One of the most commonly overlooked culprits in our ongoing battle against shoulder pain is the heavy bag. This particular enemy is a shape-shifter, and can strike anyone who carries a heavy purse, briefcase, school bag, or duffel.

Heavy bags get you two ways: the weight is a stressor by itself; and the asymmetry of pulling with just one side of your body is just as bad. Both are fairly deadly to your shoulder’s health:

Toting a heavy bag around on your shoulder can put stress on your tendons and lead to tendonitis, or put stress on the bursas (the sacks of fluid that lubricate your joints) inside your shoulder and lead to bursitis, says Dr. Sachkheim. Sometimes, the pain may not actually originate in your shoulder joint, but instead is happening because your heavy bag is putting too much strain on your trapezius muscle….

The shoulder is a complex system of bone, muscle, tendons, and cartilage,
and the range of motion that we require of it is simply unrivaled in human mechanics. When that motion is stressed or impeded by the additional weight of a bag, the shoulder can respond with inflammation, abrasion, and pain.

I can help. As a sports medicine specialist and former Department Head for Orthopaedics, I proudly give my patients the very best care for shoulder pain and rehabilitation in San Diego. Please call today to set up a conversation and evaluation.

http://www.refinery29.com/shoulder-pain-causes-relief#slide-2

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Tags: best treatment for shoulder pain, heavy bags and shoulder pain, shoulder doctors san diego