Shoulder pain while running?

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jmac263
jmac263 Posts: 87
in Fitness and Exercise
I have noticed since i started running again i will get a sharp pain in my shoulder sometimes in the front towards my chest and sometimes more in my shoulder blade. Its normally my right shoulder but sometimes its my left. Has anyone else had this issue? Any suggestions on how to resolve this problem?!

Replies

  • timboom1
    timboom1 Posts: 762 Member
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    I find my shoulders sometimes get sore when I am pushing hard. Generally it is because I am tensing up and/or my form is starting to get sloppy. Try to slow a bit, shake out your arms, be sure your back is not hunched over and relax your neck and shoulders. As you speed up, focus on being relaxed.

    Also, if you are carrying a water bottle or something, try not carrying it and see if that helps. I have also heard some people say that the opposite works for them as well (i.e. carrying something vs. not.)
  • jmac263
    jmac263 Posts: 87
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    Thanks for the input!! I carry a lap counter in my right hand so that could be doing it. Ill see what happens when i switch hands!!
  • Berto0391
    Berto0391 Posts: 273 Member
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    Switch every few mins then that could help reduce the pain.
  • cjmas
    cjmas Posts: 63
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    It's a form issue. Keep your upper body relaxed and arms swinging. (I can't carry anything when I run; I hate feeling unbalanced.)
  • jmac263
    jmac263 Posts: 87
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    It almost has to be form, or that i am carrying my clicker, the main reason i have to cut a run short is because of this pain not fatigue in my legs or breathing.
  • juicemoogan
    juicemoogan Posts: 999 Member
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    i get that too with long distances..
    but i dont carry anything...
  • angbunny22
    angbunny22 Posts: 56
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    I have had this happen to me before and i found out that i was gripping my right hand so tight that my knuckles were white! The stress went all the way into my shoulder, I didn't even notice I was doing it! Try and notice next time you run, or carry something in your hand to prevent gripping.
  • CapsFan17
    CapsFan17 Posts: 198
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    I will some times get pains in my left shoulder when running and my doctor told me it was from a lack of oxygen in my blood. So I now have an inhailer to take brfore I go running that that seems to have done the trick. If switching the weight doesn't work talk to your doctor.
  • blair_bear
    blair_bear Posts: 165
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    I use a chiro for this issue. I always have shoulder/ rotator cuff issues when I start a new or more intense routine. 1 visit takes care of it, then I get yelled at for how i sit or relax and I'm told to stop watching my feet running (but I like to know I'm still moving and haven't died mid-run)
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
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    It's not your breathing is it? Sometimes if I over do it I get a similar pain but it is my lungs. I do get a lot of pain in my neck though when I run. lol It is interesting how just having one thing off can cause so many other problems!
  • bratleen
    bratleen Posts: 60 Member
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    One of my running coaches always suggests that as you run periodically have your thumb almost brush your hip; this makes you more aware of keeping your shoulders down and relaxed but still have your arms moving.
  • czuniga03
    czuniga03 Posts: 99
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    As an EMT I have a few questions..
    Is there anything that make the pain better or worse?
    On a scale of 0(no pain)-10(worse pain you've ever felt) what would you rate your pain?
    Does the pain move anywhere else?
    How would you describe your pain (sharp, radiating, throbbing, ect)?
  • jmac263
    jmac263 Posts: 87
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    The pain is normally sharp and now that someone has mentioned it, possibly could be my breathing also. I normally am very aware of my breathing and can push through these pains but sometimes they are just enough i have to stop. I could have been over doing it too. I haven't ran for 3 months and started again last night. 2 miles. I just thought my shoulders were an odd place to have pain while running.
  • toomanycurves
    toomanycurves Posts: 110 Member
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    This happened to me when I was regularly running. Two things helped. Deep breaths while being sure that my lower abs were tucked in and pinching my my scapulae together while dropping my shoulders. For me, it was a matter of my form being off.
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
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    This has happened to me in the past. I think there are two things you can do to cure it. One is to be sure that your upper body is relaxed. The other is to strengthen your shoulders by doing pushups or some other shoulder strengthening exercise a few times a week.
  • GlitterMamma11
    GlitterMamma11 Posts: 143 Member
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    As an EMT I have a few questions..
    Is there anything that make the pain better or worse?
    On a scale of 0(no pain)-10(worse pain you've ever felt) what would you rate your pain?
    Does the pain move anywhere else?
    How would you describe your pain (sharp, radiating, throbbing, ect)?

    I'm curious to hear what you are thinking....
  • czuniga03
    czuniga03 Posts: 99
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    The pain is normally sharp and now that someone has mentioned it, possibly could be my breathing also. I normally am very aware of my breathing and can push through these pains but sometimes they are just enough i have to stop. I could have been over doing it too. I haven't ran for 3 months and started again last night. 2 miles. I just thought my shoulders were an odd place to have pain while running.

    Pain can be projected else where such as traditional chest pain can present in the shoulder or arm..I would try taking it slower next time..but if the pain continues you should see a doctor..Better safe than sorry!
  • killsamurai
    killsamurai Posts: 1
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    I had this problem and it stopped me from exercising when I tired to start running after years of bike riding. I felt it could have been an injury that needed time to heal correctly. I had been to the doctor with a lifting injury that formed over time at work. Nothing on an x-ray.

    When I ran it felt like my clavicle was trying to break itself in half. It could have been bad form on the bike, carrying a heavy backpack, dehydration, poor lungs, hand-stand popping sound, etc.

    I tried stretching and strengthening using the wall. It may have helped slightly. Drinking more water and doing breathing exercises to recondition my smokers.

    When I began running again it came back duller and I tried first wrapping my hand in my shirt to take the weight off my shoulder. I could run longer but the pain returned. Then I began punching the air at the end of each stride. That worked better and eventually both shoulders were doing it and I knew it wasn't the shoulder injury. Keeping my arms swinging close to my sides and lowering my stride seemed to resolve it but was a rather difficult form to maintain.

    It is likely I was keeping my shoulder too stiff and panicking about the pain. This year I had no trouble running.
  • knitapeace
    knitapeace Posts: 1,013 Member
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    I thought I was the only one who had this. It helps if I focus on relaxing my hands and shoulders, not making a fist while running which I sometimes do unconsciously. Also just shaking my arms out from time to time.
  • ryanrihani
    ryanrihani Posts: 1
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    Shoulder Pain while running is often due to cardiac ischemia (especially left shoulder pain). When we run enough to get into Anaerobic training, we often have low levels of oxygen in our blood due to the high levels of oxygen that muscles start needing. The heart is not an exception to this rule, and it needs much more oxygen than any other muscle in our body. When our blood oxygen is low in anaerobic training, our muscles adapt to it by switching to anaerobic generation of energy. Our heart, however, cannot do this, and when the low oxygen levels hit our heart's blood supply, the heart will send pain signals to the brain. Unfortunately, our heart does not have its own localization of pain, but that pain is instead referred to our shoulder or jaw. This is the reasoning behind jaw pain and shoulder pain seen in patients with heart attacks (myocardial infarctions). Hope this clears it up.

    Source: Medical school & Board Review Series: Physiology 5th edition (pages 65-100)

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