Shoulder pain is a regular occurrence in people, most frequently in those active in sports or other exercise. But is it something your chiropractor should treat?
The bones of the shoulder include the clavicle (collar bone), shoulder blade (scapula), and the shoulder bone itself (the humerus). Where these bones connect and where the clavicle connects to the sternum are all joints that can be adjusted by your chiropractic doctor.
Depending on how you injured your shoulder (trauma, sports, or just showed up gradually), we will be able to determine if your problem is more likely a joint problem or a soft tissue problem. Soft tissue includes the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and all connective tissue surrounding the shoulder.
At CORE, we will do some soft tissue work to help alleviate some pain and to assist our adjustment into the area. If you problem requires more extensive soft tissue work, we will refer you to a healthcare provider specializing in this type of treatment.
In many cases, your shoulder pain is due to something torn. Tears and not uncommon in strain or sprain problems, but a full tear would require surgery and would not respond to either chiropractic care or soft tissue therapy.
The good news is that most shoulder issues can be resolved conservatively and do not require surgery.
If you do have shoulder pain, it’s important to get help sooner rather than later. One problem with shoulder injuries is that the patient tends to be very protective of the shoulder, being very cautious and doing very little movement. After several weeks of this, the shoulder can start to develop adhesions.
These adhesions are areas where the shoulder is basically sticking together, limiting the shoulder’s movement. Left unchecked, the limitations just become worse and worse until the patient has frozen shoulder syndrome.
Frozen shoulder can be very painful to treat. In it’s worst stages, the patient is put under with anesthesia while a provider mobilizes the shoulder. The mobilization would be far too painful without the help of the anesthesia.
When dealing with shoulder pain, your chiropractor can show you some ways of keeping your shoulder moving without causing additional pain or making your condition worse.