From lifting heavy groceries to throwing a ball when playing with your child, the shoulder is used more than one realizes. With its everyday use, a healthy shoulder is quickly taken for granted.
Shoulder pain should not take over your ability to live life. But going through surgery does not have to be your only option for finding relief. Alternative methods, such as chiropractic adjustments, and physical rehabilitative therapy, can oftentimes help minimize or reduce pain.
Optimum Health Rehab Suwanee is ready to help you with an array of technologies and techniques that successfully treat and alleviate shoulder pain. With the help of our expert team, you can find a reduction of pain, increased range of motion, and in many cases, relief from shoulder pain altogether.
Don’t let shoulder pain keep you from tackling activities. Come see us today by calling (678) 546-0550 or submitting our online form to schedule your first session.
What Causes of Shoulder Pain Will Mean I Need Shoulder Pain Treatment?
Shoulder pain often stems from a combination of overuse, injury, and age.
Shoulders are a complex part of the human body consisting of a complex joint that includes ligaments, tendons, and muscles. It is made up of three joints: the humorous, clavicle, and scapula.
Shoulder pain is not caused by a singular source. If you encounter injury or pain to any of these tissues, pain in your joint is possible.
In most cases, shoulder pain tends to go away on its own over a couple of days, but there are some cases where the pain lingers and can even become chronic. When pain recurs like this, it can become difficult, if not impossible, to do the things you love, like play with your children, exercise, lift objects, and even sleep comfortably.
The cause of shoulder pain can vary depending on the situation and person. Often older adults experience shoulder pain because of osteoarthritis, the most common form of arthritis seen today.
Often we see shoulder pain because of the following:
- Shoulder impingement
- Car accidents
- Overuse and strain
- Arthritis
Shoulder Pain From Acute Injuries
Injuries happen. Especially when one is playing sports, is in a car accident, or slips and falls.
Acute injuries are sudden and, while painful, have the ability to heal over time with the right care. If you have experienced an acute injury to your shoulder, you may see these injuries:
- Bruising.
- Injuries to tendons or ligaments (including the rotator cuff).
- Injured nerves.
- Strained muscles.
- Broken bones.
- Dislocation of the shoulder joint.
Shoulder Pain From Overuse
Those who play sports or work in jobs that use their shoulders a lot, like delivery people, can find they can overuse their shoulders. These injuries are not sudden, as they tend to develop over time and happen because the shoulder joint and surrounding tissues face excessive stress.
Oddly, shoulder pain caused by overuse does not gradually get worse until it is unbearable. Oddly, it tends to appear seemingly out of nowhere.
Out of seemingly nowhere, a person will feel pain, stiffness, and limited range of motion in their shoulder joint. Overuse shoulder injuries are usually:
Bursitis
Bursitis is caused by the inflammation of tiny fluid-filled sacs called the Bursae. This condition is quite painful, especially when you are trying to move your joints.
Symptoms of this condition are best described as a stiff joint that is swollen and reddened and hurts the more it is moved.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis (also referred to as tendonitis) is common for those who play sports, are ballet dancers, and otherwise overuse their joints with physical activity. This condition happens when the connective tissues between your muscles become inflamed.
The shoulder will look red and swollen, and you will feel a sharp pain as the joint is moved. Tendinitis is a condition that does eventually go away with rest and hot and cold treatments but can resurface if the overuse continues.
If you have poor posture or arthritis, you are at higher risk of experiencing tendinitis.
Muscle Strains
Muscle strain is a tear on the muscles that are in the shoulder. Shoulder muscles are considered strong compared to other muscles in the body, tolerate excessive movement, and use better than other joints.
Strains in the shoulder are typically caused by a direct fall onto the shoulder, an injury from a car accident, injuries related to sports, or a direct hit to the shoulder blade.
Clients who experience muscle strains in the shoulder experience pain in the front of the shoulder joint, swelling and tenderness, difficulty or complete inability to move their shoulder, and feel instability in the shoulder joint in the most severe cases.
