Shoulder Pain
Does a simple move to place a jar on a high shelf seem impossible because of shoulder pain? Do you wonder whether or not you'll able be able to sleep on your side again without waking up in agony? Has a recent injury made your shoulder all but immobile? There are many kinds of shoulder pain, ranging from the temporary discomfort of a pulled muscle to the bone-on-bone friction of arthritis. But whatever is behind your shoulder pain, you can find comfort in the fact that physical therapy offers great promise as a natural pain management modality. Contact one of our Chicago physical therapists today to find out how this form of treatment can benefit your shoulder!
What is shoulder pain?
Your shoulder is capable of amazing feats; however, with amazing feats also sometimes comes amazing discomfort. Your shoulder joint is called a ball-and-socket joint because the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) naturally fits into a corresponding space within the scapula (shoulder blade.) A layer of cartilage keeps the bone ends from rubbing together, and sacs called bursae to keep nearby tendons from rubbing painfully against the bones. The tendons attach the bones to a set of muscles called the rotator cuff. When something goes wrong with the intricate mechanical interplay among these structures, pain is sure to result.
Shoulder pain can vary, depending on its cause. In some forms of tendon impingement, for instance, you feel pain as you raise your arm up, only to stop feeling the pain before the arm stretches completely skyward. A degenerated shoulder joint may ache annoyingly every time you move it in any direction. An acute injury can cause sharp, intense pain that makes it impossible for you to move your shoulder at all.
What causes shoulder pain?
The complexities of the shoulder joint present many opportunities for pain-causing conditions. WebMD cites some of the more common causes of shoulder pain as:
Rotator Cuff Injury
Your rotator cuff is comprised of the muscles and tendons surrounding your shoulder joint. Sometimes, the rotator cuff can become torn or injured, due to repetitive overhead motions performed in sports (such as tennis) or jobs (such as carpentry.) Those who experience rotator cuff injuries or “torn shoulders” generally report a dull ache deep in their shoulder, arm weakness, difficulty reaching behind their back, and disturbed sleep due to pain. At PREP Performance Center, our natural and non-invasive methods can help relieve your shoulder pain and heal your rotator cuff injury.
While rotator cuff injuries sometimes require surgery if they are severe enough, there are several cases where physical therapy treatments can work just as well (if not better) than surgery. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, “A recent study from Finland asserts that when it comes to the treatment of nontraumatic rotator cuff tears, physical therapy alone produces results equal to those produced by arthroscopic surgery and open surgical repair.” In this same study, a follow-up on 167 patients receiving physical therapy alone for their rotator cuff injuries, demonstrated that conservative treatment, such as physical therapy, should be considered as the primary treatment for this condition.
How physical therapy helps
Don't assume that you have to gulp down painkillers or schedule surgery to fight the pain. Physical therapy can treat many of the conditions responsible for this complaint in a safe, non-invasive manner. Your physical therapist can pinpoint the cause of your pain through a variety of diagnostic techniques. X-rays can reveal signs of arthritis or dislocation. Range-of-motion tests and discussion of your symptoms can tell us exactly which soft tissue may be involved in your pain.
Once we know why your shoulder hurts, we can recommend the correct mix of physical therapy methods to help manage or even completely relieve that pain. Exercises can be very helpful for easing both the pain of osteoarthritis and the stiffness of the frozen shoulder. Bursitis responds well to techniques ranging from heat and ice applications to changes in your workplace ergonomics or athletic training routine. Strengthening exercises can rehabilitate injured muscles and stabilize a shoulder prone to dislocation.
Life is too short to bother with shoulder pain. Contact Prep Performance Center at Lincoln Square, Irving Park, Lakeview, Horner Park, Roscoe Village & Ravenswood Chicago, IL centers today to schedule treatment!
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