SHOULDER PAIN
WHAT ARE THE MAIN CAUSES
OF SHOULDER PAIN?
Shoulders are prone to injuries. That’s because they are highly mobile, which can easily lead to instability of the ball and socket joint.
There are many causes of shoulder pain. Some common injuries we see are from lifting heavy weights at the gym with incorrect technique, swimming, and even cleaning!
If there is any dysfunction in your shoulder movement pattern (from injury or weakness), frequent repetitive motion may create microscopic tears in the tissue fibres and irritation or inflammation to the bursa (a small fluid-filled sac that acts as a cushion between bone and soft tissue).
Over time, these tears and inflammation becomes chronic and your symptoms may become progressively worse.
Two leading causes of shoulder pain are:
- Acute Injury includes direct trauma to the shoulder, such as during a sports match or an accident
- Chronic Pain Condition, which involves pain and dysfunction in your shoulder girdle which has been there for over 3 months
Some common conditions which can create shoulder pain include: shoulder instability (swimmer’s shoulder), dislocated shoulder (due to acute trauma or hypermobility), fracture, arthritis, bursitis, or a rotator cuff injury (stabilising muscles of the shoulder).
OUR
FAQS
The rotator cuff comprises of four small stabilising muscles, which your tendons connect with the bones of your arms. These muscles are responsible for ensuring that your shoulders can move in every direction possible, while maintaining stability.
However, when they are damaged or strained, you often feel pain and stiffness. The rotator muscles are usually damaged when they are weak. Your larger global muscles take over and the correct movement pattern for the shoulder is compromised.
There’s usually a dull ache present whenever you try moving your shoulder. If untreated, this pain could get worse over time, especially if you continue putting stress on the injured tissue.
Yes, you can experience shoulder pain even when your shoulder is in good health. The most common example are clients with nerve irritation or impingement in their cervical or thoracic spine. Because of this condition, the nerve refers pain along the corresponding dermatome, which can intersect the shoulder. This type of shoulder pain is called referred pain, which indicates that the source of the problem is in another location in the body. If this is the case, you may not feel the pain getting worse when you move your shoulder.
Other examples of referred pain in your shoulder may be attributed to visceral conditions with your liver, gallbladder or heart.
Poor posture can also lead to shoulder pain. If you have anterior head carriage with a slouched upper back, you may have upper crossed syndrome. Your chiropractor can help improve your poor posture and restore correct spinal alignment and muscle strength, therefore improving your shoulder pain.
As a primary health care provider, a chiropractor will perform a thorough history, physical, orthopedic exam to accurately diagnose what is causing your shoulder pain. If your shoulder pain is being caused by musculoskeletal dysfunction or nerve irritation, they will adjust your spine and/or shoulder appropriately to ensure that your body is aligned correctly.
They may give you rehabilitation exercises to strengthen any muscles which are weak and tape your shoulder to help support correct functional movement patterns. Even if you have suffered a dislocated joint or an arthritic shoulder, chiropractic adjustments often can help. Open Space Healing chiropractors are well-versed in treating shoulder pain due to a variety of causes.
Our chiropractors can provide a combination of corrective exercises, nutritional and holistic lifestyle advice, depending on your requirements and goals. After conducting an assessment and an interview that will allow us to understand your case further, we can create a suitable treatment plan specially designed for you.
If we determine that your shoulder pain is outside the scope of our training, we will refer you to another professional within our network who will be able to help you.
This is dependant on what is causing your shoulder pain. If you are unsure, then you could try using heat or ice on the area, whichever feels best for you. If the ice helps, apply it to the affected shoulder for no longer than 15 minutes.
Let it rest for a while, even if the pain is still present. Then re-ice again after 30 minutes. Ice helps to reduce any local inflammation.
Open Space Healing offers an in-depth chiropractic service for all clients. In addition to discussing your symptoms, we clarify your treatment goals. We take a thorough medical history, to ensure that we have all the information we need to determine the true cause of your pain and dysfunction.
Your holistic treatment plan will involve chiropractic adjustments, exercises, nutritional and lifestyle advice.
Our professional yet approachable chiropractors are easy to talk with and will continue communicating with you throughout your journey with us.
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Our greatest hope at Open Space Healing is that we can help you live out this purpose. You’re on Earth to accomplish something that nobody but you can! By improving the health of your nervous system, you’ll be better equipped to live the life you deserve.
Find out more about what we may be able to do for you by contacting our South Fremantle team today! Saturday appointments are available.