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Shoulder joint movements are crucial for maintaining shoulder health, preventing injuries, and creating effective training plans. The shoulder joint, a marvel of human anatomy, is a complex articulation that enables a vast range of motion. As one of the most mobile joints in the body, it plays a pivotal role in our daily lives, from simple tasks like reaching for a book to complex athletic movements.
Composed of a ball-and-socket joint, the shoulder is stabilized by a network of ligaments, tendons, and muscles. This intricate system allows for movements in multiple planes, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation.
Understanding and optimizing shoulder joint movements is essential for maintaining optimal health and performance. For example, strengthening the rotator cuff muscles can enhance shoulder stability, which is vital for athletes involved in throwing or other overhead activities. Proper movement patterns enable individuals to perform daily tasks effortlessly, such as reaching, lifting, and engaging in sports. These patterns also help prevent wear and tear on the joint, reducing the risk of pain, inflammation, and degeneration over time.
Shoulder Joint Movements
Movements possible at the shoulder joint include flexion, extension, horizontal flexion, horizontal extension, abduction, adduction, medial rotation, lateral rotation and circumduction.
Strengthening the muscles that support the joint and improving range of motion can help to prevent common shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tears and shoulder impingement syndrome, while improving shoulder function and performance.
Here are the main shoulder moves you need to know:
1- Flexion
This movement involves raising the arm forward in front of the body.
What muscles are used in shoulder flexion?
- Anterior Deltoid (Target)
- Coracobrachialis (secondary)
- Pectoralis Major
- Biceps Brachii
- Serratus Anterior
2- Extension
This movement involves moving the arm backwards away from the body.
What muscles are used in shoulder extension?
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Teres Major
- Posterior Deltoid
- Teres Minor
- Triceps Brachii
- Pectoralis Major
3- Abduction
This movement involves raising the arm away from the body in a sideways motion. Abduction is often used in activities such as lifting weights or performing lateral raises.
What muscles are used in shoulder abduction?
- Supraspinatus
- Deltoid
- Serratus anterior
- Trapezius
4- Adduction
This movement involves bringing the arm back towards the body after being raised in abduction.
What muscles are used in shoulder adduction?
- Pectoralis Major
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Teres Major
- Coracobrachialis
- Teres Minor
5- Circumduction
It consists of a combination of adduction, abduction, flexion, and extension.
What muscles are used in Circumduction?
Circumduction involves multiple muscle groups working together to perform the sequence of movements. These muscles include:
1. Flexion (raising the arm forward)
- Anterior deltoid
- Pectoralis major (clavicular head)
- Coracobrachialis
- Biceps brachii (long head)
2. Extension (moving the arm backward)
- Latissimus dorsi
- Teres major
- Posterior deltoid
- Triceps brachii (long head)
3. Abduction (lifting the arm away from the body)
- Deltoid (middle fibers)
- Supraspinatus
- Trapezius
4. Adduction (bringing the arm back toward the body)
- Pectoralis major
- Latissimus dorsi
- Teres major
- Coracobrachialis
- Teres Minor
6- Medial / Internal Rotation
Internal rotation happens when the shoulder turns in towards the front of the body. Throwing motions and many swinging motions finish with the shoulder turning inwards.
There are 4 rotator cuff muscles, and only one of them turns the shoulder inwards (the subscapularis), but there are other big muscles [pectoralis major (pecs), latissimus dorsi (lats), teres major] that are not part of the rotator cuff that help to turn the shoulder inwards.
What muscles are used in Internal Rotation?
- Subscapularis
- Pectoralis Major
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Teres Major
- Anterior Deltoid
7- Lateral / External Rotation
One of the main motions of the rotator cuff is external rotation. This is simply when you shoulder rotates out to the side. You can perform external rotation from many positions but the main 2 positions are the neutral position of the shoulder and the abducted (shoulder raised to 90 degrees) position.
What muscles are used in External Rotation?
- Infraspinatus
- Teres Minor
- Posterior Deltoid
8- Horizontal flexion
Horizontal flexion is a shoulder movement that involves bringing the arm forward, parallel to the ground. This movement is also sometimes referred to as horizontal adduction.
What muscles are used for horizontal Flexion?
- Pectoralis Major
- Anterior Deltoid
- Biceps brachialis
- Coracobrachialis
9- Horizontal extension
Horizontal extension is a movement that involves moving the arm backward away from the body in a horizontal plane. It is the opposite of horizontal flexion, which involves moving the arm forward towards the body in a horizontal plane.
What muscles are used for horizontal extension?
- Posterior Deltiod
- Infraspinatus
- Teres Minor
- Lower Trapezius
The Bottom Line
The shoulder joint is susceptible to a variety of injuries, including rotator cuff tears, bursitis, tendinitis, and impingement syndrome. These injuries can be caused by overuse, improper form during exercise or activity, or trauma such as a fall or impact. Symptoms of shoulder joint injuries include pain, weakness, and limited range of motion.
In conclusion, the shoulder joint is a complex joint that allows for a wide range of movements, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal and external rotation, and horizontal abduction and adduction. Understanding these movements and how to properly perform them is important for overall health and preventing injury.
If you experience any pain or discomfort in the shoulder joint, it is recommended that you seek medical attention to prevent further injury.
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