Shoulder Pain In The Overhead Athlete

The shoulder has the largest relative range of motion of any joint in the body, which also makes it one of the most common sources of pain in overhead athletes. In fact, nearly half of overhead athletes report shoulder issues at some point in their career.

The tradeoff for this mobility is stability. The shoulder depends heavily on the smaller muscles surrounding it for support. When those muscles are stressed by repeated varied motions, dysfunction and pain can develop. The good news: shoulder pain doesn’t have to keep you out of the game.

Pain can show up when throwing, serving, swimming, or even lifting. Sometimes it might feel like a dull ache days later. Other times it’s sharp pain that can limit performance in the moment. This can be very different patient to patient. That’s why a thorough exam is crucial to determining the treatment process.

The top five shoulder complaints in overhead athletes are: rotator cuff injuries, impingement, labral injuries, mobility restrictions, and stability deficits. Rotator cuff issues often show up as weakness deficits, pain with lifting, or difficulty controlling the arm overhead. Impingement typically feels like a pinching sensation when raising the arm, especially in throwing or serving motions. Labral injuries can create deep pain, clicking, or a feeling of instability in the joint. Mobility problems limit how far the shoulder or surrounding joints (like the thoracic spine) can move, often forcing the body to compensate in less efficient ways. Stability problems occur when the small stabilizing muscles fatigue or aren’t working properly, making it harder for the shoulder to stay centered and protected during repetitive overhead movements. Each of these problems has its own unique presentation and requires a tailored approach to treatment and rehab.

Addressing these complaints starts with getting to the root cause and not just the symptoms. The demands of throwing a baseball, spiking a volleyball, swimming 100m, and pressing a barbell overhead, are all extremely different, a one size fits all treatment approach isn’t going to cut it.

Treatment often combines specific hands on care, rehab exercises geared towards your limitations, and sport specific rehab to not only get you back to competing but dominating your sport.

The ultimate goal isn’t to just get out of pain. It’s getting back to performing better and stronger than before. If you’re dealing with shoulder pain don’t ignore it. Let’s get you evaluated and back to your sport.