Shoulder Pain
Shoulder internal rotation stretch
Shoulder External rotation stretch
Tension in the pectoralis muscles can cause the shoulders to come forward in a slumping posture. This stretches the muscles of the upper back, and can cause upper back pain as those muscles try to hold the shoulders in place. Tight anterior shoulder muscles also can cause fake heart pain, and numbness and tingling down the arms and hands as the muscles compress the arteries and nerves. Weight lifters, tennis players and golfers can all have anterior shoulder tension that diminishes their full range of motion. In the posterior shoulder, tension can make it difficult to get your hand behind your back. This will affect things like being able to soap your back while in the shower, or dry your back with a towel. Sports that require good shoulder rotation can also suffer- throwing a ball or hitting a tennis ball with a racket all can have decreased function if these muscles are tight.
Assisted stretching can help the shoulder have more motion. For people who receive assisted stretching, this will make reaching their back easier, and for sports like tennis and golf, and even throwing a ball- increasing motion will also increase strength and neurological control during the sport.