Shoulder pain tests will tell you two important things. First, you’ll learn what type of shoulder injury you have. Second, that will tell you what exercises you can do to recover.
Coach E will demonstrate four tests for shoulder pain that tell you whether you might be suffering from a type of shoulder impingement or an AC joint dysfunction. You can perform each of these tests by yourself. You won’t need a physical therapist or even a buddy to assist you.
It begins with a progression eliminating shoulder impingement (including rotator cuff tendonitis and bursitis) and moves to confirming AC joint dysfunction.
Once you know what you’re dealing with, you can safely start rehab exercises for pain relief, knowing that you won’t be inadvertently injuring a different part of your shoulder.
The good news is that many shoulder injuries can be repaired by changing how you load the joint and waking up sleepy muscles that aren’t doing their jobs. After performing the shoulder pain tests, check out the links below to get started with exercises that will help alleviate the pain for good.
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IN THIS VIDEO
00:00 - Intro
01:18 - Hawkins Self Test
01:57 - Painful Arc Test
03:14 - Horizontal Adduction Test
03:55 - AC Joint Distraction (Bad Cop) Test
05:05 - Next Steps and Recommendations
RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED
AC Joint Pain Exercises for Shoulder Rehab: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m581lMvKSvw
Shoulder Impingement - 8 Exercises & Strategies to Treat It for Good: https://youtu.be/Umx6ywiJv_I
What to Do If You’ve Sprained Your Acromioclavicular Joint: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/sprained-ac-joint/
Shoulder Pain Solution: https://www.precisionmovement.coach/shoulder-pain-solution/ - eliminate shoulder pain with a 3 phase, easy-to-follow program that addresses the root cause of your pain, whether it’s shoulder impingement, rotator cuff tears, bursitis, scapular winging, serratus anterior dysfunction, or wear and tear.
ROM Coach app (free!): https://www.precisionmovement.coach/rom-yt - our beautiful mobile app to improve your mobility and help you achieve movement longevity, includes the Daily Movement Tuneup and gives you 3 new exercises that will activate every muscle and mobilize every joint in your body every 1-2 weeks (only 3-5 mins/day!)
Medical Disclaimer
The medical information on any/all of our content is provided as an information resource only, and is not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. This information does not create any patient-physician relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment. Please consult your health care provider before making any health care decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition.