You’re sitting on the couch or in your favorite chair.
It’s time to get up, so you put your hands on the armrests and push.
Suddenly, your shoulder hurts. 😣
Maybe it’s a sharp pain in the front or side of the shoulder. Maybe the arm feels weak. Or perhaps you’ve started avoiding pushing with that arm altogether.
Most people think of shoulder pain as something that happens when reaching overhead or lifting something heavy.
But pushing yourself out of a chair can place significant demand on the shoulder too.
Your shoulders normally help position and move your arms.
But when you push yourself out of a chair, something different happens.
Your hands are planted on the armrests while your arms help lift part of your body weight.
Your shoulder muscles have to stabilize the joint while your:
💪 Triceps straighten your elbows
🦴 Shoulder muscles stabilize your upper body
🪑 Arms help push your body upward
⚖️ Legs transition you into standing
The more you rely on your arms, the more work your shoulders may have to do.
This is an important question.
Sometimes the shoulder isn’t the only issue.
If your knees or hips hurt, you may gradually start using your arms more when standing.
Instead of your legs doing most of the work, you push hard through the armrests.
That creates an interesting situation:
Knee or hip pain may indirectly increase the stress on your shoulders.
You may notice this especially when getting up from:
🛋️ A soft couch
🚗 A low car seat
🪑 A deep chair
🚽 The toilet
🛏️ The edge of a low bed
The lower the surface, the harder it may be to stand without using your arms.
Possibly.
Your rotator cuff consists of muscles and tendons that help stabilize and move the shoulder.
When these tissues are irritated or injured, pushing movements can sometimes become painful.
You may also experience discomfort when:
⬆️ Reaching overhead
🥛 Lifting something away from your body
👕 Putting on a jacket
🚗 Reaching for your seat belt
🌙 Sleeping on the painful shoulder
But shoulder pain while pushing out of a chair does not automatically mean you have a rotator cuff tear.
Several shoulder conditions can cause similar symptoms.
Arthritis can also contribute.
The shoulder is actually made up of several joints.
Arthritis affecting these joints can cause pain, stiffness and reduced mobility.
One area that can become irritated is the AC joint, located near the top of the shoulder.
Other patients develop arthritis deeper within the main shoulder joint.
When you push down through your hands to lift yourself, forces travel through the shoulder.
An already irritated joint may respond with pain.
Pain location can sometimes provide clues.
Pain toward the front of the shoulder may involve the rotator cuff, biceps tendon or other structures.
Pain directly on top of the shoulder may sometimes involve the AC joint.
Deep pain accompanied by significant stiffness may raise concern for arthritis or another joint problem.
But symptoms frequently overlap.
That’s why diagnosing a shoulder based only on where it hurts can be misleading.
Pain is one thing.
Progressive weakness is another.
Maybe you used to push yourself out of a chair without thinking about it.
Now that arm feels unreliable.
Perhaps you’ve started pushing almost entirely with the opposite arm.
Or you need several attempts to get yourself upright.
That change is worth paying attention to.
It could reflect shoulder weakness, but it could also indicate declining strength in your legs.
Sometimes an everyday movement reveals problems in more than one area.
If your shoulder hurts when pushing from a chair, reducing how much you rely on your arms may help—provided you can do so safely.
Try moving toward the front of the chair before standing.
Place your feet underneath you rather than far out in front.
Lean your upper body slightly forward and allow your legs to provide more of the force.
A higher, firmer chair may also be easier than a deep, soft couch.
If you have significant balance problems or leg weakness, however, don’t eliminate arm support just to protect your shoulder. Preventing a fall is more important.
No.
Pain when pushing yourself out of a chair doesn’t automatically mean you need rotator cuff surgery or shoulder replacement.
Rotator cuff problems, arthritis, tendon irritation, muscle weakness and other conditions may all contribute.
Depending on the cause and severity, there may be non-surgical treatment options available to reduce pain and improve function.
The important thing is determining what’s actually causing the problem.
Consider an evaluation if you’re experiencing:
🚩 Increasing pain during pushing or lifting
🚩 Progressive arm weakness
🚩 Difficulty raising your arm
🚩 Nighttime shoulder pain
🚩 Increasing loss of shoulder motion
🚩 Pain interfering with dressing, driving or household activities
🚩 Increasing dependence on your other arm
Sudden severe pain or weakness after an injury, obvious deformity, or an inability to raise the arm should receive prompt medical evaluation.
Shoulder or arm discomfort accompanied by chest pressure, shortness of breath, sweating or nausea warrants emergency medical attention.
If pushing yourself out of a chair suddenly makes your shoulder hurt, don’t ignore the pattern.
Your shoulder is temporarily helping support and lift your body weight—and an irritated rotator cuff, arthritic joint or other shoulder problem may become much more noticeable during that movement.
At Arthritis & Joint Pain Center, we help appropriate patients with chronic shoulder pain understand what’s contributing to their symptoms and explore non-surgical treatment options, with the goal of reducing pain and improving mobility.
Because getting out of your favorite chair shouldn’t hurt your shoulder.
