Shoulder Pain

Nagging Shoulder Pain Holding You Back?

Don’t let pain ruin your day – physical therapy can help.

 

We use our shoulders for almost every movement we make, so if they’re bothering us, it’s a big deal! There are numerous reasons why someone may be seeking shoulder pain relief in Zionsville, IN, and the severity can range from the temporary discomfort of a pulled muscle to the agonizing bone-on-bone friction of arthritis.

Sometimes you just can’t get through a day without feeling a dull aching pain in your shoulder and neck. It can show up as a result of an injury, making you feel as if your shoulder is immobile. 

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Shoulder pain can take many forms – it can occur when you’re reaching toward the top shelf to put dishes away, when you are lifting your children or grandchildren, during or after exercise routines, or when you’re struggling to find a comfortable position for sleep. 

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Whatever may be the cause of your pain, Physical Therapy is dedicated to offering you natural shoulder pain relief management. Request an appointment at our clinic in Zionsville today to learn more about our various shoulder pain treatments.

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Common reasons for shoulder pain

 

Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include: 

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Tendinitis

 

Tendinitis (inflammation of the thicker tissues that attach a muscle to the bone for movement) occurs when the shoulder joint is excessively overused typically due to the physical demands of a person’s job, overhead activity, or sport. Another factor leading to tendinitis is poor posture because this alters the normal forces on the tendons, and can set you up for tendon injury.  Tendons can undergo an overabundance of inflammation, resulting in swelling and painful impingement when raising your arm. 

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Bursitis   

 

Shoulder bursitis may occur due to overuse of the arm as well, and symptoms may include pain with reaching, carrying or lying on the affected side. 

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Frozen shoulder

 

Frozen shoulder results in a painful loss of motion in the shoulder with a tightening of the shoulder joint that severely limits motion. It is also known as “adhesive capsulitis.”

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This condition can occur “out of the blue” for no known reason, or if your arm has been in a cast or sling for a while, or if you have been bedridden for an extended period of time. 

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Some ethnicities are more predisposed, and women from 40-60 years of age tend to have more instances of this condition than men. 

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Impingement

 

Impingement typically occurs because of abnormal movement and tracking of the humeral head as you lift your arm overhead. Pain typically occurs when lifting your arm at or above 90 degrees.

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Arthritis

 

The two main forms of arthritis that affect the shoulder are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.  Both of these result in loss of motion, weakness to the shoulder muscles, and difficulty performing normal, daily tasks.

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Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system decides to attack the membranes surrounding the shoulder joint, resulting in pain and inflammation.  Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint experiences significant “wear and tear,” typically due to age or excessive overuse. 

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Rotator Cuff Tear

 

A rotator cuff tear means that one of the four main tendons that attach muscles to bone at the shoulder joint have been injured to the point where the tendon is only partially attached or completely detached from the bone.  This makes movement very painful and limited.  

 

Surgery vs physical therapy for shoulder pain relief in Zionsville, IN

 

Those who experience rotator cuff injuries or “torn shoulders” generally report a dull ache deep in their shoulder, arm weakness, difficulty reaching behind their backs, and disturbed sleep due to pain.  

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Depending on the severity and situation, sometimes surgery is needed, but often the correct physical therapy treatments can help reduce pain and restore strength to the rotator cuff to compensate for the partial tear. If surgery is needed, physical therapy is an integral part of the rehabilitation to a full recovery.

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According to the American Physical Therapy Association, “A recent study from Finland asserts that when it comes to the treatment of nontraumatic rotator cuff tears, physical therapy alone produces results equal to those produced by arthroscopic surgery and open surgical repair.” 

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At Zionsville Physical Therapy, our natural and non-invasive shoulder pain treatments can help relieve your pain and heal your rotator cuff injury. 

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Why are our shoulders so vulnerable?

 

The shoulder is a “ball-and-socket” joint, meaning the head of the upper arm bone, or “humerus,” fits perfectly in the corresponding space within the shoulder blade or “scapula.” The ends of the bone are protected by a thick layer of cartilage, protecting the bones from rubbing together. 

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Fluid-filled sacs called “bursae” also protect the tendons from rubbing against the bones. Tendons attach the bones in the shoulder to a set of bones, known as the rotator cuff. 

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Your shoulders are capable of accomplishing tons of physical feats. The shoulders have the greatest range of all the joints in your body! However, with its complexities also comes the possibilities of pain and discomfort. 

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The type of pain you feel in your shoulder can vary, depending on what is causing it. Pain from impingement, for example, typically occurs as you raise your arm up, and begins at a certain point in the range of motion.  

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Pain resulting from a degenerated shoulder may create persistent aches every time you move your arm in certain directions.

 

Acute injuries can result in sudden and intense pains that make it impossible for you to move your shoulder at all. If something goes wrong with the intricacies that make up the mechanical interplay of the shoulder, pain can be the unfortunate result. 

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What are physical therapy treatments for shoulder pain relief in Zionsville, IN like?

 

Physical therapy is a natural, easy, and comfortable way to find relief for shoulder pain, without the need for harmful drugs or invasive surgery. Our Zionsville physical therapists have treated a number of conditions resulting in shoulder pain, with patients finding improvement and relief after just a few short sessions.

Physical therapists are movement experts who are trained to pinpoint the cause of your pain through a variety of diagnostic tests and methods. 

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During your evaluation, we will examine your range of motion, strength, coordination, posture, medical history, joint mobility, and mechanics of your joint motion.

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After your physical therapist has established the cause of your shoulder pain, they can create a specialized combination of physical therapy methods to manage and relieve your pain. 

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Your treatment plan may involve gentle manual therapy, which helps to restore normal joint movement, ease soft tissue restrictions, and promote circulation. It could also include specific therapeutic exercises to restore strength and the correct sequence of muscle activation around the shoulder joint and scapula. 

Another benefit of physical therapy is that you’ll learn new ways to move your body to enhance your strength and to prevent the recurrence of future shoulder problems. 

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Discover shoulder pain relief in Zionsville, IN once and for all.

 

Shoulder pain may be controlling your life, but it doesn’t have to!  Our Zionsville physical therapy practice will get you the help you need to start doing the things you love once again without pain.

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Contact Zionsville Physical Therapy today to request your appointment and get started on your path toward pain relief.