Do You Have Shoulder Pain When Lifting Your Arm?
Do you feel a twinge of pain when you lift your arm overhead? Or perhaps you struggle with discomfort reaching behind your back? (By the way, if you just tested this by awkwardly raising your arm, kudos—you’re already in problem-solving mode.)
If you’ve ever felt a painful pinch when performing these motions, you’re not alone. Shoulder impingement—also known as subacromial impingement—is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain, often leading to rotator cuff injuries, joint instability, and even tears.
Ready to tackle shoulder impingement pain and learn how to prevent it? You’re in the right place.
What Is Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement is almost always considered an ‘overuse injury’. However, that can be a bit misleading. It’s not using your shoulder a lot that is the cause of impingement, but the misalignment of your shoulder as it goes through its motions.
When your misaligned or “winging scapula” are rolled forward and upward due to poor posture— it creates a domino effect.
This up and forward position of the shoulder blade compresses soft tissues between the humerus (arm bone) and the acromion (part of your shoulder blade), resulting in pain, inflammation, and the classic symptoms of shoulder impingement.
This misalignment isn’t just about appearance; it’s about function. When the shoulder blades have restricted mobility, other muscles and tendons in the shoulder are forced to pick up the slack, putting them at risk for overuse and injury.
Here’s the deal: your shoulder pain isn’t going anywhere until you address the root cause. Quick fixes like injections or surgery? They’re like putting duct tape over a leak.
The MoveU membership is a great way to start the journey toward building back to better alignment - starting with our Back & Core program and following with Shoulders & Arms.
What Are the Symptoms of Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingement pain doesn’t just show up during exercise—it can also creep into daily life. Common symptoms include:
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Pain when lifting your arm overhead or behind your back.
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A persistent ache on the front or side of the shoulder.
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Weakness in the arm or difficulty lifting objects.
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Clicking or popping sounds in the shoulder during movement.
If these sound familiar, addressing shoulder alignment and strengthening your shoulder support system is crucial.
What Not to Do With Shoulder Impingement
If you’re experiencing shoulder impingement, you want to avoid making things worse.
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Overhead Movements: Exercises like pull-ups and overhead presses add unnecessary stress to the inflamed joint. If they hurt, skip them.
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Stop Ignoring Pain: If it hurts, don’t push through it. That “no pain, no gain” mantra doesn’t apply here.
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Fix Your Posture: No more slouching. Poor posture is likely what got you into this mess. Get into our Back & Core program as your first step toward improving your shoulder impingement pain.
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Don’t Lift Heavy Without Good Form: Poor mechanics and technique equal more strain on your shoulders. Doing a bunch of shoulder exercises that exacerbate pain without addressing the root cause is a recipe for a rotator cuff tear.
Instead, focus on improving shoulder alignment, thoracic mobility, and scapular winging correction through targeted exercises.
5 Exercises to Help Fix Shoulder Impingment
Here are five MoveU exercises to strengthen and mobilize your shoulders while correcting scapular winging. Keep in mind that correcting shoulder position takes consistent effort over time and these are just a few of the exercises we offer in our Shoulders & Arms program.
Straight Arm Rotations
One of the first things we teach our members is how to strengthen the serratus anterior and lower trapezius to stabilize the shoulder blades using what we call “The Scap Scoop”.
How to do it:
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Raise your arms out to the sides into a “T” position.
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Rotate your shoulders and arms forward into internal rotation.
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Rotate your shoulders and arms backward into external rotation and reach both arms out and away from your body. It may help to imagine that you’re trying to broaden your lats and mid back like the hood of a cobra. Try to relax your upper trapezius muscles so that the lower lats and serratus anterior muscles are driving the movement.
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Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps.
Doorway Pec Stretch
Tight chest muscles can pull the shoulder forward in the socket, contributing to shoulder pain. Try this stretch to alleviate the tightness.
How to do it:
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Stand in a doorway with your arm at a 90-degree angle.
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Rest your forearm on the frame and lunge forward until you feel a stretch across your chest and the front of your shoulder.
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Hold for 20–30 seconds, remembering to breathe. Release.
Scapula Push Ups
The Scapula Push Up is great for strengthening the serratus anterior, low lats, and the muscles around the shoulder girdle. It’s also a precursor to doing a great pushup! Need a video demonstration? We got you!
How to do it:
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Set up in a plank position either on your toes or knees. Maintain a solid core brace and a straight line from head to tailbone.
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Spread your fingers wide and rotate your arms out slightly to create some external rotation so that the inside of your elbows are more or less facing the wall in front of you. Keep your arms straight, but not locked. Maintain this form the entire time.
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Isolating the movement to just the shoulders, lower your ‘plank’ toward the floor, then press your plank up toward the ceiling.
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Continue for 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Thoracic Rotations
Improving thoracic rotation reduces strain on the shoulders by isolating movement in the upper back.
How to do it:
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Set up in a tabletop position, wrists stacked under shoulders and knees under hips.
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Place your left hand behind your head and open your elbow out to the side.
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Keeping your right arm straight, rotate your upper body so that your elbow comes down toward the right hand.
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Now rotate in the opposite direction so that you’re opening your elbow all the way to the side and your body away from your supporting arm.
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Repeat for 3 sets of 10 reps on both sides.
Superman
This exercise strengthens the middle and lower trapezius, promoting shoulder stability and better posture.
How to do it:
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Lie face down with your arms overhead. If straight overhead is painful, open your arms out to a Y shape until you do not feel a pinch in your shoulder. If you need to go all the way to a T shape, do so.
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Draw your abdominals in to brace your core and tuck your pelvis as you lift your chest, head, and legs off the floor.
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Hold for 2–5 seconds, then release with control back to the floor.
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Repeat 3 sets of 10 reps.
Want more? Get a taste of what it’s like to be a MoveU member with this 16 minute video highlighting five more of our favorite exercises for shoulders!
Next Steps: Join the MoveU Membership and Fix Your Shoulders for Good
Fixing shoulder impingement requires consistent effort, the right exercises, and a clear understanding of proper alignment. The MoveU Membership offers everything you need to correct scapular winging, restore joint mobility, and build stronger, pain-free shoulders.
Ready to start your journey? Join MoveU today and take control of your shoulder health!
