Say Yes to Chiropractic and Goodbye to Shoulder Pain
Overcome Shoulder Pain at MCR Chiropractic
For many people, shoulder pain makes even the most mundane motions—reaching the top shelf, brushing your hair—feel impossible. And the slightest shoulder pain can have a significant impact on your life. Before your minor shoulder pain turns into a major problem, consider working with a chiropractor. Since they are experts in the musculoskeletal system, they are perfectly qualified to provide medical care at the earliest stages of your pain.
Understanding the Shoulder Joint
Your shoulder is a complex network of bones, ligaments, muscles, and tendons that connect your arms to your torso.
Your rotator cuff supports your shoulder joint to allow an incredible range of motion to move, stretch, and—you guessed it—rotate. But as a “ball and socket” joint, this wide range of motion comes at the price of stability—making the shoulder vulnerable to injury.
Common Shoulder Injuries Chiropractors Treat
Based on the nature of the injury, chiropractic at the onset of your pain (such as muscle strains) or following other medical interventions can help you ensure optimal alignment and regain strength, mobility, and function. Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:
Arthritis
Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints usually caused by ongoing wear and tear.
Bursitis and Tendinitis
Bursas are tiny sacs filled with fluid found in joints. Excessive use of the shoulder can lead to inflammation of the bursa between the rotator cuff and your shoulder blade. Tendons are cords that connect muscle to bone. Although injury can result from an accident, tendinitis is considered an overuse injury.
Dislocation
Occurs when the head of the upper arm bone comes partially or entirely out of the shoulder socket.
Fracture
A shoulder fracture can refer to a break in the scapula, clavicle, or top of the humerus.
Frozen Shoulder
Otherwise known as “adhesive capsulitis,” this is a painful shoulder joint dysfunction associated with trauma, repetitive injury, and a minimal range of motion in the shoulder.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff is a group of small muscles and tendons surrounding the ball and socket-type shoulder joint. The rotator cuff keeps the head of the humerus firmly in place within the shoulder’s shallow socket.
Muscle Strain
With many muscles supporting the shoulder joint, muscle strains are a common injury resulting from sports injuries and work-related duties.
Chiropractic: The Earlier, The Better
Don’t wait until your pain is unbearable before you seek treatment. Many people try to ignore the constant aches, cramps, and stiffness. But this could have detrimental consequences. Starting chiropractic right at the onset of your pain will reduce the risk of a more serious condition developing—one that could require a more intense, invasive approach like surgery or prescription pain medications such as opioids.
Your chiropractor will first examine your strength and range of motion. Can you reach up behind your head? Can you lift a backpack off the ground? They’ll then ask you about your goals. Do you need to get back to a labor-intensive job? Or do you just need to reach the top shelf of your cabinet without pain? From there, they’ll create a tailored treatment plan for maximum success.
- Spinal Manipulation – Spinal manipulation consists of manually applying pressure or force to joints and tissues that have become inflamed or restricted. This process restores the spine’s natural alignment, which may be contributing to discomfort or irregularity in your ligaments, muscles, and joints.
- Extremity Manipulation– Your chiropractor can perform these adjustments on your shoulders, arms, elbow, wrists, and hands as well! This will restore joint mobility, reduce inflammation, and improve muscle function to keep your neck and shoulders loose and pain-free.
- Articulation Technique– This technique works to improve the range of motion in a specific joint (such as your shoulder joint). Your chiropractor will move the joint through its existing range of motion while applying force to gradually increase it and increase shoulder mobility.
- Myofascial Release– This therapy relaxes contracted muscles and the fascia covering the muscle.
- Graston Technique– This technique breaks up scar tissue to increase range of motion.
They’ll also teach you ways to modify your everyday activities to reduce the likelihood of reinjury and provide home exercise programs to maintain your progress long after discharge from care.
Tell Me How To Get Started
With so much to do, don’t let shoulder pain sideline you this spring. Call your nearest MCR Chiropractic office to jump-start your recovery today or fill out the form below to request an appointment.
"*" indicates required fields
Sources:
- https://www.spine-health.com/treatment/chiropractic/chiropractic-care-upper-back