Kinstretch for Shoulder Pain
Understanding Shoulder Pain and Kinstretch
You might be reading this article because you already have shoulder pain or stiffness —just like many individuals who start Kinstretch with pre-existing shoulder stiffness or pain.
Others might not realize they have a shoulder issue until they start exploring their shoulder through various shoulder mobility exercises in a Kinstretch class.
The reason that Kinstretch may help someone uncover a shoulder issue that has been flying under the radar is that Kinstretch has a unique focus on self-assessment and joint exploration, a feature not commonly found in many other group classes.
Self-Assessment and Exploration
Upon joining Kinstretch, participants learn exercises like shoulder-controlled articular rotations (CARs), which is an excellent exercise for self-assessment. These movements help individuals explore their full shoulder joint, which can aid in identifying areas of limited mobility and uncovering potential problem areas.
By learning how to perform shoulder CARs correctly, you’ll learn how to find and explore every single movement of your shoulder. This includes internal rotation, external rotation, flexion, extension adduction, abduction, horizontal abduction and horizontal abduction - all in one exercise!
By doing so you will scan every section of your shoulder joint, every range of motion it has, and you also give your body a chance to use every muscle in your shoulder.
In this process you may uncover ranges of motion or parts of your joint that may be limited, or even have discomfort that you were unaware of as you may not use your shoulder’s full range of motion in daily life. This allows you to begin uncovering and identifying any weaknesses or joint problems that you may have.
If you do uncover any problematic ranges of motion, you then have the opportunity to use this information to be proactive and to begin to work on those limitations or seek a professional assessment and treatment before it becomes a bigger issue or an injury.
Shoulder CARs serve a dual purpose: they help assess the joint as mentioned above and they also function as a training tool to improve overall joint health. By guiding the shoulder through its full available range of motion, you train your end ranges of motion— which are positions that are rarely utilized in daily life. Because these ranges are the least utilized they are also the most susceptible to loss.
With these ranges of motion often being untrained and under utilized, we are also often the most susceptible to injury in these end ranges of motion. Implementing shoulder CARs into your daily routine can be a helpful step towards addressing this.
Additionally, by learning to perform CARs correctly and moving the shoulder through it’s full pain free range of motion you promote the flushing of fluid in the joint, which facilitates nourishment of the deep joint structures and a reduction in inflammation.
Crucial Concepts
For those new to Kinstretch, it’s crucial to understand key concepts like the closing angle symptom rule. This concept helps to ensure that individuals perform exercises like shoulder CARs in a way that ensures that they do not add to any pre-existing issues that they may have. Certain sensations are normal and expected, while others indicate potential problems in the joint. Recognizing these distinctions helps you avoid exacerbating existing issues while also gaining a better understanding of your shoulder’s condition.
To support you learning this, we have included two videos here for you:
Understanding Closing Angle Pain & Sensations
This video on closing angle pain is a must watch before starting Kinstretch!
Free Shoulder CARs Tutorial
Training and Improvement
In Kinstretch, not only will you learn how to scan and assess your shoulder through exercises like CARs, but you will also learn tools and exercises to start to improve upon your limitations. You can expect to spend a lot of time training the ranges of motion that are typically the most neglected in daily life.
While most regular or gym exercises will help you train your mid range of motion, in Kinstretch there is a focus on filling in the gaps by training your end ranges of motion. Theses are the ranges of motion that we are most vulnerable to losing. By training those end ranges, participants can sustain and often improve their range of motion and overall joint health over time.
Kinstretch as a Supportive Tool (Not a Replacement)
When you are living with an injury or stiffness in a joint, it can be helpful to have an understanding of all of the tools available to you. Kinstretch is one such example for many people, but that is not to say that it should be the only tool relied upon. While Kinstretch provides valuable tools for self-assessment and training, it’s not a replacement for professional assessment or rehabilitation.
When you have a shoulder injury, seeking professional guidance is always recommended. Kinstretch is simply an additional or even complementary tool that supports individuals on their journey to better shoulder health.
Additional Resources for Shoulder Health
Ready to improve your shoulder health?
Start your journey with a free express Kinstretch class or explore our online Kinstretch subscriptions for full access to expert-led shoulder mobility resources
The free express Kinstretch class below is designed to:
be short enough that you can very easily integrate it into your daily life
still give you enough time to train your shoulder and feel the benefit
offer you a great way to sample some Kinstretch exercises
Sample Shoulder Kinstretch Class
This class is one of the 10 minute Micro Mobility Classes in Operation Human First, where you can find libraries of shoulder Kinstretch classes anywhere from 10-90 minutes long.
Online Kinstretch Subscriptions
Our Base and Unlimited Online Kinstretch Subscriptions have plenty of resources and tools for shoulder health, including:
A self assessment section with video tutorials for the shoulder
An entire section of shoulder classes (and another for the scapula)
Numerous classes for every single shoulder range of motion (internal rotation, external rotation, flexion, extension, horizontal abduction/adduction)
Shoulder mobility tips & considerations
Shoulder recovery classes
Online Kinstretch Testimonial
Here is a detailed testimonial from an Operation Human First subscriber with a long history of shoulder pain and stiffness.
Want to see more testimonials? You can find them here!
Shoulder Injury Insights
If you're dealing with shoulder impingement, check out our detailed guides on Shoulder Impingement, Subacromial Impingement, or Internal Shoulder Impingement.
These resources will offer you an in-depth understanding of these injuries and offer you insights regarding how something like Kinstretch can be used and modified to support people with those specific injuries.
In Summary
If you have shoulder pain or stiffness you have many different tools available to you in order to address it. As with any injury, working with a professional is always recommended.
In addition to this, you there are many other tools available to you to help you learn about and take steps towards improving the overall state of your shoulder health and mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Every should injury is different. While Kinstretch is generally safe for people with shoulder injuries as long as they modify exercises as needed to keep everything pain free— it is always best to check in with your rehabilitation professional for recommendations specific to your injury!
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How often you do shoulder CARs depends on your goals and your shoulder’s physical baseline. Starting with once a day is an easy entry point and then you can build from there.
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Yes, Kinstretch can help with shoulder impingement. However, it is important to recognize that each case of shoulder impingement is different and there are many different variables that can be at play, which should be considered. Getting assessed by a rehabilitation professional can offer important insight regarding your specific case while also enabling you to get individually tailored advice, which is always recommended! If you are unsure why getting assessed is important, want to learn more about the variables that can be at play, or take a deep dive into understanding shoulder impingement, you may find our Injury Insights Resources for Shoulder Impingement helpful.
