What Causes Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is made-up of a complex ball and socket joint surrounded by multiple ligaments and tendons. Because of the make-up of the shoulder joint it is prone to injury or wear from overuse. These are eight of the most common causes of shoulder pain. Once the chiropractor pinpoints the cause of the shoulder pain, it can be effectively treated.

1. Frozen shoulder: a condition where the connective tissue in the shoulder grows tight enough to impinge movement. This condition often occurs after an injury where the shoulder has restricted movement for a certain amount of time.
2. Dislocated shoulder: a common occurrence from contact sports resulting in injury. The force of impact causes the humerus to pop out of the glenoid cavity and become dislocated. This causes pain and numbness. Treatment often needs to be repeated.
3. Pinched nerve: mechanical issues in the neck or shoulder can contribute to a pinched nerve. This is when pressure on the nerves cause pain, numbness, and tingling throughout the hands, arms, and shoulder.
4. Rotator cuff injury: caused when the muscles in the shoulder deteriorate resulting in minor irritation or a full-on tear. Rotator cuff injuries are among the most common types of shoulder pain.
5. Arthritis: affecting 54 million adults in the United States, arthritis causes inflammation and pain in the shoulder girdle which restricts movement and decreases range-of-motion.
6. Shoulder bursitis: a condition where fluid in the shoulder capsule becomes irritated or inflamed. Bursitis is painful to the point where the shoulder becomes immobilized. This restricted range of motion can also contribute to another common shoulder pain, frozen shoulder.
7. Tendonitis: inflammation and irritation starting in the biceps or the rotator cuff tendons. Tendonitis is often the result of repetitive motions such as athletes who use the same plane of motion for their sport like tennis or golf swings.
8. Injury: impact trauma or wear-and-tear injuries can come from many different activities. Sports, heavy lifting, or other activities that recruit the fast-twitch muscles in the shoulder can all cause injury resulting in shoulder pain.

How Does Chiropractic Care Treat Shoulder Pain?

Doctor of Chiropractic approach treatment for shoulder pain by first determining what the cause is. This can include an examination with a postural assessment, shoulder orthopedic testing, range of motion testing and muscle strength tests. Sometimes an MRI will be necessary to determine any soft tissue damage.

Once the assessment is complete and the source of the pain determined, the team at Integrate Institute will schedule treatment protocols. This can include the use of:

• Spinal and extremity adjustments
• Trigger point therapy and massage therapy
• Traction of the cervical or thoracic spine
• Kinesiology Taping to help improve posture, reinforce stability and decrease pain
• Rehabilitative exercises to improve posture as well as strengthen the spine and rotator cuff

Chiropractic care can also be combined with training exercises that focus on restoring strength, flexibility, and range-of-motion to the muscles and soft tissues in the shoulder. Regardless of the shoulder pain, the goal of treatment is to get patients to return to a quality of life which is pain free.

Shoulder Pain Treatment in Burnsville, MN

Chiropractic care is a non-invasive way to find and fix shoulder pain. The team of professionals at Integrated Institute can design a treatment plan to help you get back to a pain free lifestyle. For questions about chiropractic care for shoulder pain, contact our offices in Burnsville, MN and speak with a professional for all your needs.