Hello! Thank you so much for this great comment and for reading! I discoverd this firsthand dealing with my own shoulder challenges (that has spanned 5+ years) and when I went to see a Performance PT about it, I appreciated the "system" approach for rehabbing my shoulder and now its stronger than ever.... definitely a believer! Thanks again for reading! Cheers! -Dr. Carla
Hi Destiny! Thanks so much for the comment and for reading! I have been on quite a journey with my own shoulders and have learned a ton from my performance PT, body worker, and the journey itself. I'm glad you found this post helpful! :)
Hi Mark! Thanks for the question and for reading! I would recommend a consultation with a performance PT to make this assessment. I struggle with my own shoulders, which was the inspriation for this post. During my assessment, the PT was able to identify challenges with thoracic rotation and poor scap activation in my case... so she prescribed movements to work specifically on these things. One can glean a lot of very important info in just one consultation/assessment.
Hi Nathalie! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! :) I would suggest doing a shoulder workout like this 1-2x per week.... after about 4-6 weeks you will want to potentially change the movements. Other things you can do (which I do myself) is using the Crossover Symmetry system - which is more mobility support/scap strengthening - takes 10 minutes as a warm-up before doing any kind of shoulder work. You definitely want to mix things up. Hope this helps and thanks again for reading! :)
Love this framing! “the shoulder is a system” is exactly the clinical truth that gets lost when people chase a single diagnosis (impingement, bursitis, rotator cuff “tear”) as if the joint were an isolated hinge. From a physician-scientist lens, the shoulder is a networked control problem: scapular mechanics, thoracic mobility, rotator cuff force-couples, posterior chain strength, and even cervical contributions all feed into humeral head centering and tendon load. When any piece drifts (stiff T-spine, weak lower traps/serratus, poor external rotation strength/endurance, altered motor timing), the “pain site” often becomes the rotator cuff or biceps tendon, but the true failure is the system’s load management.
I also appreciate the implied clinical payoff: this systems model reduces fear. A lot of “shoulder pathology” on imaging is common in asymptomatic people; what matters is whether the system can tolerate the loads you’re asking of it. That’s why the best rehab often looks boring and global: restore range where it’s limited, build scapular control, progressively load the cuff, and normalize volume rather than avoiding movement forever.
Really solid post! It teaches people to stop hunting for one villain and start rebuilding capacity.
Hi Carla, this is such a clear and empowering reminder that shoulder pain is rarely just a shoulder problem. I really appreciate how you connect system health, midlife physiology, and practical training into something that actually helps people move and perform better.
Hello! Thank you so much for this great comment and for reading! I discoverd this firsthand dealing with my own shoulder challenges (that has spanned 5+ years) and when I went to see a Performance PT about it, I appreciated the "system" approach for rehabbing my shoulder and now its stronger than ever.... definitely a believer! Thanks again for reading! Cheers! -Dr. Carla
Hi Destiny! Thanks so much for the comment and for reading! I have been on quite a journey with my own shoulders and have learned a ton from my performance PT, body worker, and the journey itself. I'm glad you found this post helpful! :)
Hi Mark! Thanks for the question and for reading! I would recommend a consultation with a performance PT to make this assessment. I struggle with my own shoulders, which was the inspriation for this post. During my assessment, the PT was able to identify challenges with thoracic rotation and poor scap activation in my case... so she prescribed movements to work specifically on these things. One can glean a lot of very important info in just one consultation/assessment.
Hi Nathalie! Thanks so much for your comment and for reading! :) I would suggest doing a shoulder workout like this 1-2x per week.... after about 4-6 weeks you will want to potentially change the movements. Other things you can do (which I do myself) is using the Crossover Symmetry system - which is more mobility support/scap strengthening - takes 10 minutes as a warm-up before doing any kind of shoulder work. You definitely want to mix things up. Hope this helps and thanks again for reading! :)
Love this framing! “the shoulder is a system” is exactly the clinical truth that gets lost when people chase a single diagnosis (impingement, bursitis, rotator cuff “tear”) as if the joint were an isolated hinge. From a physician-scientist lens, the shoulder is a networked control problem: scapular mechanics, thoracic mobility, rotator cuff force-couples, posterior chain strength, and even cervical contributions all feed into humeral head centering and tendon load. When any piece drifts (stiff T-spine, weak lower traps/serratus, poor external rotation strength/endurance, altered motor timing), the “pain site” often becomes the rotator cuff or biceps tendon, but the true failure is the system’s load management.
I also appreciate the implied clinical payoff: this systems model reduces fear. A lot of “shoulder pathology” on imaging is common in asymptomatic people; what matters is whether the system can tolerate the loads you’re asking of it. That’s why the best rehab often looks boring and global: restore range where it’s limited, build scapular control, progressively load the cuff, and normalize volume rather than avoiding movement forever.
Really solid post! It teaches people to stop hunting for one villain and start rebuilding capacity.
Thank you Carla! How do you recommend prioritizing which part of the shoulder system to strengthen first?
Hi Carla, this is such a clear and empowering reminder that shoulder pain is rarely just a shoulder problem. I really appreciate how you connect system health, midlife physiology, and practical training into something that actually helps people move and perform better.
Great info. And I really like the youtube examples of how to do the exercises. Very helpful
Great workout! How many times a week do you recommend doing this?