The Two Mobility Tests That Could Save Your Shoulders
By Coach Johnny B (Ms, CFL3, LMT)
This past week, I was reading this paper (for business school), and I was struck by the line “even those who receive optimal treatment for their lung cancer and recover are worse off on average than those people who do not need to visit an oncologist because they are well.”
It was a stark reminder that no matter how badass modern medicine is, it will never return us to the same level as before, regardless of the injury/illness we incur.
It also reinforces the old Ben Franklin quote that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
When I began considering how this applied to our work at Atlanta Sports Recovery, my mind immediately turned to mobility, and the basic positions all humans need be able ot get into to perform well.
The consequences of missing either range of motion or lacking adequate motor control in these positiong show an athletes that has incomplete mechanics. Not all incomplete mechanics will lead directly to an injury, but it does increase the tissue stresses placed on the structures which then increases the likelihood of an incident or an injury. Additionally, increases in tissue stresses leads to a reduction in movement efficiency. Lacking adequate range or control of that range leaves an athlete vulnerable to early movement fatigue that can lead to decrease in performance and further increased tissue stress and overtime lead to a injury that may require surgery and never see the athlete return to that pre-injury state.
So over the next 3 weeks I am sharing some basic mobility tests that you should try at home!
This week we start with the shoulder read about the two positions we are testing and check out the tests to do on your own.
This is a simple test. Put your back flush on the wall and lift your arm straight up without bending your elbow or losing contact with the wall. Your thumb should touch the wall.
If you struggle on either of these two tests hit us up. We can help you get your mobility back, which will reduce the risk of injury.
