My shoulder screamed at me after a weekend of open houses

Last month, I was setting up for an open house and felt a sharp pain in my shoulder. It happened when I was hammering a sign into hard ground. The next day, I could hardly move my arm. I had to postpone two property tours because of the discomfort. I went to see a doctor, and she said it was from doing the same motion too often. She gave me some stretches to do every morning. I started doing them, and after a couple weeks, the pain went away. Now I'm more careful about how I handle signs. Anyone have tips for avoiding injuries like this as a freelance agent?

3 comments

3 Comments

derekl785d ago

Glad the stretches worked, but you gotta warm up before any heavy lifting or hammering. Do some light arm swings and shoulder rolls to loosen up first, it makes a huge difference. Also, maybe get a rubber mallet for tough ground so you're not fighting with a regular hammer. I learned to mix up my tasks during the day so I'm not doing the same motion over and over. Keeping an eye on your form when you're tired stops a lot of stupid injuries. Making these small changes part of your routine is key for staying pain-free.

alexpalmer5d ago

Your routine tip reminds me of my dad's old hammer story. @derekl78

the_tessa5d ago

Assumed stretching was only for real athletes until my physio fixed my elbow. Now I do basic wrist circles before any repetitive task, and it actually helps. Sometimes the simplest advice is the hardest to follow.