Common Causes of Chronic Shoulder Pain

Chronic pain can make daily activities more difficult, if not impossible to do. Specifically for the shoulder, damage to the tendons, ligaments or muscles can restrict range of motion and cause extreme discomfort.

While you may think surgery is necessary, chiropractic care is one non-invasive treatment option for this condition.

How Does the Shoulder Joint Work?

The shoulder is one of the body’s most mobile joints. It consists of the rotator cuff, humerus, clavicle and scapula. The humerus fits into the shoulder blade and the acromioclavicular joint sits between the scapula and clavicle. The muscles and tendons stabilize the bones, while cartilage provides cushioning and shock absorption.

When everything operates as expected, you should be able to lift your arm over your head and rotate it with ease. Yet when these components experience damage or swelling, you may experience pain or be unable to perform this motion.

Causes of Chronic Shoulder Pain

A number of conditions contribute to chronic shoulder pain, including:

• Rotator cuff tendinitis, when the tendons connecting the muscles and bones in the shoulder swell, leading to inflammation or a tear
• Arthritis of the shoulder joint
• Bursitis, when the bursa sac protecting the joint becomes inflamed
• Bone spurs
• Frozen shoulder, when the surrounding muscles, ligaments and tendons stiffen
• Overuse or repetitive strain injury
• Poor posture or form during physical activity
• Fracture, the partial or complete break in a bone
• Shoulder dislocation
• Nerve issues, including a pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder
• Cartilage damage
• Spinal cord injury

Over time, the soft tissue starts to weaken and becomes more susceptible to tears. While the risk for shoulder injuries increases with age, you’re also more likely to develop a chronic shoulder injury if you:

• Routinely perform manual labor
• Participate in a sport involving the upper body
• Engage in repetitive tasks, such as typing or using a tool on the job

The source of shoulder pain might not even be the joint. Also called referred pain, you may experience discomfort in an adjacent area like the chest, neck, back or biceps. You notice the sensation even at rest and it doesn’t worsen as you attempt to move your shoulder.

Chiropractic Care for Shoulder Pain

Chiropractic adjustments are a less invasive, medication-free solution to help improve shoulder joint mobility and alignment, can lessen inflammation and decrease pain. A few solutions include:

• Shoulder adjustments to realign the shoulder. The joint may be pushed back or forward to better integrate with the nervous system and restore range of motion.
• Gentle spinal manipulation to better align the joints and free any compressed nerves. This procedure directly addresses spasms and pinched nerves to decrease pain and inflammation in the back and shoulder, improving range of motion and flexibility.
• A combination of at-home stretching exercises and manual therapy to address knotted muscles.

Have you been experiencing shoulder pain and numbness? Make an appointment with The Chiropractic Health Center of Glastonbury to address your symptoms today!