Shoulder muscles can easily be overloaded and when damage occurs, even as minor as a tiny rotator cuff tear, the healing process can result in tissues sticking together.
If your tissues are stuck together, dysfunctional movement patterns will result putting excess wear and tear on tendons, ligaments and the connective tissues of the joint resulting in inflammation and pain.
So before stretching, mobilizing, activating or strengthening, you need to release these stuck tissues, otherwise you'll be reinforcing the dysfunctional patterns and imbalances.
Enter the Active "SLEEPER" Self-Myofascial Release technique.
If you've ever done the sleeper stretch you'll recognize the position, but it's a much more effective technique because you'll be simultaneously releasing stuck tissues and building strength through the full ROM.
When you do this technique it's important to put as much weight as possible into the ball while you can still do the movements while breathing and without tensing up. Holding your breath and tensing up will counteract what we're trying to achieve.
1:50 - protraction/retraction of the scapula, which focuses on releasing the teres major and posterior deltoid
2:48 - shoulder flexion and extension, which focuses on releasing the lats and to a lesser extent, teres major
3:13 - internal and external shoulder rotation, which focuses on the teres minor and infraspinatus
If you're new to active self-myofascial release (ASMR), do it daily for 1-2 weeks after which point you can drop down to 2-3 times a week. I'd keep this in your weekly regimen to keep your shoulders moving freely and without pain.
I learned this technique from Dr. Erin Boynton, who is an orthopaedic surgeon I've been learning from and working with over the past year and whom you'll be seeing more of here on KZfaq in the future as we're planning on putting out more content and creating injury-specific programs where we can tap into her 30 years of experience as an orthopaedic surgeon.
I include ASMR techniques in all of my courses and if your shoulders need help, check out my Shoulder Control course at www.precisionmovement.coach/s... where you'll learn more ASMR techniques as well as a progressive 3 phase program to fix imbalances, restore mobility and build strength.
If you've got more scapula specific issues, I suggest you check out my Scap Strength course at www.precisionmovement.coach/s...
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