Understanding Shoulder Flexion
Understanding Shoulder Flexion and How Physical Therapy Can Help You Improve It
Shoulder flexion, or the ability to raise your arm overhead, is crucial for a variety of daily activities and athletic movements, such as lifting, reaching, carrying, and performing exercises like pull-ups, presses, and cleans. If you’re experiencing difficulty reaching overhead or feeling discomfort during these movements, physical therapy can help restore function, alleviate pain, and improve your range of motion (ROM).
In this blog post, we’ll dive into what normal shoulder flexion looks like, why it’s important, and how physical therapy exercises can help you regain or improve your overhead shoulder mobility. Plus, we’ve included a demonstration video to show you some practical techniques that can help improve your shoulder flexion.
What is Shoulder Flexion?
Shoulder flexion is the movement that occurs when you raise your arm in front of you or overhead. A normal, healthy shoulder should allow you to achieve at least 180 degrees of flexion, meaning you should be able to reach your arm directly overhead without pain or restriction.
This movement is key to many activities like lifting weights, performing overhead presses, doing pull-ups, or carrying objects overhead. If you’re unable to fully extend your arm overhead, it can limit your performance in these activities and may increase your risk of injury, especially if you compensate for the lack of mobility by overloading other muscles or joints.
Why Shoulder Flexion Matters
Having full shoulder flexion allows your body to move efficiently during overhead activities. The muscles involved in shoulder flexion include the latissimus dorsi (lats), deltoids, and triceps. If any of these muscles are restricted or weak, it can lead to improper movement patterns and discomfort during overhead tasks.
Whether you’re training for a fitness competition or just trying to carry groceries, having proper shoulder mobility is crucial. Without it, your performance can be compromised, and you might face challenges in everyday tasks.
How Physical Therapy Can Help Improve Shoulder Flexion
If you’re experiencing limited shoulder flexion, physical therapy is an excellent option for improving both your range of motion and the strength needed to move overhead safely and effectively. In the video below, we demonstrate several exercises that can help you stretch and strengthen the muscles responsible for shoulder flexion, ultimately increasing your overhead mobility.
Here’s a breakdown of the exercises shown in the video:
1. Lat Stretch with Barbell
One of the first exercises to improve shoulder flexion focuses on stretching the lats, which are commonly tight and can limit overhead movement. Set up a barbell with your palm facing upward. Lean back, keeping your body straight, and feel a deep stretch through your lats. You can rotate your body slightly to increase the stretch. Hold for about 10 seconds, and repeat for 8-10 repetitions.
2. Active Lat Stretch
Building on the previous stretch, this version involves using the lat muscles to actively pull yourself back up after stretching. This strengthens the lats while increasing shoulder flexibility, helping you improve both your range of motion and strength for overhead movements.
3. Triceps Stretch Against the Wall
The triceps can also be a limiting factor in shoulder flexion. To stretch them, place your hand on the wall and slide your arm upward until you feel a stretch. Push your elbow into the wall to deepen the stretch, then relax and see if you can slide further. This helps to release tight triceps and enhance your shoulder mobility.
4. Reach, Roll, and Lift
This exercise helps improve shoulder flexion by engaging the muscles around your shoulder. Reach as far as possible, then roll your hand over to stretch further. Once you’ve reached the end range, lift your hand off the ground while keeping your elbow straight. This active motion works on both range of motion and muscle engagement.
5. Rotational Stretch with Light Traction
This stretch involves leaning back slightly to create a gentle stretch and rotating your palm open. Hold this position for a few seconds, and use your other hand for a bit of traction. This exercise targets both the shoulder joint and the muscles involved in overhead movement, helping to improve mobility and rotation.
6. Overhead Carry
The overhead carry is a great functional exercise to reinforce the flexibility you’ve gained during your therapy sessions. Hold a weight, such as a kettlebell, overhead and walk with it in this position. Keep your shoulder stable and your chest upright while pressing the weight overhead. This exercise challenges both your shoulder mobility and your ability to maintain proper posture while performing an everyday task.
Progressing Your Shoulder Flexion
After you’ve worked on improving your shoulder flexion, it’s important to incorporate these movements into your regular workout routine. A balanced program that includes stretching, strengthening, and mobility work will help you maintain the progress you’ve made and prevent future limitations in your range of motion.
When 2 Seek Physical Therapy
If you’re experiencing pain, discomfort, or limited range of motion during overhead movements, physical therapy can be incredibly helpful. A skilled physical therapist can assess your specific needs, develop a personalized treatment plan, and guide you safely through exercises that will restore or improve your shoulder flexion.
Conclusion
Shoulder flexion is an essential movement for both everyday tasks and athletic performance. If you’ve noticed limited mobility in your shoulders or have trouble reaching overhead, physical therapy can help you restore your range of motion and build strength for better performance. The exercises demonstrated in the video will assist in improving your shoulder flexibility, allowing you to perform movements like press-ups, pull-ups, and lifts with more ease and less discomfort.
About Rehab 2 Perform
Rehab 2 Perform is a leading physical therapy and sports rehabilitation company dedicated to helping clients achieve optimal performance in their daily lives, whether they are athletes, weekend warriors, or individuals recovering from injury. With a team of highly skilled professionals across 11 state-of-the-art locations (soon to be 12), Rehab 2 Perform offers a personalized, evidence-based approach that emphasizes active rehabilitation and functional fitness. Find a Location near you, or Schedule Here.