| People of all ages suffer from shoulder pain. | | | | injection. |
| The causes are many and can range from an | | | | |
| unknown onset to a traumatic event. Many | | | | Physical therapy treatment can consist of the |
| people develop shoulder pain from performing | | | | following interventions: |
| repetitive type activities for prolonged | | | | |
| times. Others will experience pain in the | | | | 1. Therapeutic exercises: this will consist |
| shoulder following a fall onto the shoulder | | | | of range of motion, conditioning, and |
| or on the outstretched arm. Sometimes the | | | | strengthening exercises. The goal here is to |
| reason for pain is not as obvious. I see | | | | maximize and restore any loss of range of |
| many cases where a person cannot identify | | | | motion, improve the overall endurance of the |
| what caused the pain in the shoulder. Often | | | | shoulder blade and shoulder muscles and to |
| times this pain for unknown reasons can occur | | | | improve the strength of these same muscles. |
| when someone bumps their shoulder against the | | | | Adequate strength of the shoulder blade |
| door jam in the middle of the night when | | | | muscles is just as important as having strong |
| going to the bathroom. This rather benign | | | | rotator cuff muscles. These two groups must |
| action sets off a chemical process in the | | | | work together in order to restore normal |
| shoulder that will build up over several | | | | biomechanics and to prevent further injury. |
| days. Eventually this will cause pain in the | | | | |
| shoulder. Since the injury occurred several | | | | 2. Manual therapy: this will consist of hands |
| days earlier the person cannot recall any | | | | on treatment that the physical therapist |
| event that started the process. Regardless | | | | would perform on you. This might consist of |
| of the cause of the pain in the shoulder the | | | | joint mobilization (i.e. techniques designed |
| treatment is often similar from case to case. | | | | to improve joint motion and relieve pain), or |
| | | | soft tissue massage (i.e. techniques designed |
| Treatment of the shoulder can encompass | | | | to improve muscle and connective tissue |
| several different areas. Conservative | | | | flexibility and to relieve pain). |
| measures include medication such as | | | | |
| anti-inflammatories or pain medications, | | | | 3. Modalities: this consists of machines that |
| rest, cortisone injections, and or physical | | | | the physical therapist may apply to your |
| therapy. All of these methods can be | | | | painful shoulder to assist in pain relief and |
| effective in helping relieve a painful | | | | healing along with the other treatments |
| shoulder especially when they are performed | | | | mentioned above. Some of these machines are |
| in combination with each other. | | | | ultrasound, electrical stimulation, TENS, or |
| | | | iontophoresis. |
| Often times when you present to your medical | | | | |
| doctor with complaints of shoulder pain they | | | | All of these interventions can be used in the |
| will prescribe some medication as described | | | | treatment of a painful shoulder. It is |
| above. It is easy to recommend that a person | | | | common in clinical practice to use a |
| rest the painful shoulder but it may be | | | | combination of these interventions. It has |
| difficult to do depending on their occupation | | | | been my experience in treating hundreds of |
| or responsibilities at home. Injections for | | | | shoulder patients over the years that |
| the painful shoulder are sometimes given | | | | therapeutic exercise is an absolute in the |
| right away depending on your medical doctor's | | | | treatment of the painful shoulder. Well |
| philosophy. Some MD's would rather you | | | | rounded exercises that target the shoulder |
| attend physical therapy before considering | | | | blade and shoulder muscles are the mainstay |
| injecting the painful shoulder. Injections | | | | of any good physical therapy regimen for the |
| are not the end all beat all and they do not | | | | treatment of shoulder pain. A painful |
| offer relief to all patients that receive | | | | shoulder can persist for years. With the |
| them. Often times a well rounded physical | | | | right education you won't have to suffer any |
| therapy program can alleviate shoulder pain | | | | longer! |
| and you won't have to consider having an | | | | |