Whether you’re a high school or collegiate athlete or you just like to play some recreational sports on the weekend, a new or chronic shoulder issue can seriously complicate your ability to compete. You want to overcome your shoulder problems and get back to performing your sport without limitations, but getting back to full speed after an injury or surgery can be an intimidating process. If you go about it the wrong way, you may suffer a setback and be in line for more months of rehab. So how can you go about restoring confidence and strength in your shoulder after an injury or surgery? In today’s blog we share some ways you can regain confidence in your shoulder before returning to full activities.
Regaining Confidence In Your Injured Shoulder
It’s very important that you are confident in your shoulder’s ability to handle the stress you plan to put on it during activity. If you are passive or protective during athletic movements because you are afraid of doing further damage to your shoulder, your performance is sure to suffer. You need to be confident that your shoulder can perform all sorts of athletic movements, and here are some of the best ways to restore this confidence following an injury or surgical procedure.
- Take Things Slow – We understand that you want to get back out on the field with your teammates, hit the links with your golf group or simply get back to work, but don’t rush back to physical activities too quickly. Pushing your weakened shoulder to the extremes before you are ready is one of the easiest ways to suffer a setback. If you want to be confident that your shoulder is ready for the task at hand, you need to take things slow when it comes to your recovery. Gradually take on bigger challenges until you’ve received clearance from your doctor or your physical therapist.
- Participate In Physical Therapy – Arguably the single best thing you can do to restore confidence in your injured or surgically-addressed shoulder is to participate in your physical therapy exercises. Odds are you are going to need weeks or even months of PT exercises, and like everyone working to overcome a shoulder injury, you will reach a point where you feel like your shoulder is “good enough.” We don’t want you to settle for good enough, so stick with your physical therapy exercises to help your shoulder get back to a pre-injury level of fitness. Quitting on your PT program before you’ve reached maximum medical improvement can leave you at an elevated risk for reinjury and have you feeling a little unsure that your shoulder can handle the most stressful of actions.
- Work With A Shoulder Specialist – If you really want to restore confidence in your shoulder after an injury, connect with a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway. He can help to figure out exactly what’s going on in your shoulder so that the perfect treatment plan can be developed. He’ll be able to understand what’s going on in your shoulder and how the actions you perform most during physical activity will stress the area, and he can tailor a recovery program to your specific goals and needs. There are plenty of helpful shoulder rehab programs online, but for best results, connect with a specialist who can develop an individualized recovery program based on your specific injuries and goals.
- Focus On Flexibility – Finally, remember that it’s not just about restoring strength in your injured shoulder, you also need to develop flexibility and range of motion. Make sure that you’re stretching your arms and shoulders regularly and not just performing lifts when at the gym. Add some resistance band exercises that allow you to challenge your shoulders to get comfortable in a range of different positions so that your shoulder can handle a variety of movements during normal physical activity.
Let Dr. Holloway and his team help you restore trust and faith in your shoulder joint following injury or surgery. For more information on how we can help with your shoulder problems, or for help with a different issue, reach out to Dr. Holloway’s office today at (865) 410-7887.
