The shoulder is an important part of your body for several different sports. It is used to make a free throw, swing a club, serve a tennis ball, or pass a football for the winning touchdown. If your shoulder becomes injured, it could greatly impact your physical performance. Common injuries and conditions (such as frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis, or a rotator cuff tear) can place drastic limits on your life.
Fortunately, physical therapy can help by providing natural and non-invasive pain relief. For more information on how our treatments can help with your shoulder pain, call our office today!
What’s the source of my shoulder pain?
The shoulder is an incredibly flexible part of the body, due to its complex arrangement of bones, cartilage, soft tissues, and friction-reducing sacs known as “bursae.” When any part of this complex and delicate system becomes damaged, the entire shoulder can experience pain. Some of the most common conditions resulting in pain include:
- Frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder can occur if the shoulder has experienced prolonged immobilization, such as being in a sling following an injury or surgical repair. When it doesn’t move for extended periods of time, the connective tissues within it can become thick and stiff. Anyone can be affected by this, but diabetics have a higher risk of developing it.
- Rotator cuff injuries. The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles that allow your shoulder joint to rotate in all directions. The rotator cuff can become damaged from excessive repetitive motions, such as those in swimming, tennis, baseball, or golf, causing micro-tears in the tissue. The injury can become worse with time if left untreated, causing the damage to accumulate, and the pain and inflammation to worsen. Immediate tears are also possible, which can result in severe pain.
- Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage that cushions your joints begins to diminish, due to “wear and tear.” This can happen either as a result of old age or excessive overuse. The extreme demands of athletic training, competitive sports, or a previous injury can hasten this process, as well. When the cartilage wears down, the bones begin to rub together, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness.
How can physical therapy help?
Physical therapy is a safe and effective way to treat shoulder pain. It can provide relief, improve shoulder function, and may even prevent the need for invasive surgery.
At your first appointment, your physical therapist will evaluate your pain patterns, range of motion, medical records, and lifestyle habits in order to determine the best treatment plan for you.
Afterward, a personalized combination of passive and active therapies will be created for the needs of your condition. Your treatment plan may include, but is not limited to:
- Passive techniques, such as massage therapy, ultrasound therapy, or other non-invasive methods. These will relieve pain and promote healing.
- A combination of shoulder stretches, light aerobics, and shoulder-strengthening exercises. These will enhance blood flow and help manage the pain of osteoarthritis.
- Moist heat exercises, to boost circulation and ease inflammation.
- Pendulum stretches, cross-body reaches, armpit stretches, and fingertip walks. These will relieve the stiffness of a frozen shoulder.
- Doorway stretches, lawnmower pulls, reverse fly exercises with light weights, and side-lying external rotation exercises with light dumbbells. These will restore strength to a damaged rotator cuff.
Get started today!
If your shoulder pain has been limiting you from achieving your physical goals, contact The Fitness Lab today. We’ll help you get back on track to living the active life you want, free from pain!
