Do You Suffer from Shoulder Pain?
Most of our patients find significant relief just from their first visit.
Because we use our shoulders for almost every movement, it’s a big deal if they bother us!
There are numerous causes of shoulder pain, and the severity of the pain can range from minor discomfort caused by a pulled muscle to agonizing bone-on-bone friction caused by arthritis.
Shoulder pain can develop as a result of an injury, giving you the impression that your shoulder is immobile.
Shoulder pain can also appear in a variety of ways, such as reaching for the top shelf to put away dishes or struggling to find a comfortable sleeping position.
How are Synergy’s physical/Occupational therapy shoulder treatments different?
- Most of our patients find shoulder pain relief after first visit
- All treatments cause minimal to no pain
- May gain up to 30 degrees of pain free range of motion after first visit
- Steady progression towards the goal of gaining function & range of motion
- We have a predictable outcome each and every time
- Our physical therapists are treating the cause, not the symptoms, so you will feel better and stay better.
- We treat you as a whole, not just your shoulder, so you will feel good and have better posture.
- You will have a biomechanically sound, stable and strong shoulder, so your chances of re-injuring or having pain are minimal.
Whatever the source of your shoulder pain, Synergy Therapeutic Group is dedicated to providing you with all natural pain relief options.
Make an appointment today at our Southern IL physical/ occupational therapy clinic in Carbondale or Du Quoin, IL to learn more about our shoulder pain treatment options!
Why should I consider PT /OT for shoulder pain/injury?
Rotator cuff injuries, also known as “torn shoulders,” are commonly associated with deep shoulder pain, arm weakness, difficulty reaching behind the back, and difficulty sleeping due to pain.
Depending on the severity and situation, surgery may be required, but proper physical therapy can often help reduce pain and restore strength to the rotator cuff in order to avoid surgical intervention. If surgery is required, physical therapy will be an important part of the recovery process.
According to the American Physical Therapy Association, “a recent Finnish study asserts that when it comes to the treatment of nontraumatic rotator cuff tears, physical therapy alone produces results comparable to arthroscopic surgery and open surgical repair.”
Synergy Therapeutic Group’s natural and non-invasive methods can help relieve shoulder pain and heal rotator cuff injuries.
How can physical therapy relieve shoulder pain?
Physical therapy is a natural, simple, and comfortable way to relieve shoulder pain that does not involve the use of harmful drugs, injections or invasive surgery.
Our physical /occupational therapists in our Southern Illinois locations in Carbondale and Du Quoin, IL have treated a wide range of shoulder pain conditions, with many patients experiencing improvement and relief after only a few short sessions.
Physical /occupational therapists are movement specialists who have been trained to use a variety of diagnostic tests and methods to prevent and monitor pain.
During your assessment, we will look at your range of motion, strength, coordination, medical history, joint mobility, fascia( connective tissue) and joint motion mechanics.
Once your physical/ occupational therapist has identified the source of your shoulder pain, they will be able to create a personalized treatment plan to manage and relieve your discomfort.
Gentle manual therapy as well as myofascial release may be included in your treatment plan to aid in the restoration of normal joint movement, the relief of soft tissue restrictions, and the promotion of circulation. Specific therapeutic exercises to restore strength and a proper muscle activation sequence around the shoulder joint may also be included.
Another benefit of physical and occupational therapy is that you will learn new ways to move your body in order to increase your strength and avoid future shoulder problems and injuries.
Why it’s important to have comfortable shoulder movements
The shoulder is a “ball-and-socket” joint, which means that the head of the upper arm bone (or “humerus”) fits perfectly into the corresponding space within the shoulder blade (or “scapula”), and the ends of the bones are protected by a thick layer of cartilage, preventing bone friction.
Tendons are also protected from rubbing against bones by fluid-filled bags called “bursae.” Tendons connect the bones within the shoulder to another group of bones known as the rotator cuff.
Your shoulders can perform a variety of physical feats. In fact, they have the most movement of any joint in your body! That’s why shoulder pain and discomfort brings with it a variety of complications.
The type of pain you feel in your shoulder will depend on what is causing it. Impingement pain, for example, occurs when you raise your arm from a specific point of ROM (range of motion).
When you move your arm in certain directions, a degenerated shoulder can cause persistent aches. Acute injuries can cause sudden and intense pain, making shoulder movement impossible.
Pain can also occur if something goes wrong with the complexities that comprise the shoulder’s mechanical interplay.
What’s causing my shoulder pain?
Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:
Arthritis
The two main forms of arthritis that affect the shoulder are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Both of these result in loss of motion, weakness to the shoulder muscles, and difficulty performing normal, daily tasks.
Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system decides to attack the membranes surrounding the shoulder joint, resulting in pain and inflammation.
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint experiences significant “wear and tear,” typically due to age or excessive overuse.
Impingement
Impingement typically occurs because of abnormal movement and tracking of the humeral head as you lift your arm overhead.
Pain typically occurs when lifting your arm at or above 90 degrees.
Frozen shoulder
Frozen shoulder results in a painful loss of motion in the shoulder with a tightening of the shoulder joint that severely limits motion. It is also known as “adhesive capsulitis.”
This condition can occur if your arm has been in a cast or sling for a while, or if you have been bedridden for an extended period.
Most of the time frozen shoulders happen to women above the age of 35 without any injury, so it is also called a frozen shoulder with unknown cause (Idiopathic).
Women are highly susceptible to a frozen shoulder if they are perimenopausal, have had a hysterectomy, are on a certain breast cancer drug (estrogen antagonist), have a thyroid problem or other hormonal problem, or are under persistent stress..
The pain may start as a sore shoulder or a muscle pull but will slowly intensify. Pain increases at night affecting sleep and can reduce quality of life.
When frozen shoulders are treated through traditional medication, injections, or manipulation under anesthesia it can create problems as well as a loss of function.
Our physical and occupational therapists at Synergy Therapeutic Group are experts in treating frozen shoulders with minimal or no pain. Make an appointment today.
Tendinitis
Tendinitis occurs when the shoulder joint is excessively overused typically due to the physical demands of a person’s job, overhead activity, or sport.
Another factor for tendinitis is also poor posture because this alters the normal forces on the tendons, and can set you up for tendon injury.
This causes the tendons to undergo ongoing inflammation, resulting in swelling and painful impingement when raising your arm.
Contact us for effective shoulder pain relief
Shoulder pain may be controlling your life, but it doesn’t have to! Our physical therapy clinics in Carbondale and Du Quoin, IL will give you the help you need to get back to doing the things you enjoy without pain.
Make an appointment with Synergy Therapeutic Group today to begin your journey toward pain relief!