Shoulder pains are very common for a number of different reasons. They can be caused by many factors and are normally relatively simple to cure. Shoulder pain is often also a symptom of other potential problems, often caused by bad posture.
Some of the most common and typical types of shoulder pain are:
• Frozen shoulder – this condition can occur in anyone, at any time, for no apparent reason. It can be very painful and it restricts the ability to move the shoulder in certain positions. You have to adapt your lifestyle to the movements which you are able to make, if not you will experience pain. The condition is difficult to treat, but the good news is that it is almost always temporary, lasting a year or two and then disappearing as suddenly as it arrived. There are some treatments which can help to alleviate the extremity of the pain.
• Rotator cuff problems – rotator cuffs are made up from muscles and tendons around the shoulder joint. These muscles and tendons function to stabilize the shoulder from certain movements. Problems are most commonly caused by sports activities which include heavy use of the shoulder, such as baseball, golf and swimming.
• Osteoarthritis in the shoulder joints. This is a degenerative condition which affects a lot of people, especially when they become older. Caused by a swelling in the in the joints, there are various treatment options, the safest ones being manipulative, rather than pharmaceutical in nature.
• Shoulder instability – this occurs when the shoulder has an abnormally wide range of movements. Sometimes called hypermobility, this is often treatable with certain lifestyle changes.
Sometimes shoulder pains are not really shoulder pains at all. Patients may experience what they think is a pain in the shoulder, but the actual source of the problem could be in the neck or arms. We can assess your own particular problem and recommend the best treatment plan for your condition.
Physiotherapy is usually the best course of action for shoulder related problems. Most of the common conditions are temporary and easily treated with a series of treatments. Functional medicine, or alternative treatments are normally far preferable for shoulder pain than medicinal care. Doctors will often prescribe cortisone products that can have far more side effects than benefits.
The first step if you are experiencing any shoulder pain is to contact us so that we can accurately assess the problem and suggest a plan to resolve the issue and restore your mobility.
