Hanging for Shoulder Health

Hanging for Shoulder Health

Chimpanzees are our closest animal relative. We share 98.8 percent of DNA and many social characteristics, such as establishing friendships and smiling. Their bodies are very similar to ours. We have the same nervous systems, bones, ligaments, tendons, and muscles. We even have the same number of fingers and toes. Chimps have the ability of self-identifying when looking in the mirror, which is rare for animals.

Another similarity is our bipedal (walking on two legs) nature, but Chimpanzees can also walk on four limbs and use their arms/shoulders to swing from trees. Their consistent overhead activity keeps their shoulders functioning well and limits injury. The gorilla, gibbon, and orangutan are also able to brachiate or hang by their hands. As a kid, I remember hanging from monkey bars at the playground and swinging from parallel bar to parallel bar. Like most kids, I'm sure, I felt like I outgrew the monkey bars and that was the last of hanging for me for many years. It would benefit all of us to hang from bars, especially as we get older!

Gravity and the consistent hunching over our computers, desks, and phones have increased the incidence of shoulder injury and pain. One of the most important biomechanical pearls that we can learn from our ape cousins is that overhead activity or hanging helps the health of the shoulders. Gravity is a constant force on our bodies and takes its toll over many years. It affects the spine by contributing to compression, which contributes to degeneration.

Gravity affects circulation, which can lead to varicose veins and swollen limbs. We all must find helpful ways to counteract gravity. The shoulders are negatively impacted by gravity like other joints in our bodies. When astronauts go into space, they grow an average of two inches. Their vertebral discs actually increase in size because of the lack of gravity. 

The three joints that benefit most from hanging are the coracoacromial joint, the acromohumero joint, and the glenohumeral joint. Joint spacing is increased in all three of these joints with repeat-ed hanging, and this decreases the chance of impingement of ligament, tendon and the rotator cuff. Hanging over time reshapes the structures of the shoulder.

The principle of Wolff's law states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads under which it is placed. Bones, tendons, ligaments, and muscles all change due to forces applied to them. Hanging pro-vides more space for the rotator cuff. The more space in a joint equates to less of a chance of impingement.

If someone has a shoulder injury, it can be counter-intuitive to hang from an overhead bar, but in many cases, this is exactly what is required for healing the shoulder. I have had numerous patients heal from rotator cuff injuries, tears, and frozen shoulders by incorporating hanging.

Dr. John M. Kirsch, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, wrote a book called "Shoulder pain? The Solution and Prevention. Many of his patients saved themselves from unnecessary shoulder surgery from hanging. In his book, he recommends hanging along with three simple lightweight shoulder exercises to heal shoulder injuries.

I started hanging consistently, about a year and a half ago, after running into a gifted bodyworker at the gym whom I hadn't seen in years. He mentioned hanging to me, and after doing my own research and committing to doing it for a month, I realized that it felt right for my body.

How to Hang

1 - Your hands should be shoulder-width apart on a parallel bar. Your palms should wrap around the bar, and your knuckles should be facing you. Do not hang with your palms facing each other, as you will not get the benefit to the shoulders. You can start by hanging for 10 seconds and take a 45 second to one-minute rest in between sets. Start with three sets. When you are hanging, you should relax your entire body and make sure you are not tensing your muscles.

2 - You can use a stool or assist machine and do partial weight hanging if you can't hang initially with your own body weight. Most people experience some form of pain initially. When I first started hanging, I felt pain for a couple of days, but it subsided. The pain is something that your body will work through, which goes against what I would intuitively think and recommend to my patients.

3 - Gradually work your way up to hanging for 30 seconds. If you can go longer and it feels like it is right for you, hang for more time. Always take a minute break in between sets. For those who have relatively healthy shoulders and want to achieve healthier shoulders, a good regimen is to hang three times per week - three sets each day. Hanging tractions the spine, and this makes it beneficial for the mid-back and low back as well.

About the Author

Dr. Louis Granirer is a leading Holistic Chiropractor in New York. Learn more about his chiropractic treatments and natural remedies by visiting his website.