Boot camp Melbourne

Being the most mobile joint in the human body, the ball and socket shoulder joint is extremely prone to acute and overuse injuries. A rise in popularity of innovative training techniques such as boot camps and whole body functional exercises, allow the average busy punter an effective and efficient means to maintain fitness. Although this high intensity exercise harbours cardio and muscular endurance benefits, it can adversely create shoulder injury, especially on a background of instability.

The shoulder joint is comprised of a ball (humeral head), and a socket (glenoid) which is a component of the shoulder blade (scapula). Unlike the hip joint which is the most stable joint in the human body, the shoulder has a very shallow socket which renders it susceptible to increased translational movement of the ball in the socket (instability) leading to various impingement syndromes. Thus the human shoulder has evolved by providing an active strategy in the form of rotator cuff muscles and scapula stabilisers. The role of these muscle groups is to stabilise the ball in the socket and allow a neutral socket position throughout movement. It can be thought of as ‘core stability’ for the shoulder. Deficits in these muscle systems are commonly encountered in individuals with a past history of shoulder injury, instability and postural abnormalities. White collar workers who spend 8 hours per day in front of a computer can fall under this latter category whereby scapula mechanics (socket) can be compromised due to poor computer posture.

So it is not surprising that the transition from a round shouldered computer posture to hauling 20kg tires overhead during boot camp, can lead to shoulder problems. The other common presentation of shoulder injuries is that of the gym junkie. These patients usually partake in heavy, global resistance exercises, without thought for the smaller core muscle systems. Notoriously dangerous gym based exercises include; deep bench press, incline press, dips and military press. In order for these exercises to be performed safely, the individual must possess a solid foundation of core shoulder stability while exorcising care with outer ranges of movement.

Given the above information, a common misconception among gym goers, is the notion of shoulder stretching. With the shoulder being a hypermobile joint, stretching seems contradictory. Cases where shoulder stretching is required relate to capsular shortening syndromes such as adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder), post surgical shoulder stiffness and arthritic shoulder stiffness. All other shoulder tightness generally arises due to overactivity of specific muscles such as pectoralis minor, levator scapulae and rhomboids, and responds best to myofascial release techniques. To complete the rehabilitation process, restoration of optimal muscle patterning must be established with various exercises. If the above story sounds familiar, consult your sports physiotherapist for a complete assessment of shoulder mechanics.

Shane O’Sullivan

Sports Physiotherapist
Prahran Sports Medicine Centre