By Kreg Weiss, B HKin • September 6th, 2008

Many Yoga poses and flows involve large movements at the shoulder joint. Some of these movements have the potential to create shoulder impingement when improper technique and movements line are applied. If this shoulder impingement continues over time, chronic injury can form leading to pain and disfunction.

What is Shoulder Impingment?

Shoulder impingement is caused when the arm is lifted above the line of the shoulder. The head of the arm bone (humerus) lifts and rotates into a portion of the shoulder blade (acromion on the scapula). Covering the head of the arm bone are the 4 rotator cuff muscles: the supraspinatus, the infraspinatus, the subscapularis, and the teres minor. Acting as cushioning against pressure and friction, there are bursa sacs that lie between the muscular capsule and the acromion.

When the arm is lifted high over the level of the shoulder, the head of the humerus presses into the acromion. This pressure and friction can develop into inflammation of the bursa (bursitis) or the tendons the muscles (tendonitis). This inflammation can worsen due to repeated impinging actions that can eventually lead to increased pain and limited movement.

Where can Shoulder Impingement Occur in a Yoga Practice?

Shoulder impingement can occur in variety of Yoga postures and flows. Here is list of common yoga postures that set the arm bone above the line of the shoulder and can generate damaging frictional forces in the shoulder joint if one is not mindful:

• *Sun Salutations-the motion of folding into Mountain pose into Uttanasana often incorporates a large sweeping motion of the arms over the head.

  *Extended Side Angle Pose (Parsvottanasana)

  *Extended arms in Child's Pose (Balasana)

  *Half Moon Side Stretch Pose

  *Gate Pose (Parighasana)

  How Reduce the Incidence of Shoulder Impingement in Yoga Poses?

  The first method in reducing the pressure caused by shoulder impingement is to eliminate arms transitions that move the arm bone through large sweeping motions. In Sun Salutations, consider keeping arms in the forward plane, instead of lifting arms out to the side, back, up and then over head. By lifting the arms forward instead, there is less pressure being created against the head of the humerus as the arm bone moves back and up. ...

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Location:  Montreal, CA

Kreg is a co-founder of My Yoga Online and certified Hatha Yoga Teacher. Several years ago, Kreg discovered yoga while teaching health and fitness. Yoga dramatically transformed Kreg's approach to teaching health and...