Shoulder pain that makes your arm hurt when you reach behind you can happen when irritated shoulder tissues are strained by this restricted movement.
Shoulder pain and arm pain when you reach behind you often show up as a sharp pull, pinch, or deep ache when your arm moves backward or your hand reaches toward your back. This movement can put extra stress on the rotator cuff and other shoulder tissues, especially when they are already irritated or tight.
If reaching behind you to put on a shirt, fasten something, tuck in your shirt, or reach into a back pocket makes your shoulder hurt, you may find that this particular movement is much harder than moving your arm forward. Your arm may move normally in some directions but suddenly hurt or feel restricted when you try to bring it backward.
Reaching behind you requires the shoulder to move through a position that can be uncomfortable when the rotator cuff, shoulder muscles, or nearby tissues are irritated. Reduced shoulder mobility can also make the movement feel tight or stuck, forcing the affected area to work harder than it normally would.
Reaching Your Arm Back Puts Extra Stress On The Shoulder
Moving your arm backward can stretch and compress irritated shoulder tissues.
When you reach behind your back, the shoulder moves into a position that requires several muscles and tendons to work together while the arm moves backward. If the rotator cuff is irritated, that position can make the area painful because the shoulder has less comfortable room to move.
The Shoulder Has Less Room To Move Behind You
Restricted shoulder mobility can make reaching backward more uncomfortable.
If your shoulder has become stiff, the arm may move easily in front of you but stop or hurt when you try to take it behind your back. The reduced movement can make everyday tasks such as getting dressed or reaching for something behind you feel surprisingly difficult.
Why Your Shoulder Hurts Reaching Behind
Your shoulder can take longer to recover when blood flow and circulation are reduced.
Muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other soft tissues can become irritated or strained through repeated movement, overuse, awkward movements, prolonged positions, or everyday activities. Some of these tissues, particularly tendons and ligaments, naturally receive less blood supply than many other parts of the body and may take longer to recover after irritation or injury. Recovery can take even longer when the same movements or activities continue to place stress on them.
Reduced circulation through the area can make it harder for the tissues to receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to heal properly. This can leave your shoulder feeling sore, tight, weak, stiff, or painful during everyday activities.
How To Help Your Shoulder Feel Better
Improving blood flow and circulation can help your shoulder feel better.
For centuries, Chinese herbs have been used to support healthy blood flow and circulation. Their medicinal properties help disperse stagnant blood and excess fluids that can collect around irritated or injured tissues and restrict normal circulation. As circulation begins moving more freely, fresh blood can better deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the area to help it recover properly.
Topical remedies containing these Chinese herbs can help relieve pain and other symptoms while supporting healthy blood flow and circulation around the shoulder. The right product depends on your symptoms and whether the problem is recent or has been ongoing for some time.
If you have pain, swelling, inflammation, or bruising, Bruise Relief Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by increasing circulation and dispersing stagnant blood and fluids around the irritated tissues. As circulation improves, fresh blood, oxygen, and nutrients can more easily reach the tissues that need them for healing.
If the area is especially swollen, red, or warm to the touch after a recent injury or flare-up, Ice Substitute Poultice is also used to reduce swelling and inflammation while restoring normal circulation so you can quickly regain range of motion. Traditional ice is often used to help reduce swelling, but Ice Substitute Poultice provides an ice alternative that helps reduce swelling and inflammation while also dispersing accumulated blood and fluids so circulation can move more freely through the area and promote faster recovery.
If you no longer have swelling or inflammation, but still have pain, stiffness, weakness, or sensitivity in cold weather, Pain Relief Liniment helps relieve these symptoms by strongly stimulating circulation and increasing blood flow to irritated tendons and ligaments. This is especially important because tendons and ligaments naturally receive less blood supply and can take longer to recover.
If you continue to have pain or stiffness around an injured tendon or ligament, or the area feels more painful in cold weather, Tendon and Ligament Poultice is also used to significantly stimulate circulation to the area. By increasing circulation, it helps offset the reduced blood flow caused by cold weather, which can aggravate chronic tendon and ligament injuries.
If your muscles feel sore or tight, or if you are preparing for exercise or strenuous activity, Muscle Therapy Massage Oil warms and stimulates the muscles, increases circulation, relieves tightness, and improves flexibility. Using it before activity helps warm up the muscles, while applying it afterward helps relieve soreness and stiffness.
Frequently Asked Questions
You may also find these commonly asked questions helpful.
Why does my shoulder hurt when I reach behind me?
Reaching behind you can place extra stress on irritated or tight shoulder tissues, making the movement painful or restricted.
Why does my arm hurt when I reach behind my back?
Your arm can hurt because moving it backward requires the shoulder to move through a position that may aggravate irritated rotator cuff tissues.
Why can I move my arm forward but not behind me without pain?
Reaching behind you requires a different range of shoulder movement, which can expose stiffness or irritation that is less noticeable with forward movement.
Can shoulder stiffness make reaching behind me painful?
Yes. Limited shoulder movement can make reaching behind you more difficult and increase discomfort during the movement.
When should shoulder pain that affects reaching behind me be checked?
Persistent, severe, or worsening shoulder pain should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
Recommended Products
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• Bruise Relief Liniment — For recent injuries with pain, bruising, swelling, or inflammation to relieve pain, reduce swelling, increase circulation, and support faster recovery.
• Ice Substitute Poultice — For swollen, inflamed areas to reduce swelling, restore normal range of motion, and support the healing process.
• Pain Relief Liniment — For lingering pain, stiffness, tightness, or weakness after the swelling and inflammation are gone to strongly stimulate circulation and relieve pain.
• Tendon and Ligament Poultice — For ongoing tendon and ligament injuries when stiffness, tightness, or lingering pain remains, helping significantly stimulate circulation and support deeper tissue repair.
• Muscle Therapy Massage Oil — For sore or tight muscles before or after activity to help warm muscles, improve circulation, relieve tightness, and support flexibility.
Related Articles
You may also find these related articles helpful.
• I Have Shoulder Pain and It Hurts Even When I’m Resting
• I Have Shoulder Pain and It Hasn’t Gone Away After an Injury
• I Have Shoulder Pain and My Shoulder Keeps Getting Worse
• I Have Shoulder Pain and My Shoulder Still Feels Weak After the Pain Improves
Safety Notes
This article provides general educational information about the topic described above.
Persistent, severe, or worsening symptoms should be evaluated by a qualified healthcare professional.
