The shoulder allows the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. This is due to the four tendons which stabilise the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket. This great range of motion, however, tends to make us susceptible to shoulder pain.
Shoulder sprains, strains and dislocations are very common, and are often caused by sports activities that involve excessive overhead motion like swimming, tennis, throwing and weightlifting. Common symptoms of shoulder pain include aching on the side and upper arm, or aching in the top and front of the shoulder. Treatment of the shoulder usually involves soft tissue release, joint mobilisation, ice-pack treatment, and strengthening exercises as described by Puentedure et.al1.
Shoulder injuries need careful attention even to a highly trained professional it is not always easy to determine what the cause of the shoulder pain is. If the shoulder injury is not properly diagnosed, incorrect treatment can be administered, which will affect the recovery of the shoulder.
There are some symptoms to look out for in shoulder injuries. You should consult Back to Basics Chiropractic if you experience shoulder pain while resting, pain lasting for more than a few days, inability to raise the arm or carry objects, swelling or bruising on the joint, or redness and warmth in the area.
There is always the possibility that the pain felt in the shoulder could be referred pain or spinal damage felt through connecting nerves. A chiropractor can examine all areas to determine where the problem is coming from.
Some of the different types of shoulder injury include:
- rotator cuff tendonitis – compressed tendons in the shoulder ridge
- dislocation – separation of the top of the arm bone from the scapula
- frozen shoulder – leading to joint stiffness
- bursitis – inflammation of the bursa (a fluid-filled sac between the tendon and bone or skin)
- rotator cuff tears – separation of the rotator cuff from the bone
- calcific tendonitis – calcium deposits occurring within the tendon
- biceps tendon rupture – a rupture of the tendon of the biceps near the shoulder joint
1. J Man ManipTher. 2011 Nov;19(4):201-11. doi: 10.1179/106698111X13129729551985. Clinical presentation and manual therapy for upper quadrant musculoskeletal conditions. Isabel de-la-Llave-Rincón A, Puentedura EJ, Fernández-de-Las-Peñas C.
