Shoulder Alignment: Injury Prevention 101

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I wanted to write a post on proper shoulder alignment in aerial work as shoulders are THE most susceptible to injury due to their large range of motion and complex structure. In aerial, a lot of pressure is placed on the shoulders continuously and it is all to common for aerialists to have poor posture leading to injuries such as muscle tears, sprains, & pulls, tendonitis, dislocation, weakness, and more. The anatomy of the shoulder, specifically the rotator cuff, is something I believe all aerialists should have at least a basic understanding of in order to help prevent these types of injuries.



As aerialists we are constantly holding our body weight with our shoulders during hangs, climbing, inversions, and twists. In each of these movements we should be aware of where our shoulders are and how they are engaged.

The various movements of the shoulders are as follows:






It is a good idea to practice each type of movement with your arms in different positions (extended overhead, to the side, in the front, and down by your side) so that you fully understand what the movement feels like and how they compare to each other.

For the majority of movements in aerial dance good posture is accomplished by depressing the shoulders down and away from your ears, and also externally rotating. In any movement where we are hanging or pulling with our arms overhead, we should be in this position. If we perform these movements with elevated shoulders we end up unnecessarily engaging all of the muscles in the neck and upper shoulders, which can lead to injury and fatigue in these areas (and instability in the shoulder joint).

For movements where we are inverted and our arms are in front of us, as opposed to overhead, we must make sure our shoulders are retracted. This helps us engage the latissimus dorsi muscle and
in turn, provides us with more shoulder stability in this position.

There are other applications for the different movements and you will learn these as you go, which is why it is important to have an aerial instructor who is familiar with proper shoulder alignment and injury prevention.

Paper Doll Militia has a series of videos called Aerial ABC's that are very informative:

1. Always warm up well! Get your body moving and your heart beating. Your goal here is a couple of things: warm up the body by increasing blood flow to the muscles, prepare body by introducing it to range of movement. You should be doing exercises with your shoulders that take you through the full range of motion. Static stretching is NOT warming up, and can actually lead to an immediate decrease in muscle strength and therefore could set you up for injury. You should be doing brief cardio type movements, as well was dynamic stretches.
2. Stay Hydrated! Drink enough water to feed your cells while you do ANY physical activity, (and in general). A hydrated body is a lubricated body.
3. Remember your posture. Keep your shoulder position in mind throughout your training session. Practice the various movements so you become comfortable with executing them. Ask your instructor if you are unsure about where you shoulders should be in any particular position.
4. STOP IMMEDIATELY if you start to feel pain, numbness, tingling, or extreme fatigue in any joint. Mild discomfort is normal. Pain is not. Pain tells us something is amiss in our bodies, listen to that message.
5. If you do end up with an injury there are things you can do to minimize damage and accelerate healing. You can apply ice briefly to help with pain, however swelling is the body's natural response to injury and is a healthy way for the body to bring blood and other healing components to the affected area. Avoid using the injured joint for at least a couple of days, rest is key. You can also take a NSAID to help with any pain, however these can hurt your stomach and inhibit muscle growth so only take when necessary. Once you are feeling up for it you can start to move the joint around, stretching and warming up, to slowly regain range of movement and promote healing. This will reduce stiffness and the instance of scar tissue. If pain is severe, if the joint looks like it is protruding, or if you feel numbness that does not subside, you should go to a doctor right away.