In my last post, we explored “Shoulders and Shoulda’s“—how the mental burdens we carry can show up physically.

Today, let’s talk about why focusing solely on the site of injury often falls short—and how looking at the bigger picture can lead to deeper, lasting healing.

The Bigger Picture

Every year, over 50,000 shoulder replacements and 460,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed. Modern medicine has made incredible advancements, and surgery can be life-changing when necessary.

But here’s the thing: surgery alone doesn’t always guarantee lasting relief.

Why Treating the Injury Site Isn’t Enough

Surgery can repair damaged tissues, but it doesn’t address the movement habits that caused the injury in the first place. This is why surgically repaired shoulders often get reinjured.

Even for non-surgical issues like shoulder stiffness or strain, the story is the same. The tissue heals, but the underlying movement patterns often remain—leaving the shoulder vulnerable to future pain.

How Injuries Linger Beyond Healing

Imagine tripping and breaking your fall with your arm.

The muscles around your shoulder instinctively tighten to protect it. Even after the injury heals, that tightness can linger, restricting movement and creating new problems.

True healing means going beyond the site of injury to address the tension and habits that contributed to it—or developed because of it.

Breaking the Cycle: My Personal Experience

In an earlier email, I shared how stress, poor posture, and unhealthy movement patterns led to my shoulder injury.

The muscles around my shoulder, neck, and chest became so tight they pulled my shoulder joint out of alignment. Over time, this friction wore down the cartilage.

If I had only repaired the cartilage through surgery and ignored the habits causing the imbalance, I would likely have been injured again. Instead, I focused on:

• Releasing unnecessary tension.
• Improving my posture.
• Changing how I moved and breathed.

Modifying these movement habits was the missing link.

Stress Played a Big Role

I also worked on my stress response—both at work and on the tennis court. Shifting from a mindset of effort (“I should hit harder”) to one of skill helped me reduce tension throughout my body.

This holistic approach—addressing the injury and the habits behind it—was a game-changer.

What’s Next?

In my next post, we’ll dive into how changing your movement habits can not only heal shoulder injuries but also prevent them, helping you reclaim full freedom of movement.

Till next time!