Easy fixes for aching shoulders

Stretching and strengthening your shoulders can help you prevent pain and avoid surgery.

If you have shoulder pain, you're likely to go easy on the joint. But stopping normal activities can make shoulder problems worse. "The muscles and ligaments can start to shorten, your shoulder won't work properly, and you can have more pain," says Alex Petruska, a senior physical therapist at the Sports Medicine Center of Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital.