The Truth About Shoulder Pain (And How to Fix It for Good)

Shoulder pain is one of the most common reasons people stop lifting, stop training overhead, or start modifying workouts “just to get by.”At Live Active: Spine & Sport in Birmingham, I see this every week — and the truth is, most shoulder pain is not coming from the shoulder alone.

If your shoulder feels pinchy, blocked, or unstable, there is almost always a movement and control problem underneath it. Once that problem is addressed, the shoulder often improves faster than expected.

Symptoms

People dealing with shoulder dysfunction often report:

• Pain or pinching with overhead pressing

• Limited range of motion when lifting the arm overhead

• Clicking, catching, or a “not smooth” feeling in the shoulder

• Pain reaching behind the back or across the body

• Neck and upper trap tightness that never seems to go away

• One shoulder feeling weaker or less stable than the other

If you’ve been stretching, resting, or avoiding movements without lasting improvement, keep reading.

What’s Really Happening

The shoulder does not move in isolation.

When you raise your arm, the shoulder blade (scapula) and the shoulder joint must move together in a coordinated pattern. If the shoulder blade is stuck, poorly positioned, or lacks control, the shoulder joint is forced to compensate.

Over time, this leads to:

• Impingement-style pain

• Rotator cuff irritation

• Biceps or AC joint stress

• Loss of strength and confidence overhead

This is why many people feel tight but don’t actually lack flexibility — their body is guarding because it doesn’t feel stable.

What Failed

Most shoulder rehab and “fixes” fail for a few predictable reasons:

1. Treating the shoulder but ignoring the shoulder blade

Mobility work and stretching feel good, but without restoring scapular control, the problem keeps returning.

2. Stretching muscles that are protecting instability

Tightness is often a response to poor control. Stretching alone may provide temporary relief but does not solve the root cause.

3. Strengthening positions that were never earned

Loading overhead patterns without proper movement quality reinforces compensation and irritation.

4. Chasing pain instead of restoring function

Pain is usually the last thing to show up and the last thing to leave. Fixing movement first is what allows pain to resolve.

Why Your Approach Is Different

At Live Active: Spine & Sport in Birmingham, I don’t guess — I assess.

Instead of focusing only on where it hurts, I look at:

• Shoulder blade position and movement

• Rib cage and trunk control

• Breathing patterns during movement

• Balance and stability demands that may be forcing the shoulder to brace

Once mobility is restored where it’s missing, I retrain stability and control so the shoulder can move freely without guarding.

The order matters:

1. Restore access to motion

2. Teach the body how to control it

3. Reinforce it under real-world load

This approach creates shoulders that are not just pain-free, but durable.

What This Looks Like in Practice

A typical plan may include:

• Targeted mobility for the shoulder blade and thoracic spine

• Motor control drills to activate stabilizing muscles

• Progressive loading that respects proper mechanics

• Sport- and gym-specific movement retraining

The goal is not just symptom relief — it’s long-term shoulder health.

Ready to Fix the Root Cause of Your Shoulder Pain?

If you’re tired of working around shoulder pain and want a clear plan based on how your body actually moves, I’m here to help.

👉 [Book Your Evaluation in Birmingham]

Let’s restore your shoulder movement, rebuild control, and get you back to training — pain free and confident.