The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. It is our shoulders that allow us to put our hands where they need to be for work, play, and all of our daily activities. To manage this, the shoulder has to have the right balance of strength, flexibility, and stability. Loss of this balance can lead to pain and injury. Maintaining this balance through exercises aimed at stretching and strengthening can help avoid shoulder problems.
The rotator cruff muscles
Without learned muscle control, any overhead activity, let alone just lifting the arm, would be impossible. The muscle group for this control is the rotator cuff (RC) muscles – the infraspinatus, supraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis muscles. The muscles primarily designed to position the scapula for overhead movement are the trapezius, and serratus anterior. The larger and more powerful muscles that generate movements of the arm are the deltoids, latissimus dorsi, and pectoralis major.