It might seem counterintuitive that kickboxing would be a problem for people with a bad shoulder. After all, shoulders aren't a big part of throwing a kick. However, many of the motions and training techniques for kickboxing do engage the shoulder -- meaning athletes with a problem in that area risk slower recovery and re-injury if they do participate.
Punching
A good punch doesn't just use the arm. In fact, solid punches use as little arm as possible. Instead, the kickboxer pushes the arm forward using the weight and strength of his entire body. When the punch makes impact, much of that force gets absorbed by the muscles, bones and connective tissue in the shoulder. If you have a shoulder problem, this can easily slow healing and exacerbate your symptoms.
Clinching
Setting up a clinch means grabbing your opponent by the neck, collar and shoulders to pull him into a knee strike or control his movements. If you're performing a clinch, you engage both shoulders to pull your opponent down and keep him there. If you're receiving a clinch, your opponent is gripping and manipulating your shoulders the entire time. Either way, it's hard on the shoulders -- and potentially harmful to a shoulder that's already compromised.
Impact
The kicks, punches, elbows and knee strikes thrown in a kickboxing match don't aim for the shoulder. It's a peripheral body part protected by large muscles and doesn't even score points. However, kickboxers receiving a strike will often try to take the hit on the shoulders and upper arms for precisely the same reasons. This impact can sometimes cause injuries to healthy shoulders, let alone a shoulder that is weakened due to an existing injury.
Training
The pushups, punching bag workouts, weight-training routines and medicine ball work typical of a kickboxing practice session all engage and stress the muscles in the shoulder. As with the things that happen during sparring or competition in the ring, activities in a kickboxing training workout can be rough on an injured shoulder.
Bottom Line
Kickboxing is demanding on healthy shoulders and can be detrimental for a shoulder already compromised by injury. This doesn't mean you have to stop kickboxing while recovering from a bad shoulder -- but you may be better off if you stick to light, non-contact workouts until you get approval from your doctor or trainer.
Posted in: Kickboxing