Shoulder Pain Specialist

What is shoulder pain?

One of the most common complaints from individuals is some sort of shoulder pain. Pain in the shoulder can have a significant impact on daily activities especially when the pain is severe. The condition occurs from problems that develop within the shoulder joint or the surrounding structure. The shoulder is made up of a complex combination of bones, ligaments, muscles, and nerve fibers. There are four muscles attached to the shoulder whose main function is to reinforce the ball and socket joint within the shoulder. This is called the rotator cuff, and its job is to maintain shoulder joint stability when performing different actions.

What causes shoulder pain?

Pain in the shoulder can come from a number of different sources. Some of the most common results of shoulder pain occur from:

• Frozen shoulder – characterized by stiffness of the shoulder joint causing pain when attempting to lift the arm above the level of the shoulder.
• Fracture – similar to a shoulder dislocation, a fracture occurs following direct injury to the shoulder.
• Osteoarthritis – degeneration of the bones and reduction in the joint space of the shoulder resulting in painful movement.
• Shoulder dislocation –following some form of trauma or injury in which the upper arm bone comes out of the shoulder blade socket.
• Rotator cuff injury – this type of injury occurs following sudden stress on the muscles that form the rotator cuff.

How is shoulder pain treated?

The first step in treating the shoulder properly is to get a diagnosis and physical exam to inquire about the underlying condition for the shoulder pain. Chiropractic care can aid the shoulder in many different ways. If the shoulder is dislocated, or the pain is actually the result of a misalignment in the spine, chiropractic adjustments will aid in relieving pain as the body is put back in balance. Medication can be prescribed for pain management or as anti-inflammatories. Other forms of treatment include steroid or cortisone injections directly into the shoulder joint to help reduce inflammation and pain. Physical therapy can help reduce pain and improve range of motion within the shoulder that will help reduce pain and improve range of moment of the shoulder joint.