How Physical Therapy Can Help You Resolve Shoulder Pain
Have you been living with shoulder pain that wakes you up during the night? Do you find reaching overhead to be difficult and painful? You may be living with shoulder pain that can be resolved with physical therapy.
At FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers, we have the solutions that you are looking for!
Our shoulders are the most flexible and movable joints in the body. The shoulder joint consists of a ball and shallow socket that allows for an impressive range of motion.
This mobility makes the shoulder more susceptible to injuries and pain because it depends on muscles to maintain stability and strength. When these muscles around the joint become weak or injured, the joint mechanics are affected, resulting in inflammation and pain.
Call FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers today to schedule an appointment with one of our physical therapists so we can help you get back to your daily life, free of shoulder pains!
Understanding Your Shoulder
Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint, meaning that the humerus (ball) fits perfectly in the corresponding space in the shoulder blade (socket). Each end of the bone is protected by thick cartilage that offers mild support and allows for fluid movement.
The shoulder has the following essential structures:
- The rotator cuff: This is a group of muscles surrounding the shoulder joint providing support and movement through a wide range of motion.
- The bursas: These are small sacs of fluid that cushion and protect the tendons from the bones.
- The labrum: This is the cartilage that helps reinforce the cup that the ball fits into.
Your shoulders can accomplish several physical feats due to their structure — however, this also means that they are at an increased risk of injury. When something becomes damaged in the shoulders, pain and discomfort develop. This pain may range from a dull ache to shooting pains, depending on the severity of the condition.
Common Conditions That Cause Shoulder Pain
Pain from an acute injury can be sudden and intense, making it difficult for you to move your shoulder at all. Pain due to wear and tear or degenerative changes is often more achy and sore.
The most common conditions affecting the shoulder are:
- Strains: A strain occurs when a muscle or tendon is stretched too far or torn. Strains that are not resolved fully can lead to ongoing shoulder pain, making it difficult to partake in exercise or even daily tasks.
- Tendinitis: Tendinitis in the shoulder joint occurs when the joint is injured or overused. This typically happens due to the demands of a sport or labor-intensive job, which can cause the tendons to experience ongoing irritation.
- Cartilage injury: An injury to the cartilage will typically lead to a limited range of motion and may lead to decreased strength in the affected shoulder. Often you will experience pain when moving your arm in specific ways, but not others.
- Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are the two most common types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint experiences significant “wear and tear,” typically due to age or excessive overuse. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when the immune system sees the joints as a threat, resulting in pain and inflammation. In both cases, pain and loss of motion are typical.
- Frozen shoulder: Medically referred to as adhesive capsulitis, a frozen shoulder can occur if you have been bedridden or your arm has been in a cast or sling for a while. Unfortunately, it can also happen without an apparent cause. This condition causes tissues to stiffen up and causes this painful condition to occur.
How Physical Therapy Can Help
Rehabilitation should start immediately following most injuries to ensure the fastest recovery possible. A physical therapist with experience treating shoulder pain will thoroughly evaluate the severity of your injury and identify any other limitations affecting your recovery, mobility, stability, or strength.
Our therapists at FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers will create a targeted, individualized care plan to promote accelerated recovery and future injury prevention. Your physical therapist will guide you through a series of exercises designed to help the injury and return to your pre-injury abilities.
We will start with pain management and restoring mobility to the injured shoulder. Next, we will focus on progressing your strength and dynamic stability exercises designed to restore function and prevent injuries. We will also incorporate any appropriate pain relief technique to help ensure you can resume doing all the activities you love.
Call Today to Find Effective Shoulder Pain Relief!
Two of the biggest goals of physical therapy are to alleviate your pain and to improve your function. Your physical therapist will work with you to ensure that both are achieved throughout your physical therapy sessions.
If you are living with shoulder pain, don’t let it limit your life any longer. Call FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers today to find relief once and for all!
Sources: https://www.jospt.org/doi/full/10.2519/jospt.2020.8498, https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2015.0110, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2468781218302479, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1283277/
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Shoulder Pain & Physical Therapy
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Educational content for physical therapy newsletters.
Movement practice
STANDING EXTERNAL ROTATION
Start by standing up straight with the arm to be exercised hanging by your side. Bend that elbow to 90 degrees. Anchor an exercise band at about the height of your belly button and hold the free end of the band in the hand of the arm you want to work. Make sure you are standing so that the hand holding the band is farther from the anchor than your other arm. Place a towel between your elbow and your body. Lightly rotate your working forearm away from your body pulling the band and keeping your arm bent. Slowly let the band pull your arm back.
3 Sets, 10 Reps. (Materials needed: resistance band, towel)
Repetition counter
0 / 10Sets completed: 0 / 3Recipe of the month
Creamy Butter Chicken
A deliciously mild spice dish that is easy to put together this Creamy Butter Chicken is a recipe that is full of flavor and one that you will want to make over and over.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons oil
- 1 1/2-2 pounds chicken breasts cut into pieces
- 6 Tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion finely diced
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 Tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes undrained
- 6 ounce tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and stir to cook until done, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Melt butter in the same skillet, then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until onions are translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the garam masala, turmeric, smoked paprika, chili powder and salt and mix well, cooking about a minute to let the flavors meld together.
- Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken broth and return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer uncovered 10 to 15 minutes, until sauce has thickened.
- Remove from heat and stir in the heavy cream and cilantro.
- Serve over rice, if desired.
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