Your Guide to Kill Shoulder Pain, FOR GOOD!
Shoulder pain can disrupt your daily activities and affect your quality of life. It’s a joint where you don’t appreciate how much you rely on it, until it’s not working properly. Whether it’s putting a t-shirt on, getting an item from a high shelf, fastening your bra-strap, or steering the car, living with shoulder pain can be miserable.
As the most mobile joint in the human body, the shoulder is also one of the joints that is most vulnerable to pain and injury. Whether you're dealing with a dull ache or a sharp discomfort. Pain that’s constant, or pain that’s fleeting, but repetitive- it's time to take control.
In this article, we'll explore common causes of shoulder pain and delve into effective solutions, explaining how we can help, whilst providing advice on how you can help yourself as well.
Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
The causes of shoulder pain are vast and varied, but we have tried to summarise some of the more common causes we see at Stoke Chiro Spinal Health, below.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries: The group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint, known as the rotator cuff, are prone to injuries from overuse or trauma. In fact, rotator cuff injury is the most common that we see in the shoulder. Why? One of the reasons these muscles are so prone to injury is that our shoulder joint was largely designed from our days as monkeys, when were required to climb and swing on trees. Modern humans, however, are more attuned to sitting for long periods than testing the full movement and strength potential of our shoulders. The slumped, forwards posture we get from sitting for long periods tightens the muscles at the front of the shoulder and weakens the muscles the back. This leads to imbalance, and eventually, pain in the muscles and tendons of the rotator cuff.
- Frozen Shoulder (also known as Adhesive Capsulitis): This is a strange which condition leads to stiffness and reduced range of motion in the shoulder due to the thickening and tightening of the shoulder capsule. It’s strange because we are unsure exactly what causes it, though we know the risk is increased with trauma, and in diabetics. Frozen shoulder goes through 3 phases: The Freezing Phase (6-months where the shoulder is stiffening and becoming painful), The Frozen Phase (6-months where the shoulder is stuck, and producing significant pain on attempted movement), and the Thawing Phase (6-months where the shoulder is beginning to loosen itself up) Frozen Shoulder usually runs its course in 18-months or so, though treatment can help to decrease the amount of motion lost in the Freezing Phase, decrease pain and slightly improve motion in the Frozen Phase, and accelerate improvement in both pain and motion in the Thawing Phase. Your Stoke Chiro clinician can also help you arrange an MRI or Ultrasound scan to investigate further and may consider a referral for a steroid injection if appropriate.
- Tendonitis and Tendinopathy (the name given to chronic Tendinitis): Inflammation or irritation of the tendons due to overuse, or impingement caused by imbalance in the shoulder is another common cause pain and discomfort, especially in people performing a lot of overhead movements, such as plasterers, painters, or weightlifters.
- Bursitis: Inflammation of the bursa sacs, fluid sacs which provide cushioning around the shoulder joint, can lead to pain. Again, this is most typically due to imbalance in the shoulder muscles.
- Arthritis: As with any other joint in the body, conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis can affect the shoulder joint and cause pain.
- Muscle Strain: Overexertion, heavy lifting, or sudden movements can strain the muscles around the shoulder, resulting in shoulder pain. If you think this is what’s happened in your case, our Massage Service is the best place to start in getting you on the road to recovery.
Effective Solutions for Shoulder Pain
Now that we have discussed what can go wrong with the shoulder, let’s discuss some of the solutions.
- Chiropractic and Osteopathic Care: Chiropractors and Osteopaths are skilled in evaluating and treating musculoskeletal conditions affecting the entire body. They skilful assess your shoulder (including assessment of the neck upper back, and shoulder blade) to understand the cause of pain. Techniques commonly used by our Spinal Health Team to achieve this goal may include manipulative techniques, mobilisation, dry needling (acupuncture), ultrasound, and soft tissue therapies. They then and use hands-on techniques to improve shoulder and spinal function to reduce pain. Once pain is decreasing, exercises are prescribed to help restore strength, stability, and balance to the shoulder muscles, preventing pain from returning in the future.
- Massage Therapy: Our massage therapists target the muscles around the shoulder to release tension and improve circulation, providing relief from pain and discomfort. They are trained to understand which muscles need stretching, which muscles need releasing, and which muscles need strengthening- ensuring you can maximise the results from your care.
- Rehabilitation: Our therapists create customised exercise plans to strengthen the shoulder muscles and improve range of motion- therefore restoring balance in the joint and harmony in the complex movements of the shoulder. A personalised session from The Stoke Chiro Rehab Team can help you regain function and alleviate pain, ensuring that your technique is spot-on, enhancing your chances of a full and fast recovery.
Key Steps YOU can take to Improve Shoulder Pain
- Rest and Avoid Overuse, initially: Give your shoulder time to heal by avoiding activities that exacerbate the pain at the beginning of the healing process. Rest is crucial first step for recovery. Once the inflammation begins to calm, you can begin some gentle mobilisations and static activation exercises (such as pushing your arm in to a wall 5-times in different positions and holding for 5-seconds or so per repetition), before building up to more complicated exercise. Be careful though, the shoulder is highly complex and unless you know what you are doing, it’s best to seek expert advice on what you need to be doing to improve your shoulder pain.
- Ice and Heat Therapy: Use ice to reduce inflammation during the initial phase of pain. 20-minutes, three times per day should do the trick. Later in the healing process, you can use heat to relax tense muscles and promote blood flow to the area- but make sure you do not switch to heat until pain is easing down for the most effective result.
- Maintain Good Posture: Proper posture is important to relieve shoulder pain. Sit and stand with your shoulders back and your head aligned with your spine. For more information about posture, see our Posture article in the Self-Help Hub.
- Gentle Stretching: Gradually incorporate gentle stretching exercises to improve the flexibility of your shoulder joint. A good place to start is stretching your pecs and lats- which can be easily done using a door frame. Keep your arm horizontal, out at the side of your body to stretch the pecs, and vertical, leaning on the top of the door frame for your lats. Hold the stretch to 70-80% intensity, breathe throughout, and try to relax. Repeat the stretch for 30 seconds on each side and repeat 3-times per session. Aim to do the stretches once or twice per day.
- Perform Strengthening Exercises: Engage in specific exercises designed to strengthen the muscles around the shoulder. You can find suggestions online or call us to book a Consultation with our team, who will be able to assess your needs and create a personalised plan.
- Seek Professional Help: If your shoulder pain persists or worsens, book a Consultation with one of our Chiropractors or Osteopaths who can diagnose the underlying cause of your pain, and recommend suitable treatments from the list provided above.
The Wrap-Up
Shoulder pain shouldn't be a constant burden in your life. By understanding the causes, taking proactive steps to alleviate it, and seeking appropriate professional help, you can regain control and enjoy a life with less pain and improved mobility. If pain is getting you down, contact Stoke Chiro today, and see how our Award-Winning team can help YOU.
