So, shoulder impingements are a huge issue....but why do we get them if we don't remember having an injury and there are 'just there'!
The shoulder girdle is a complex area of the body with a number of muscles, ligaments, and bones being involved in the area. Often the root of these pesky issues can be found on a physical level as a muscular issue based in the pectoralis major...yes...the front of the chest...the rhomboids...the muscles that stretch from the spine to the ribs under the scapular (or shoulder blade). They can also be caused by tightness in the subscapular (muscles under the shoulder blade) and even by the trapezius and lavatar scapular (or muscles around the top of the shoulder and collar bone.....yes, even the collar bone can be attributed to shoulder pain if it is out of alignment. There can also be a tightness in the coracobrachialis and the biceps, as well as the triceps at the back of the arm....basically the muscles going down the arms which all attach at the shoulder!
Often shoulder impingement presents in lack of movement or a struggle to get the arm above the shoulder point...90 degrees from the ground but also presents as pins and needles down the arm or pain in the shoulder...so quite a few things affecting this little beauty of a aliment. Not to mention if the hips are out of line meaning the spine is out of line, thus causing the apposite shoulder to be out of line...but that's a whole different topic!
So what can be done on a physical level? Stretches to free any 'stuck' nerves and muscles, especially in the chest as often our shoulders 'roll' forwards and exercises to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder chest and back...Yoga is great at stretching and strengthening at the same time!
On an energetic level, you may have heard of chakras...there are energy centres of the body and one of them lies around your physical heart...not surprisingly called the heart chakra! And any of you budding scientists out there will know about energy, you should hopefully know that energy has to move...it doesn't like staying stagnant! When energy stagnates, it doesn't flow properly and it doesn't allow other energy around it to flow either! So why is this important for shoulder impingement...? The heart chakra is related to our emotions (as are all the chakras) and is located.....between the shoulders. If there is energy stuck here and has been stuck for a long time (which tends to cause issues in the back of the body as we move through time) it stops the flow of energy around the body....with a lack of flow the muscles, bones and ligaments in the area are affected and become tight and 'blocked'...just like the chakra and energy channels. These energy channels are known as Meridians in some culture, sen lines in others and essentially let energy flow around the body.
There are many ways to 'unblock' this energy and help the body back to health and you guessed it...as it is both physical and energic at its root both should be addressed to heal the issue and stop it from returning!
Loosening the muscles, ligaments and tendons and helping them to realign all help to alleviate the symptoms and free the area...but the energy is that area also needs to flow...and that can be done through regular exercise, drinking plenty of water, movement...dance is especially good as the whole body is used and moved in a different way to every day life, body work by a qualified therapist and addressing anything that maybe stuck in your heart.
So, what do we mean by things stuck in the heart...? Emotions...emotions are 'energy in motion'..and we stop our emotions...which we often do as humans, we stop the energy flow around that area. Ever had the situation when someone has said something that hurts you but you cant let them know that....they might feel bad, or it might show weakness...or they might tell you to stop being silly...or you've just stopped feeling it as its happened so often! So we block these feelings and they get stuck...it is as simple as that! So the more we can show our feelings and feel the feelings that arise, the more we unblock our energy centres and the more energy flows around the body freeing up our muscles and joints and helping your heart to feel more love and joy.
So, in the case of shoulder impingements...definitely go to see someone who can help release the physical and realign the body...but try to help the muscles etc to stay aligned by keeping the energy centre of the heart open and free flowing by allowing your emotions to be felt as they arise....this clears the area and allows the body to heal and align itself once more!! And not to forget...move the body in as many joyful ways as you can!
The body is awesome.....take care of yours :)
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