Shoulder pain includes pain of the joint and surrounding muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the upper extremity. Depending on the type and area of the shoulder pain, there are various causes or triggers that can cause or elicit pain. The causes of shoulder pain can be broken down into two categories: repetitive stress injuries and traumatic injuries. With both, the physical structures (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) can be damaged and weakened leading to the possibility of a higher frequency of shoulder pain. With the proper diagnosis and assessment we can determine the contributing factors and cause of the pain, as well as develop a treatment plan to better help alleviate shoulder pain and prevent it from happening altogether.
Types of Shoulder pain:
- Referred shoulder pain
- Arthritic shoulder pain
- Shoulder pain due to acute injury
- Chronic shoulder pain
What are common causes of shoulder pain:
- Stress
- Osteoarthritis
- Rotator cuff injury
- Traumatic injury or broken bone
- Sprains
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Weak muscles
- Tendonitis
- Cervical radiculopathy
- Neck and upper back joint problems
- Nerve impingement
- Thoracic outlet syndrome
What are the symptoms/signs of shoulder pain?
- Constant pain
- Sharp or Dull pain
- Radiating pain
- numbness or tinglingA dull ache that gets worse from time to time
- Fatigue
- Muscle weakness
- Inability to raise or move the arm
- Muscle tension/tightness
- Pain with movement
HOW CAN WE HELP WITH SHOULDER PAIN?
Our thorough evaluation and procedures includes a detailed medical history and physical assessment for shoulder pain, designed to determine the exact type, cause, and factors that may be contributing to your shoulder pain.
Our diagnostic procedures include:
- Detailed medical history
- Posture Assessment
- Palpation
- Gait Analysis
- Functional Movement Analysis
- Neurological tests
- Orthopedic tests
- Digital X Rays (if necessary)
- Digital MRIs (if necessary)
Once we establish the cause and type of shoulder pain, a customized care plan is determined to help quickly alleviate pain so your body can begin healing, working to prevent it from happening altogether. During the course of the care plan, we will monitor your progress and address how well your body is healing and adapting. Every person is unique in their ability to heal and adapt to stressors, which is why we tailor our treatment plans specifically for each person. Our goal is to get you out of pain as quickly as possible so that you can get back to enjoying what you love.
An individual’s treatment plan may include some or all of the following forms of therapies:
- Adjustments
- IASTM- (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization)
- Myofascial release
- Corrective and strengthening exercises
- Laser therapy
- Lifestyle Recommendations
- Soft Tissue Taping