The Cleveland Indians are hitting a bit of a rough patch with injuries. Michael Brantley, their very consistent outfielder, hasn’t played in a number of days due to shoulder soreness.
He said:
It’s nothing serious. He just wanted to give me an extra day. I’m ready to go off the bench. Whenever they need me, I’ll be ready to go.
It’s good that he doesn’t consider it to be a serious issue. Still, many people who play sports on the weekend experience shoulder soreness.
What is shoulder soreness? Your shoulder is the joint used to provide mobility and stability to your arms. Without your shoulders the arms would flop around. It is a collection of bones, ligaments and muscles. The soreness most people feel is from a shoulder strain or shoulder overuse.
What causes shoulder soreness? Most of the time it is due to either lifting too heavy of a weight or stretching your shoulder out of position. You can also cause shoulder soreness through overuse. In limited cases it is caused by a structural issue in your shoulder such as a ligament or muscle tear.
How do you treat shoulder soreness? RICE, rest/ice/compression/elevation, works great. You should also ensure that you stretch the shoulder to keep it flexible and pliable during its recovery. Anti inflammatory medicine helps deal with the pain and stiffness.