Common Causes of Shoulder Pain and How Physiotherapy Can Help

Many people probably don’t give much thought to their shoulders as they go about their day. But your shoulders actually do quite a lot of work to help you complete everyday tasks and fitness activities, and they form a complex part of your body.

Your shoulders are your most flexible and movable joints, consisting of multiple bones, muscles, and tendons. They provide you with a great amount of mobility and reach. However, this also means that there are many ways that the shoulders can become injured, resulting in pain and lack of mobility.

Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:

Why does shoulder pain occur?

The shoulder is a complex joint that allows for a wide range of movement. However, this complexity makes it susceptible to damage from overuse and injury.

Pain can occur as a result of sustaining damage to any of the structures inside the joint, including the:

· Bones

· Tendons

· Ligaments

· Muscles

· Cartilage

If your shoulder pain has persisted for longer than 6 months, it's called “chronic shoulder pain” and it's recommended to see a physio immediately.

What are some common shoulder pain causes?

Rotator Cuff Injury

Rotator cuff injuries are common and mostly affect people over the age of 30. Your rotator cuff consists of the muscles and tendons surrounding your shoulder joint. When pushed too hard (overuse) or stretched suddenly while performing a physical activity like playing tennis, for example, the rotator cuff can become injured or torn. If you are experiencing a rotator cuff injury or “torn shoulder”, it will feel like a dull ache inside in your shoulder, arm weakness, and difficulty reaching behind your backs. You will also feel pain when trying to sleep, especially if you are a side sleeper.

While rotator cuff injuries do require surgery if it's torn or damaged beyond repair, there are several cases where physiotherapy treatments can work just as well and effective than surgery.

Bursitis

An important components that make up the shoulder is called the bursa. The bursa contains small fluid-filled sacs that work to keep the shoulder joint lubricated.

A person who has bursitis of the shoulder may experience the following symptoms:

· Increased pain when moving or pressing on the joint

· A dull, aching pain in the shoulder joint

· Swelling, flushing, or tenderness of the shoulder joint

If you develop bursitis, its recommended to schedule a physiotherapy appointment as soon as possible.

Frozen Shoulder

Frozen shoulder usually occurs after an injury or together with another shoulder condition. It can occur if your arm has been in a cast or sling for a long period of time, or if you have been bedridden for days without stretching. It results in a painful loss of motion in the shoulder with a tightening of the shoulder joint that severely limits motion.

Physiotherapists usually recommend that patients with frozen shoulder get enough rest in between physiotherapy appointments to avoid developing scar tissue in the shoulder, which can result in chronic pain.

Arthritis

Two types of arthritis that affect the shoulder and other joints in the body are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis result in pain, loss of motion, weakness to the shoulder muscles, and difficulty performing daily tasks.

Osteoarthritis happens when the cartilage in the shoulder joint experiences “wear and tear,” usually due to age or excessive overuse.

Rheumatoid arthritis happens when the immune system attacks the membranes surrounding the shoulder joint, resulting in pain and inflammation.

2 Effective Exercises for shoulder pain

Farryl can determine which exercises are appropriate for a particular injury. Below are several exercises that can help improve shoulder strength and mobility.

Shoulder stretch

· Stand up straight

· Raise the shoulders and hold the position for 5 seconds

· Squeeze the shoulder blades back and together and hold the position for 5 seconds

· Pull the shoulder blades downward and hold the position for 5 seconds

· Relax the shoulders

Repeat up to 10 times

Crossover arm stretch

· Using the left hand, grip the area above the elbow of the right arm

· Gently pull the right arm across the chest, as far as feels comfortable

· Hold the stretch for 30 seconds

· Relax for 30 seconds.

· Repeat these steps with the opposite arm.

When performing this exercise, It’s important that you don't pull or put pressure on the elbow itself

How will physiotherapy relieve shoulder pain?

Farryl Roth is trained to pinpoint the cause of your shoulder pain through a variety of diagnostic techniques. During your consultation, he'll examine your range of motion, strength, coordination, your medical history, joint mobility, and upper body mechanics. Once the cause of your shoulder pain has been established, he can create a specialised combination of physiotherapy methods to manage and relieve your pain.

Your individual treatment program may include:

Pain Management

We will help you identify and avoid painful movements, as well as correct abnormal postures

Manual Therapy

Manual techniques may also be used, such as gentle joint movements, soft-tissue massage, and shoulder stretches to get your shoulder moving correctly.

Range-of-Motion Exercises

Extending your range of motion through stretches to help your shoulder and shoulder blade move properly, so you can return to reaching and lifting without pain.

Strengthening Exercises

We will determine which shoulder strengthening exercises are right for you, depending on your specific condition. You may also perform resistance training exercises to strengthen your weaker muscles.

Patient Education

At Spinal Sense physio, will teach you the correct and proper posture to aid in your rehabilitation, depending on how you work and your daily routine. For example, if your shoulders roll forward as you lean over a computer, the tendons in the front of the shoulder can become impinged, Farryl may suggest adjustments to your work station and work habits.

Schedule an appointment with us today