2 min read • October 20, 2022
Posted in
By Prathosh Velpuri
As one of the most physical sports, it is very easy to get injured while playing. Players catch, throw, tackle, and tend to overstress or directly injure their shoulders, making shoulder injuries to be one of the most common injuries players have in the field. Some common symptoms of shoulder injuries include limited range of motion, shoulder pain, swelling, neck pain, warmth or redness around the shoulder socket or joint.
Some of the most frequent football shoulder injuries include:
Rotator cuff is an area of muscles and tendons around the shoulder blade. A rotator cuff tear can start off as a dull pain and impair flexibility and strength of these muscles or at the rotator cuff tendon that are very overworked in football.
Through traumatic and sudden falls, the biceps tendon of the upper arm bone can lose contact with the socket of the shoulder blade and lead to a shoulder dislocation. Shoulder separations are when ligaments are injured in the ball and socket joint between the shoulder blade and collarbone. Any shoulder injury is first treated with many anti-inflammatory medications before greater shoulder instability ensues. Dislocated shoulders must be put back in place, and this is usually very painful, so anesthesia is required in most cases. Surgery for all shoulder injuries are available when serious.
If the cartilage in the inner part of your shoulder joint is torn, then it can present with a superior labral tear from anterior to posterior, or SLAP tear. The upper or superior part of your labrum attaches to the biceps tendon. Unfortunately, slap tears do not heal on their own, so sports medicine physicians can surgically treat it with minimal invasion.
The humeral head can also dislocate from the glenoid fossa and can cause anterior shoulder instability. This type of injury is rare among football players in comparison to others, but treatment offered includes physical therapy and bracing to rejuvenate range of motion and ease pain. Surgery is offered when serious.
Injuries to the rotator cuff and biceps tendon can inflame and cause tendonitis. Inflamed tendons can get trapped under the acromion, which is part of the shoulder blade. Treatment includes rest, non-inflammatory medications, strengthening exercises in physical therapy, or surgery if very serious.
Excessive rotation and movement of the arm during overhead throwing can sometimes lead to bone and soft tissue changes adding on from other shoulder injuries can lead to repeated impingement of the internal surface of the rotator cuff. Treatment includes stopping throwing and rest, physical therapy to improve mechanics and range of motion, and surgery when major tear to the labrum of shoulder.
One of the first steps a physician or sports medicine specialist takes to diagnose a shoulder injury is a physical exam to check for any noticeable structural injuries and rule out any other condition or pain radiating from somewhere else. Then, they would follow up with a test of range of motion and recommend you imaging. Imaging includes X Rays to find any bone related causes of pain such as arthritis, MRI for detailed imaging, CT, and EMG for nervous issues.
· Warm up your shoulder and wear proper protected gear
· Practice proper mechanics of throwing, catching, tackling, and blocking
· Join football specialize training programs or consult physical therapy
· Maintain overall fitness
· Seek help from sports medicine specialist if any shoulder injury
Although our shoulders are one of the strongest group of muscles and ligament in our bodies, overly strenuous arm movement, inappropriate rest, and trauma can cause severe football shoulder injuries. Preventing shoulder injuries for football players include proper rest, preparedness, and equipment, and seeking help when needed at the earliest convenience.
Written by
