“My poor shoulder”, I think to myself after every practice. It’s sore, and tired, and I didn’t warm up well enough, and I’m already regretting it. But I have to score, and to score I swing as hard as I can. And block other people swinging hard. And dive in weird positions. And jump serve! This thing never gets a break.
Doesn’t shoulder pain feel inevitable sometimes in the sport of volleyball? It’s the first thing I think of when hearing the phrase “wear and tear”. When the main goal is force production at an inherently complicated and mobile joint, of course there are going to be some pains, injuries, and imperfections. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing we can do about it.
Three things I address right off the bat with my overhead athletes for prevention, rehab, and long-term shoulder health are: thoracic mobility, scapular stability, and rotator cuff strength. Of course, this is going to look different for athletes. But here’s the gist-
Thoracic Mobility- Think about this as starting from the ground up! Your thoracic spine has to be able to flex, extend, rotate right and left, side-bend right and left, and do combinations of these at the same time. Most commonly, overhead athletes who are missing extension and rotation will make up for that mobility need up the chain where it doesn’t belong. This looks like low back pain, pec strains, scapular stability issues, and rotator cuff damage. Get your thoracic spine in check first!
Scapular Stability- The scapula can get more complicated. It has to be able to move in multiple directions, like the thoracic spine, but also stabilize, like the rotator cuff. Poor mobility can typically be blamed on rotator cuff and pec tightness, and sometimes rib flaring. Inability to stabilize on a basic level often looks like winging or poor ability to dissociate between moving the scapula versus the spine. Issues here can show up as impingements or thoracic outlet syndrome, just to name a few.
Rotator Cuff Strength- This is a hot topic discussed frequently in social media and in rehab settings, and for a good reason. People say the shoulder is a ball and socket joint, but a more appropriate analogy is a golf ball sitting on a tee. Big ball, small tee, lots of room for error. The rotator cuff is the primary source of stabilization that we can control. Strength and length in internal rotation, external rotation, and lifting in a scapular plane function to keep the ball centered on the tee dynamically. Especially in the presence of labral tears, rotator cuff damage, or even arthritis, the rotator cuff is a contractile tissue that we can influence to our benefit.
If you’re out there with the mindset to include these three components in your self-care routine- as movement prep, strength training, or even warming up- then you’re on the right track as far as shoulder health goes. It never hurts to have a professional check these factors for you to make sure you’re addressing your body’s specific needs. Keep getting after it!
