Since the pandemic first began in 2020, many people have been working from home. In fact, working from home has become somewhat of the “new normal” for many companies. I’ve found that by working from home and sitting in a chair staring at a computer all day, you can easily develop shoulder pain and tension, especially if you have an old injury that’s still lingering. So, if you’ve been injured in an auto accident, it’s quite possible that working from home can aggravate your shoulders and provide you with more tension and discomfort.
So, what can you do about it? Well, we spoke with Dr. Ronald Badener, our doctor who works on a lien basis in West Hollywood, California, about shoulder stretches that can help relieve tension and pain.
Dr. Badener showed us a good example stretch to help with this. To conduct this stretch:
- First, stand with your back and hands flat against the wall. Have your hands out to your sides but still flat against the wall.
- Bring your arms up continually until they are over your head, doing your best to keep both your shoulders and index fingers against the wall.
- When you get to the top and your hands touch, internally rotate your elbows and hold that for 10 seconds.
- Come back down.
- Do a set of 5.
This will help with pain and discomfort at the rotator cuff or other shoulder-related problems such as repeating the same motions at your desk every day. By stretching regularly, it’s possible to alleviate pain and build up strength in your body. However, be sure to never push a stretch if you are feeling too much pain and be sure to discuss what stretches are best for you with your doctor before trying them.
