The shoulder joint is the most flexible joint in the human body. It's flexibility, while critical to human movement, also has another side. Sometimes, without knowing it, we compromise the integrity of the joint by moving it into sub-optimal positions while we move, work, exercise, etc.
I recently began having shoulder problems and could not sleep soundly at night as the front of my shoulder was constantly throbbing. I normally go to the gym but over the last few weeks I've taken a break to see if that would relieve the pain. It didn't. I did not want to entertain the idea of surgical intervention as I'd seen the pain and long recovery time of friends who have had shoulder rotator cuff repair surgeries.
While I wasn't sure exactly what was wrong, I suspected a rotator cuff tear or some type of tendonitis. I began researching alternative ways to cure the pain, including yoga and traditional stretching. Finally, I ran across some information on simply hanging from a pull-up bar or similar apparatus. Yes, the same type of hanging you see children do all the time at a playground.
After more than two months of pain, after one session of hanging, my shoulder pain has dramatically decreased. I only hung on the bar for 30 seconds (using weightlifting gloves to avoid calluses). I immediately felt better. Today, I increased the time to 60 seconds. I plan to continue hanging over time until the pain is completely gone. If you have trouble hanging with all your weight, try supporting yourself with a chair as you hang.
Hanging expands the shoulder complex, creating space where many impingements and tight areas may have built up from overuse and/or bad form, whether you spend your time working out with weights, hunched over at a desk, or other activities.
Don't force it if it's too painful. This is not medical advice and only a trained doctor can provide that. I just know this worked for me. Be gentle with yourself and see if this works for you.