Shoulders are complex joints with a uniquely wide range of motion. The shoulder has an intricate design, with the rotator cuff promoting some of the highest levels of mobility compared to any other part of the body.
Even though the shoulder has abilities that no other body part can match, it is still extremely sensitive and vulnerable to injury or degenerative conditions.
The best way to stop the development of shoulder pain is to preserve good shoulder health while you have it. The second-best way is to address the root causes of pain as soon as it presents itself.
From diagnostics to treatment, Optimum Health Rehabilitation Center is standing by to help you find relief for your persistent shoulder pain. You’ll be paired with a shoulder pain specialist who can assess your current physical state and put together a personalized treatment plan that targets your pain points.
To schedule your initial consultation, call (770) 516-7477 or contact us online today!
Personalized Shoulder Pain Treatment in Woodstock
Shoulders are resilient, but when pain develops, the most important next step is to search for a method that works for you.
Everyone’s pain is different, which is why not everyone will respond similarly to the same treatment. Optimum Health Rehab in Woodstock offers many services that can be combined to create a unique course of action for your specific pain points.
Working with a professional team of care providers can help you track your progress and manage your body’s healing process. You’ll find a wide variety of services that target and relieve pain using different approaches when you work with Optimum Health, including the following:
- Chiropractic care: A proactive way to treat various types of body pain is a physical adjustment because of how manual manipulation can target and instantly resolve misalignments or other sources of impedance to functioning.
- Physical Rehabilitative therapy: When it comes to shoulder pain, oftentimes the issue stems from the joints, muscles, or tendons, and physical therapy can effectively focus on these three pain points.
- Trigger point injections: A trigger point is a term for tense myofascial tissue. This tissue is thin and fibrous, extending throughout the body to support muscles and bones. When tension develops, and a massage isn’t enough to release the tight muscles, trigger point injections can be highly effective. This method includes a local anesthetic combined with a steroid medicine to immediately trigger the release of the tension. These injections are most commonly done on the shoulders, arms, legs, and lower back.
- Regenerative therapy: This refers to non-invasive therapies that promote natural regeneration, such as Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections. This type of therapy works by extracting plasma from the patient’s own blood and injecting it back into a targeted pain point. PRP injections can provide near-instant, lasting relief.
What Are Common Causes of Shoulder Pain?
The shoulder is made up of three bones: the scapula (shoulder blade), the clavicle (collarbone), and the humerus (upper arm bone). The shoulder bones are connected by the shoulder socket (glenoid) and the sternoclavicular joint (SC), which attaches the breastbone to the clavicle.
Other joints, such as the acromioclavicular joint and the glenohumeral joint, work together to create a range of mobility.
Shoulders involve sensitive connections between muscles, tendons, and joints. Most ongoing shoulder pain comes from different types of injuries to any of these tissues, especially when a previous injury never had the chance to heal properly.
Whether it’s an injury, degenerative wear and tear, or another factor causing your discomfort, a Woodstock shoulder pain specialist can help you find lasting relief.
Because the shoulder is a complex mechanism made up of so many intricate parts, a person can sustain many different types of shoulder problems. While there are many causes for ongoing shoulder pain, some are more commonly reported than others.
Injury is the most common cause of shoulder pain in adults, as 1 in 4 adults experience a shoulder injury at one point or another.
The most effective way to treat shoulder pain is to attack the root cause of the discomfort instead of getting distracted by short-term symptom relief.
Likely Reasons for Your Shoulder Pain
You may be experiencing ongoing shoulder pain for many reasons, but some of the most common are listed below:
- Shoulder impingement syndrome: Common in swimmers, when a tendon rubs up against the edge of the shoulder blade and pinches the rotator cuff in the process, tightness and pain develop, creating shoulder impingement syndrome.
- Avascular necrosis: This refers to when bone tissue fails from lack of proper blood supply, ultimately leading to tiny breaks and fractures in the bone. This incredibly painful condition can affect anyone but is most prevalent in those who abuse steroids or alcohol.
- Tendinitis: Tendons are the connectors that keep muscles in place, but these fibrous chords are easily inflamed. Tendonitis refers to when a tendon is irritated from overexertion, strain, or injury. This can make the entire affected area more sensitive and is most common in the shoulders, knees, and wrists.
- Frozen shoulder: Keeping your arm immobile for a long period of time can cause extreme tightness, otherwise known as a frozen shoulder. Common after injuries, frozen shoulder restricts the sufferer from enjoying their full range of mobility and may benefit from hot/cold therapy, gradual stretching, and manual manipulation to heal.
- Thoracic outlet syndrome: Instead of one condition, TOS refers to a whole category of shoulder issues that stem from compression of blood vessels in the thoracic region. TOS conditions are common after accidents and in laborers, athletes, and pregnant women.
- Arthritis: This refers to inflammation and tenderness of the joints. There are over 100 types of arthritis, and many can affect the shoulder. Even though arthritis is most common in older adults, early onset effects can develop after injuries or because of a genetic predisposition. There is no cure for arthritis, but many non-invasive treatment methods, such as physical and regenerative therapy, have been proven effective in minimizing the painful symptoms.
Relieving Shoulder Pain Fast
In some cases, temporary relief may be your best option to get through the day. Having a go-to quick-relief method can be life-saving while you are pushing through daily activities or have no time to relax tense muscles.
Most temporary and quick pain solutions are not built to last, and it is common for consumers to build a tolerance quickly. However, utilizing these methods on occasion can have a positive effect on your healing journey.
Sometimes fast-acting, temporary relief is all you need, and some of the best methods for relieving shoulder pain include:
- Hot and cold compresses: Depending on what kind of pain you are enduring, a hot or cold compress can alleviate intense discomfort quickly. For injury-related shoulder pain, a cold compress can prevent inflammation and swelling from affecting the area. In cases where a person spends the day overworking their sensitive shoulder, a hot compress can be a gentle way to promote the release of tense muscles.
- Light mobility stretches: Tightness in the shoulder may be due to a lack of movement, so practicing daily arm stretches can aid in fulfilling a proper range of motion. Many shoulder injuries lead to tight shoulder muscles because of the recovery period, but committing to frequent stretching can reverse that.
- Rest and restrict usage: In other cases, shoulder pain may be caused by too much movement. Especially for victims of shoulder injuries, putting strain on the area too soon can lead to long-lasting shoulder pain. To prevent ongoing pain, wear a brace or support your shoulder with a soft cushion while you sit.
- Over-the-counter pain relieving medicine: One of the first pain-relieving methods that most people try is over-the-counter pain medicine like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This treatment method is not the most productive on its own but can be beneficial when paired with other treatments like physical therapy. While a person can grow tolerant and dependent on these pills when solely relied upon, in combination with other treatments, NSAIDs can provide shoulder pain sufferers the relief they need to tackle the recovery journey.
Comprehensive Care With Optimum Health Rehabilitation Center in Woodstock
Persistent pain can be an overwhelming and inhibiting sensation to manage. With ongoing shoulder pain, you limit your range of mobility, which ultimately limits the types of tasks you can perform and activities that you can participate in.
Instead of allowing shoulder pain to control you, speak with a Woodstock pain relief specialist from Optimum Health. Our trusted staff is standing by to help you get started on the road to recovery.
We’ll take you through a series of diagnostic tests in order to personalize a unique treatment plan utilizing a combination of our many services. To schedule your initial consultation, call (770) 516-7477 or contact us online today!