Daily Shoulder Strength & Health Program

Here is a 6' daily routine to help reduce shoulder discomfort. Overall shoulder health, strength, and mobility is the focus. This is a minimum amount of shoulder health work I do daily. Most days I do much more due to the left shoulder Labrum injury that I suffered in my mid 20's.

Always go through these bullitt points prior to routine

• Warm up prior to ANY elevated work incorporating the shoulder.
• Take note of range of motion and level of discomfort in shoulders.
• Elevated discomfort? Use Movement - Elevate - Traction - Heat (METH) after your 6' routine. This is replacing the old ice method. Who knew METH was good for you  only as the method though not the spin your live into an abyss kind. That type is muy muy no bueno.

Daily 6' Shoulder Routine

Mid 20's shoulder overuse brought me to the brink of losing surfing in my life.

Let's time travel back to December 1999. Y2K hysteria is peaking, Prince's 1999 is on heavy rotation, and I am staring at the real possibility of not surfing at a high level anymore. Maybe not at all.

One morning as I rose for dawn patrol I couldn't lift my left arm more than a few inches. I could make a fist but there was little strength present.

It felt abrupt but in actuality that shoulder had been telling me something was wrong for weeks.

At 25 this scared the $h!t out of me. Surfing and the ocean had always been there for me when I needed them most. The thought that it could be taken away was almost to much to process.

How did I get there? 2 a day collegiate volleyball practices, often 2 hour + daily surf sessions, and not doing a damn thing for pre and post rehab.

What I found out was at some point months or even years before I partially tore my Labrium. 

What Is a Labral Tear of the Shoulder?

Connective cartilage resting between the ball and socket of the shoulder joint, the labrum is largely responsible for the integrity of the entire shoulder. After repetitive athletic use or a traumatic shoulder incident, this cartilage becomes susceptible to tearing. The two most common types of labral tears include:

Superior labrum from anterior to posterior (SLAP) tear

As the name suggests, a SLAP tear runs from the front of the labrum to the back. It is often the result of energetic motions occurring above the shoulder or head. Commonly seen in volleyball and tennis players, SLAP lesions frequently occur in tandem with bicep tendon injuries.

Bankart tear

Unlike SLAP tears, Bankart tears occur in the lower or back side of the labrum. Bankart tears are often seen in younger athletes or active adolescents, and they are commonly found in patients who also have shoulder dislocations.

While the more common types of labral tears involve different areas of the shoulder, they tend to exhibit similar symptoms in patients. Stiff shoulder movements, difficulties with motion, and general pain are the leading signs of a labral tear.