How to Treat Shoulder Pain

People of all ages suffer from shoulder pain. Thealleviate shoulder pain and you won't have to
causes are many and can range from an unknownconsider having an injection.
onset to a traumatic event. Many people developPhysical therapy treatment can consist of the
shoulder pain from performing repetitive typefollowing interventions:
activities for prolonged times. Others will experience1. Therapeutic exercises: this will consist of range of
pain in the shoulder following a fall onto the shouldermotion, conditioning, and strengthening exercises. The
or on the outstretched arm. Sometimes the reasongoal here is to maximize and restore any loss of
for pain is not as obvious. I see many cases where arange of motion, improve the overall endurance of
person cannot identify what caused the pain in thethe shoulder blade and shoulder muscles and to
shoulder. Often times this pain for unknown reasonsimprove the strength of these same muscles.
can occur when someone bumps their shoulderAdequate strength of the shoulder blade muscles is
against the door jam in the middle of the night whenjust as important as having strong rotator cuff
going to the bathroom. This rather benign action setsmuscles. These two groups must work together in
off a chemical process in the shoulder that will buildorder to restore normal biomechanics and to prevent
up over several days. Eventually this will cause pain infurther injury.
the shoulder. Since the injury occurred several days2. Manual therapy: this will consist of hands on
earlier the person cannot recall any event thattreatment that the physical therapist would perform
started the process. Regardless of the cause of theon you. This might consist of joint mobilization (i.e.
pain in the shoulder the treatment is often similartechniques designed to improve joint motion and
from case to case.relieve pain), or soft tissue massage (i.e. techniques
Treatment of the shoulder can encompass severaldesigned to improve muscle and connective tissue
different areas. Conservative measures includeflexibility and to relieve pain).
medication such as anti-inflammatories or pain3. Modalities: this consists of machines that the
medications, rest, cortisone injections, and or physicalphysical therapist may apply to your painful shoulder
therapy. All of these methods can be effective into assist in pain relief and healing along with the other
helping relieve a painful shoulder especially when theytreatments mentioned above. Some of these
are performed in combination with each other.machines are ultrasound, electrical stimulation, TENS,
Often times when you present to your medicalor iontophoresis.
doctor with complaints of shoulder pain they willAll of these interventions can be used in the
prescribe some medication as described above. It istreatment of a painful shoulder. It is common in clinical
easy to recommend that a person rest the painfulpractice to use a combination of these interventions.
shoulder but it may be difficult to do depending onIt has been my experience in treating hundreds of
their occupation or responsibilities at home. Injectionsshoulder patients over the years that therapeutic
for the painful shoulder are sometimes given rightexercise is an absolute in the treatment of the painful
away depending on your medical doctor's philosophy.shoulder. Well rounded exercises that target the
Some MD's would rather you attend physical therapyshoulder blade and shoulder muscles are the mainstay
before considering injecting the painful shoulder.of any good physical therapy regimen for the
Injections are not the end all beat all and they do nottreatment of shoulder pain. A painful shoulder can
offer relief to all patients that receive them. Oftenpersist for years. With the right education you won't
times a well rounded physical therapy program canhave to suffer any longer!