STAYING ON THE COURT The
complete guide to shoulder maintenance — part I
By Aaron Brock Photos: Don Liebig
T
he two major categories of muscle stabilizers in the shoulder are the rotator cuff and the scapular stabi-
lizers. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint. Unlike most joints, the shoulder is an inherently unstable joint, and it relies heavily on surrounding muscles for sup- port. Think of a golf ball on a tee. That’s your shoulder. The golf ball is the head of the humerus and the tee is your scap- ula, which is more commonly referred to as the shoulder blade. Just as it doesn’t take much force to knock a golf ball off a tee, it doesn’t take much force to upset the positioning of the humeral head in the socket. This is where the rotator cuff muscles and scapular stabilizers come in; they control the movement of the joint so the forces are created, absorbed and dispersed effectively. Over time, weak- ness in these muscles leads to shoulder injuries such as bursitis, subluxations, dislocations, tendonitis, cartilage damage and tendon tearing. Take action to avoid these injuries by adding the Hitters’ 10 to your exercise routine. Here it is:
The Hitters’ 10 1. External Rotation (ER) at side
(1 A,B): Elbow bent at 90 degrees, start in a fully internally rotated position and externally rotate with a rolled towel squeezed between the side and elbow.
2. IR at 90 (2 A,B): Face away from the band, elbow bent at 90 degrees, shoulder raised to 90 degrees, start in fully externally rotated position and
No matter what level of the game you play, keeping your shoulder in top condition is essential to playing your best volleyball. Here’s the fi rst of a three-part program designed by Aaron Brock, director of sports medicine and performance to the U.S. National Volleyball Teams. It will help you maintain a stronger, healthier hitting shoulder that is better equipped to hold up under the strain of multiple swings.
WORKING WITH A SMILE: U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team libero Nicole Davis, a two-time Olympian, demonstrates exercises to maintain shoulder health.
38 | VOLLEYBALLUSA • Digital Issue at
usavolleyball.org/mag
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