The shoulder is the most freely moving joint, and so it is injured more easily.  The key to healing shoulder pain often lies in addressing all the powerful muscles that both move and protect the joint.  For example, the most powerful shoulder muscle, the latissimus (or “lats”), starts in your lumbar spine.  If you have a low back pain or weakness problem, it can make your shoulder susceptible to injury (and then re-injury). Many types of shoulder pain, including the pain of rotator cuff tears, can be improved greatly by properly treating and balancing the shoulder muscles.