feeling that you

describe as you raise your arm up over

your head you're going to want to watch

this video first of all you got to

figure out what the hell is going on and

that's what my job is as a physical

therapist is to try to help you do but

secondly I got to try to give you

something that can help you actually

immediately and will also give you

optimum for a long term cure okay so

what we have to do first of all is

understand what it is and we know that

when you raise your arm up over your

head a couple things need to happen one

will cover in another video and that is

you do need to have your shoulder blade

help you so you can't just get up there

by raising your arm up on its own you

need motion upward rotation here of the

shoulder blade to allow you to complete

that motion all the way up over your

head okay that's one will cover it

another time but the second thing is you

need help from these really overlooked

no one cares about muscles here and the

back of our shoulder is called the

rotator cuff and these in particular

they're going to they kind of position

themselves around here supraspinatus

infraspinatus teres minor they they

position themselves and they wrap around

they grab on this way around here onto

your arm so you can see that if they

were to contract they're going to do

this they're going to pull this way

right so going to grab it here and pull

it this way they're going to actually

rotate it back like that the upper arm

is going to rotate back here into the

socket what that does is it plays a

critical role when you're trying to

raise your arm up overhead for any sort

of overhead press or pressing movement

tricep work because it's going to keep

the head of the humerus centered into

the ball and socket if the head of

humerus starts to migrate up as you go

and raise your arm up it starts to bang

into the roof here of this joint and

pinches the structures that are in here

pinches the tendons can actually really

start to eventually tear your

supraspinatus tendon that's when people

talk about a rotator cuff tear because

it's just getting pinched all the time

it's like a fraying rope that gets worn

down so much that it finally just gives

out so what you want to do is you don't

want that upward migration you want

be able to keep it centered and what

these do is they actually keep it

centered in the joint and actually

externally rotate it to allow for more

space in the joint as you raise your arm

up over your head so how do we work this

and how do we figure out that's what's

going on for you again it's a very

common problem lots of other things can

be causing shoulder problems but this is

one of the most common because we as

lifters tend to never really pay

attention to these and these are the

only muscles that will help you to

counteract this so you have to work them

there's no way around it so what you can

do is you head to the wall like I'm

going to show you here you position

yourself where your arms are in your

elbows are against the back of the wall

okay so you back up and the two key

points you want to focus on are right

here you want to focus on this point of

your finger okay and keeping that

against the wall and you want to focus

on your elbow but really the back side

and being able to keep that against the

wall when you get to the very top you'll

see that once you get to the level of

your shoulders then as you raise up the

elbows will come off the wall but try to

almost bring them together to further

externally rotate the arm and almost

bring your hands those two points I

talked about together you might notice

that the first time up

you get ever so far but then the elbows

will come off or the fingers will come

off you can't get them both up but then

the next time you try meaning the next

rep you see a little bit better

improvement and then the next rep you

still have a better improvement do that

for about five or six reps then take a

step away from the wall and then try to

raise your arms up over your head if you

were someone that was already

experiencing cracking popping snapping

grinding crunching whatever the hell you

want to describe it as you may not feel

all that much anymore in fact you might

feel none and the optimism behind that

is that you've sort of temporarily

repositioned or activated the rotator

cuff to allow you to reposition that

head of the humerus where it should be

and therefore clear more room and give

you a better chance of raising your arm

over your head without any kind of

pinching so we know that if you actually

train them long term and incorporate

some of that into your training at the

right times you could fix this and you

could overcome that long before it led

to a frame to the point of a tear in

your shoulder and that is going to be

key

you can't allow your shoulder to get so

worn down

with your training because ultimately

once you do have a shoulder problem it's

very tough to recover from especially

when you figure you consider all the

strength movements that require shoulder

activation and involvement right so you

want to make sure that prevention here

is the key if you're looking for a

program that will help you to prevent

that while at the same time obviously

helping you get bigger get stronger look

better right we know that that's the

goal behind a lot of people's efforts in

the gym but to do it in a safe way then

head to athleanx.com guys and get our

athleanx training system as a physical

therapist it was my priority to make

sure I didn't just help you to get

bigger and stronger and faster but also

keep yourself safe in the long run if

you found this video helpful make sure

you leave your comments and thumbs up

below and let me know whatever else you

want to see again I'm happy to break out

the skeleton Raven here to break down

whatever it is that you want me to

explain even further all right guys

we'll be back here again soon

you