Doctors of chiropractic are known for treating issues of the back and spine, including back and neck pain. However, chiropractic care can also be extremely beneficial in treating pain associated with the shoulders and extremities.
Some of the most common types of shoulder pain include:
Doctors of chiropractic are known for treating issues of the back and spine, including back and neck pain. However, chiropractic care can also be extremely beneficial in treating the pain associated with the shoulders and extremities.
The shoulder joint has three bones that form a ball-and-socket joint surrounded by a connective tissue capsule. That ball-and-socket joint allows the shoulder to be the most mobile joint in the body. However, having so much mobility comes at a price since the shoulder joint often lacks stability, leading to injury and discomfort.
Some of the most common types of shoulder pain include:
Frozen shoulder occurs when the capsule thickens and tightens around the shoulder joint, and it’s an exceptionally painful condition faced by clients. In addition to being very painful, it can also be debilitating and disabling.
Ordinary activities like putting on a shirt or brushing your hair can be an ordeal. Frozen shoulder can also cause sleep disturbance and insomnia. Without proper treatment and intervention, frozen shoulder pain can persist for years.
Frozen shoulder pain usually arises in or around the shoulder from its joints and surrounding soft tissues. However, some cases can also be related to an irritation of the joints and nerves in the upper back (thoracic spine) and/or lower neck. Regardless of the origin, pain is the most common reason for consulting a healthcare practitioner.
In frozen shoulder, pain is associated with pronounced restriction of movement. When shoulder pain has its origins in the back and spinal area, chiropractic care can be highly effective for shoulder pain treatment and shoulder pain relief.
One shoulder problem familiar to many baseball players (and others sports and activities with aggressive arm movements) is a rotator cuff disorder, which may affect one or more portions of the rotator cuff. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint, keeping the head of the upper arm bone within the shoulder socket.
Rotator cuff disorders can be associated with excessive overloading, instability of the glenohumeral and acromioclavicular joints, muscle imbalance, or degeneration associated with aging.
Who’s at Risk for Shoulder Pain?
Risk factors for frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) include female sex, older age, shoulder trauma, surgery, diabetes, cardiorespiratory disorders, stroke and thyroid disease. Arthritis of the glenohumeral joint can occur as we age and can cause pain or contribute to other shoulder disorders.
Shoulder pain can also be referred from other sites, in particular the cervical spine or even the first rib.
Chiropractic Care for Your Sore Shoulder
Chiropractors are highly versed in a range of interventions for effective shoulder pain treatment and shoulder pain relief.
Regardless of your specific shoulder issue, your chiropractor will begin with a targeted examination that determines where the source of the irritation begins. Although shoulder pain is usually due to an irritation of the tissues near the shoulder, dysfunction in the cervical or thoracic spine can also contribute.
These areas will all be carefully examined to ensure an accurate diagnosis. Your chiropractor will want to make sure the care plan addresses the source of pain or injury.
After a diagnosis of the precise physical cause, chiropractic care for shoulder pain can begin. While relief typically begins after the first adjustment, a specific number of chiropractic visits may be needed to ensure your shoulder pain issue is completely resolved.
Achieving Your Best Possible Health
It’s always a good idea to take care of yourself. Here’s what you can do for good shoulder health:
Sometimes, people think living with extremity or joint pain is “just the way it is,” but for many, chiropractic care can be a smart, first choice in getting better. It’s not a coincidence that the great majority of teams in Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Hockey League have at least one chiropractor on their healthcare staff.
Cleveland University-Kansas City (CUKC), founded in 1922, is a private, nonprofit, chiropractic and health sciences university in Overland Park, Kansas. The CUKC on-campus Chiropractic Health Center is open to the public and treats patients from Kansas City’s 15-county metro area. Our goal is to provide chiropractic care and solutions for a better, more productive life for our patients.
