How the brain makes the decisive difference in shoulder injuries
When the shoulder is injured, it is often not only the joint that suffers – the brain also loses some of its orientation. It receives unclear signals from the affected area and reacts with protective tension, pain and limited mobility.
This is precisely where neuroathletic training comes in: It improves the quality of the information that the brain receives about the affected areas, thereby restoring mobility, strength and stability more quickly. It can also significantly reduce the
Neuroathletic exercises – i.e. a multisensory approach involving several sensory organs and information systems – help to reduce pain and create a new “movement map” for the affected joint. After injuries or prolonged immobilization, the brain map of the affected area “blurs” – neurotraining helps to redraw it.
Below you will find three neuroathletic levers that can play a role in any modern shoulder rehabilitation program:
1️⃣ Sensory function before motor function
After an operation or injury, scar tissue, swelling or resting posture provide less precise signals to the brain.
The result: increased muscle tension and limited mobility.
👉 Through targeted sensory stimuli – touch, temperature, light vibration or joint movements – the brain learns again what is happening in the shoulder area. Subsequent exercises for mobility or strength become much more effective as a result.
2️⃣ Nerve mobilization & medullary integration
In order for the brain to process information about the shoulder correctly, the neural pathways must also be free and well “conductive”. Mechanical irritation or adhesions of local nerves (e.g. suprascapular nerve, axillary nerve, long thoracic nerve) often occur after surgery or prolonged immobilization.
- Nerve mobilization can help to make these pathways conductive again and improve sensory feedback.
- At the same time, it is worth activating those cranial nerves whose nuclei are located in the medulla oblongata – such as the IX, X, XI and XII cranial nerves. Targeted stimulation of these nerves (e.g. humming, swallowing, tongue exercises, breathing exercises) improves the permeability of the first “cross-over point” of sensory information in the brain stem.
💡 The result: clearer perception, better integration of shoulder movement and often immediately noticeable lightness.
3️⃣ Increased muscle tension & vestibular connection
The upper trapezius muscle often reacts with overactivity. The body seeks stability through tension – which leads to poorer shoulder blade movements. The upper trapezius muscle is directly connected to the vestibular nuclei in the brain stem.
Targetedtraining of the vestibular organs – e.g. gaze stabilization or controlled head movements with gaze fixation – can significantly improve shoulder function.
🔑 3 key takeaways
1️⃣ The brain determines mobility – not the muscle.
Shoulder rehabilitation works more effectively when the nervous system receives clear information again. Only precision in perception enables efficiency in movement.
2️⃣ Nerve mobilization and medullary activation are underestimated game changers.
Local nerve conduction and the stimulation of medullary cranial nerves improve the “signal quality” to the brain – often with an immediately noticeable effect on tension, coordination and pain.
3️⃣ Multisensory integration reduces pain and builds confidence.
The combination of sensory, vestibular and visual stimuli creates a new, safe movement pattern – the brain creates an updated movement map and the shoulder becomes resilient again.
Conclusion
“The brain controls movement based on the information it receives. If you want to move the shoulder better, you first have to make sure that the brain perceives it better.”
Neuroathletics thus provides a crucial building block in any modern rehabilitation program: it links sensory and motor skills, neuronal conductivity and central integration – and enables faster and more sustainable success.
📍 F urther resources
➡️ Find out more in our whitepaper on neuroathletics
➡️ Book a neuroshoulder assessment at Valeo Studio Bonn
