BY DR. ARNAN SISSON

AUGUST 20, 2018

We’ve seen a good bit of folks coming in with shoulder issues in the past two weeks. And the common factor with most of them was that they have had their shoulder problems for over a year. By the time they see me they may be dependent on loads of Tylenol just to get them through their 8+ hour office job, and along with that the fear of a rotator cuff repair or injections has been made them miss out on a good night’s sleep.

So, you may ask what are some risk factors for shoulder problems? What’s a quick screen that I do in the office that you could do at home to see if you’re at risk?

I always agree with the old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” So today I’m going to review a quick and easy screen you can do to see if you’re at risk for shoulder problems.

This screen is going to involve just two things. You need to have some sort of rod (walking stick, broom, etc.) and another person (or mirror) to allow you to gauge if you’ve passed or failed the test.

Once you have everything you need, you have to stand up tall with feet about shoulder width. Next, you place your stick on your chest with your elbows directly under. After this your going to press your stick overhead, and as you do this you want to keep it as close as possible to your face.

As you press you want to get the stick above your head, and to be more specific over the ears. If your unable to get the stick in that position (overhead, above ears) then that is a fail and your shoulders are at risk for a future problem. If you can get to this position without any pain than you pass the test, and your risk is lowered.

So go ahead and get a stick to test those shoulders today! While we do see folks with shoulder issues that have been around for many years, and they can definitely be fixed. If you can catch a problem earlier is much easier to treat it. Life is too short to be unable to go on family vacations, lift your grandkids, enjoy yoga, or just simply avoid being active because of a painful/stiff shoulder.

P.S. If your shoulders and/or neck are bothering you and you’d like some more help, not a problem! Call us today at (804) 493-0002 and we’ll send over a completely free report through the mail to help give you some tips for neck/shoulder pain.

P.P.S If you want to see a video of me doing the test to get a better idea of how it’s done; then head over to our Facebook page ( Sisson & Associates- The Physical Therapy and Wellness Experts of Montross).