
Eastbourne Chiropractor: Shoulder Pain and Boxing Pt 1
Hi! It’s Chris, your Eastbourne Chiropractor. In this blog, I will be talking about shoulder pain and boxing. You may or may not know, but I am a huge boxing fan. I was an amateur boxer and boxing coach before becoming a chiropractor in Eastbourne.
Shoulder pain often affects a large number of people who have never even picked up a pair of boxing gloves before. But shoulder pain and boxing is a common occurrence in those that love to take part in the sport.
Either way, this blog on shoulder pain and boxing will give you an overview of why shoulder pain and boxing are sometimes linked.
As chiropractors, we can treat a number of disorders that cause shoulder pain such as rotator cuff injuries, upper cross syndrome and many other shoulder dysfunctions. If you want to find out more then please visit our blog homepage.
Not a Boxer?
This doesn’t matter!
The popularity for the sport has boomed. I have found that more and more people are taking up the gloves, due to its many health and fitness benefits. It also has great mental health benefits such as relieving stress.
Boxercise, personal tuition and boutique boxing gyms are becoming common within the gyms of Eastbourne. So, you may not be a ‘boxer’ but if you are utilising boxing training in your weekly fitness classes, at your local gym or with a personal trainer, this could apply to you.
The Shoulder
The shoulder is made up of the scapula (shoulder blade), clavicle (collar bone) and the humerus (upper arm). The four main muscles of the shoulder include the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, sub-scapularis and teres minor. These four muscles makeup what is commonly referred to as the rotator cuff.
Due to this the shoulders can perform a greater variety of movements when compared to other joints in the body. These ranges of motion are essential, so you are able to carry out movements that are important in your daily life. However, because of this increased flexibility, the shoulders are prone to injuries.
A number of other muscles such as the muscles of the back and chest can also affect the shoulder. This happens due to imbalances in strength between muscle groups or increased muscular tension.
Shoulder Pain and Boxing
In my experience as a chiropractor in Eastbourne, most of the shoulder pain related to boxing is caused by soft tissue disorders.
This is due to the demand the sport puts on your body. Typically, imbalances in muscular strength in boxing cause you to develop an upper cross posture which causes the shoulder to function sub-optimally, contributing to your shoulder pain. Increased tension in your muscles is also a leading factor in shoulder pain and boxing. This happens due to the repeated repetition of throwing hundreds of punches while you’re training.
So, What is Causing Your Shoulder Pain?
Your Boxing Stance
Your boxing stance causes the shoulders to round forward and flexion to occur at the shoulder, so you can protect your face. Standing in your stance multiple times a week, will cause increased tension in the muscles that support the shoulder.
Throwing Punches
When you throw a punch, the impact of hitting a target will travel through the boxing glove, up the arm and into the shoulder. This causes the glenohumeral joint (shoulder) and surrounding muscles to act as a shock absorber.
Take a second to think about how many punches you throw in a training session, either through pads or hitting a bag. Quite a few I bet!
All this impact over time can lead to tightness in the surrounding muscles causing shoulder pain.
Want To Find Out More About Shoulder Pain?
Here at Lushington Chiropractic in Eastbourne we can offer lot of advice on dealing with shoulder pain.
If you have enjoyed this blog or found it helpful, please check out part 2 for some helpful home exercises.
For more information also check out some of our other blogs on the shoulder
Rotator cuff tear: a case study
Three things you didn’t know about the Rotator Cuff
Common misconceptions regarding your Rotator Cuff
Hope you enjoyed reading this blog,
Your Eastbourne Chiropractor
Chris Spacagna
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