MEASURE, MOVE AND PROGRESS

To assess shoulder strength, reliable and valid tools are needed that allow repeatable measurements over time. Discover a 3-point method to assess your patients' shoulder strength with the best possible reproducibility.

Shoulder pain is almost always related to rotator cuff weakness (consecutive or at the source of the pain).
The rotator cuff is a set of muscles (subscapularis, supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor) that ensure the stability of the shoulder, and also its rotational components. These are capricious muscles, which do not tolerate large variations in load very much. Therefore, it is important that they are strong to better tolerate the limitations of everyday life and sports.

Perform a shoulder strength evaluation test

How do I perform a strength assessment test with a quality pressure dynamometer?
1. First, we need to standardize test passing (establish the conditions for passing the test).
2. Next we need to compare the readings to the opposite side (otherwise we have no data to compare).
3. The more fixed your hand (holding the dynamometer) is (quite complex at times), the more reliable the value will be (because you won't compensate differently each time by pushing more or less hard against the person being tested). All these indications are detailed in the mobile application Kinvent Physio, which will accompany and guide you daily in your measurements.

The correlation between grip strength and lateral rotator strength has already been demonstrated. Discover how grip strength assessment can be used to analyze the recruiting capacity of the rotator cuff.

To get closer to the “clinical” side, in patients with rotator cuff-related shoulder pain, the grip strength of the side with sore shoulder is reduced compared to that of the healthy side (Kachanathu, 2019). Sporrong had already linked grip strength and rotator cuff activation in the mid-1990s (Sporrong, 1996).

HYPOTHESIS ABOUT THE LINK WITH THE ROTATOR Cuff
The neuromuscular system would seek, Therefore, stabilize the wrist, elbow and shoulder with a global muscle contraction, to better transmit forces. All of this, however, are just hypotheses to explain the increased rotator cuff activity when we activate the grip with great force.

Therefore, it would be relevant to ask your patients (or clients) to squeeze the load or tool they use very tightly in exercises targeting their rotator cuff.

Mobility training is a long-term process. 

In fact, we plan the same way we would for strength or endurance. 

1 Self-massage (30 sec to 1 min)

This first step relaxes the soft tissues and reduces all of the body's resistance to movement. What we are doing here is not tracking pain and fighting adhesions. We carry out relaxation work, short-term and localized. This process prepares the muscles and tendons

2. Stretching (1 minute)

The second step is the most important in the search for greater mobility. This is the stretch intended to gain maximum joint range. In fact, we are talking about high-intensity performance stretches.

3. Engine reprogramming
This third step in mobility training aims at motor reprogramming. In this case, it is about putting controlled movement at the center of the protocol, or amplitude and strength at the service of movement.

4. Charging phase

Mobility is not just flexibility. Phase 2 develops flexibility and strength jointly and locally. However, an overall weight load in a more complete movement will contextualize force levels and promote their transfer to the movement.