Source: Texas Health
Whether you realize it or not, you rely on your shoulders every day. In addition to providing a place for a loved one to cry on, your shoulders are used for many things — from playing golf and doing yard work to carrying groceries and even folding laundry.
The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body, which is why it’s important for so many activities. It’s also the most complex joint you have. And the intricate mix of bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons that make up the shoulder leaves it prone to injury. When an injury happens, movement and strength can become difficult and limited.
“An injury to one area of the shoulder can have a domino effect, impacting multiple parts and significantly interfering with mobility,” explains Travis Frantz, M.D., a sports orthopedic surgeon at Texas Health Orthopedic Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice in Bedford. “While shoulder injuries are especially common among athletes who rely on their shoulders for repeated overhead movements, there are others who are considered at increased risk for injury. People who frequently use their shoulders for manual labor such as painting, construction or yard maintenance are subject to shoulder wear and tear that can lead to further damage.”
Common Shoulder Injuries and Conditions
Because of how the shoulder is constructed, Frantz says it can be damaged in a lot of different ways. “The ball-and-socket nature of the shoulder that gives you such great range of motion also leaves it rather unstable as a joint. That’s why the shoulder joint gets dislocated more than any other joint in the body.”
