Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a common source of distress that maybe related to any acute or chronic injury that can limit one’s capacity to work and activities of daily living. The anatomical shoulder area is comprised of multiple joints, muscles and tendons making it the most mobile joint in the body.
The rotator cuff is the most frequent area of injury resulting in pain. In the setting of a rotator cuff injury, arm movement can be very painful. Pain at night, particularly when rolling onto the affected shoulder is a hallmark of rotator cuff pathology.
Common activities resulting in shoulder pain: manual labor, sports, and even simple repetitive movement. While surgery is sometimes required to treat certain conditions, shoulder physical therapy can be a highly effective way to treat shoulder pain.
In devising the proper treatment plan, one has to first properly diagnose the source and mechanism of shoulder pain.
Common causes of shoulder pain:
• Tendon inflammation/degeneration or tear in the shoulder
• Rotator cuff tear
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis
• Osteoarthritis
• Instability in the shoulder
• Shoulder injury: resulting in tendon or muscle tear or bone injury
• Impingement
• Frozen shoulder
• Labral tear
• Shoulder dislocation
Goals of shoulder physical therapy treatment:
• Improve range of motion.
• Strengthen the muscles and tendons.
• Reduced referred pain to the shoulder from neck.