Usually it is not the shoulder itself but thoracic spine mobility.
Shoulder pain when pressing overhead is one of the most common complaints among people who lift. The instinctive response is to work on the shoulder — but the cause is often elsewhere.
To press a bar directly overhead you need extension through the thoracic spine. If that region is stiff, which is close to universal in people who sit eight hours a day, the shoulder has to compensate with extra rotation. That compensation is what hurts.
Try a simple test: sit on the floor with your back against a wall and try to raise your arms straight overhead while keeping your lower back flat. If your arms cannot reach the wall, the restriction is not in your shoulder.
Working on thoracic mobility usually produces improvement within a few weeks. If the pain is sharp, radiates down the arm or is present at rest, see a physiotherapist before continuing to train.
Written by
Elena Naumova
