The not quite geriatric blog - Part 1: The shoulder

When it comes to dinner party conversations in that section of the population that have had their two score and 10 years, once the political issues have been discussed i.e. whether there has been a massive spontaneous lobotomy carried out on the general population of the United States, the topic turns to the really important issues, such as why do my shoulders and/or knees not appear to be behaving in the manner I have come to expect in my 30’s? Why indeed. So once we have tried to settle down after a short failed demonstration of Riverdance or the painful task of arm raising to hail a taxi (sorry Uber), these issues have impact on our recreation and damnit Baby Boomers love their recreation! So why is it that shoulders and knees have so many issues?

When it comes to dinner party conversations in that section of the population that have had their two score and 10 years, once the political issues have been discussed i.e. whether there has been a massive spontaneous lobotomy carried out on the general population of the United States, the topic turns to the really important issues, such as why do my shoulders and/or knees not appear to be behaving in the manner I have come to expect in my 30’s? Why indeed. So once we have tried to settle down after a short failed demonstration of Riverdance or the painful task of arm raising to hail a taxi (sorry Uber), these issues have impact on our recreation and damnit Baby Boomers love their recreation! So why is it that shoulders and knees have so many issues?

Part 1 – The Shoulder

With the shoulder the problems arise from the anatomy. It is not exactly a ball and socket like the hip, it’s more a golf ball on a golf tee. It relies on tendons and other soft tissue structures to maintain its function.

My image to patients is that of a tent held up by guide cords to maintain shape. Once the cords stop holding the structure loses its rigidity resulting in sag, therefore the shoulder can be prone to inflammatory issues i.e. tendonitis.

There are some relatively simple exercises that can be done to maintain movement and improve function of the shoulder.

It’s wise to get these issues sorted quickly as if you wait too long you may be introducing yourself to a surgeon rather than your friendly neighbourhood physiotherapists.

With the shoulder the problems arise from the anatomy. It is not exactly a ball and socket like the hip, it’s more a golf ball on a golf tee. It relies on tendons and other soft tissue structures to maintain its function.

My image to patients is that of a tent held up by guide cords to maintain shape. Once the cords stop holding the structure loses its rigidity resulting in sag, therefore the shoulder can be prone to inflammatory issues i.e. tendonitis.

There are some relatively simple exercises that can be done to maintain movement and improve function of the shoulder.

It’s wise to get these issues sorted quickly as if you wait too long you may be introducing yourself to a surgeon rather than your friendly neighbourhood physiotherapists.

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