Frozen Shoulder
A frozen shoulder is completely locked in place with no ability to move it in any direction without excruciating pain. This inability to move your joint is caused by inflammation and scarring of the capsule surrounding tissues around the shoulder.
This condition can also be a byproduct of other injuries and conditions like tendinitis and bursitis.
Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is called shoulder impingement, which is often caused by overuse of the shoulder. When this condition occurs, the shoulder blade rubs up against the rotator cuff, which keeps the shoulder joint in place and functioning.
The result is inflammation, tenderness, and stiffness in the shoulder.
Car Accidents and Shoulder pain
Car accidents are well-known to cause injuries, especially in the shoulders. People involved in a crash will instinctively brace themselves for impact, leading to tension in the body at the time of the crash and a higher risk of injuries.
Whiplash is probably the most common form of injury seen in car accidents that occurs when the head is forced forward and back in a sudden and quick motion. However, this injury can lead to shoulder pain, as the neck is closely located to the shoulder, and each work together in providing the other body part with support.
Whiplash is an injury that appears weeks after a car accident and should not be left untreated, as it can prolong recovery from your injuries.
What Is Chronic Shoulder Pain?
Most cases of shoulder pain resolve themselves over time, but when the pain is not just unbearable but also prolonged, it can disrupt your sleeping patterns, ability to do hobbies or exercise, and even work for those working jobs that require heavy lifting.
Shoulder pain is considered chronic when the episodes have been occurring for more than six months. Most cases with chronic shoulder pain are those that suffer from cases of arthritis, issues with their rotator cuff, adhesive capsulitis, or shoulder instability. But it is not unheard of to see shoulder pain be associated with life-threatening medical conditions like heart disease, tuberculosis, diabetes, thyroid disorder, and more.
In these cases, many doctors advise undergoing surgery, but often, depending on the patient, the risk might be too great and quickly outweigh the benefits.
Arthritis
Older adults are commonly diagnosed with arthritis in different parts of their body, including the shoulder. As people age, the cartilage that lubricates their shoulder joint begins to fade, and they begin to experience pain and limited use of their joint.
Most cases of arthritis are treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone shots, but in the most severe cases, shoulder replacement surgery is the only option.
When Is the Right Time to Seek Pain Treatment?
Deciding to seek treatment is the first step to making a recovery. At Optimum Health Rehab, our treatment providers are dedicated to creating a program designed just for you to fit your rehabilitation needs.
Our techniques involve using chiropractic, wellness, and physical therapy strategies to manage and reduce occurrences of pain. When a proper diagnosis has been made, a custom treatment plan that includes these therapy strategies will be discussed and initiated.
You should consider beginning treatment for shoulder pain when your symptoms include:
- Numbness, weakness, or tingling in the hand or forearm.
- Pain and discomfort that interrupts sleep.
- Pain and stiffness that persists for more than a few days.
- Pain related to acute trauma, including falls, car accidents, sports injuries, and other events.
- Pain that makes it difficult to concentrate.
- Radiating pain felt in the neck, upper back, or lumbar region.
- Severely restricted mobility of the arm affected.
Optimum Health Rehab: The Shoulder Pain Experts
Our pain experts are here to help you find relief from shoulder pain after a thorough evaluation and diagnostics. Clients can expect to receive a personalized recovery plan after going through an assessment and testing.
The Suwannee team are expert in administering a combination of various techniques to help clients recover. Patients start their road to recovery through treatment programs that include:
- Chiropractic adjustments
- Massages
- Hot and cold treatments
- Regenerative medicine
- Neurology services
- Exercises and gentle stretches
Not a Resident of Suwannee? Find a Georgia Location Close To You
Stubborn Shoulder Pain? Optimum Health Rehab in Suwannee Is Ready to Treat You
You can expect a plan of action from our team at Optimum Health Rehab in Suwanee. Our experts are committed to developing a shoulder treatment plan that works for you and is ready to target the source of your pain.
Shoulder pain should not prevent you from doing basic tasks, let alone the things you love. Our team is ready and equipped to help you on your road to recovery by tackling the pain at the source.
Call us at (678) 546-0550 or submit an online form to schedule your initial session with us.