Shoulder Pain

Each joint in the body needs to have stability, mobility, or both. The shoulder complex is no different. The shoulder is capable of moving into 16,000 positions. There is no doubt with all the activities we need our shoulder to perform, mobility is important. The downside to having a mobile joint is that stability is compromised. In the shoulder stability comes mostly from muscles instead of ligaments. There are 4 main muscles that give the shoulder stability and mobility. This group of muscles is called the “rotator cuff”, not “rotary cup”. They attach from the shoulder blade to the humerus. They work in conjunction with other muscles to move the arm. Because of limited space in the shoulder, anatomic set up, and many different motions that can occur at the shoulder, many injuries can result.

To make this as simple as possible, bearing in mind exceptions, the shoulder diagnosis can be classified into 2 groups: supple (mobile) or stiff shoulder. Here are some common diagnoses:

A supple shoulder can pretty much be diagnosed by age. If you are 15-35 years old you most likely have “instability”, 35-55 corresponds to Impingement, and 55-75 to Rotator Cuff tear. Stiff shoulders can be diagnosed by a simple X-Ray. Your physical therapist at RehabAuthority has the expertise to diagnose the correct problem and educate you on how to help heal it and prevent it from happening again.

Typical Shoulder Injuries and Physical Therapy Benefits

In recent years there has been a dramatic change in the health profession's approach to rehabilitation. The current thinking can be summed up as "use it or lose it." In the past you may have been told to keep your arm in a sling for weeks after things such as rotator cuff surgery. Today, the top priority is to get you "up and going again" as soon as possible to avoid weakening and atrophy of the muscles caused by inactivity. However, because of the nature of the typical injuries as noted below and the range of motion of the shoulder, physical therapists can suggest the best course of motion and exercise to help get and keep your shoulder healthy. These are some of the more common problems with shoulder joints.

Tendinitis - stiffness and soreness in the tendons of the shoulder generally caused by overdoing it. This can degenerate into actual tearing of the muscle tissue as we age if not properly cared for and avoided.

Bursitis - is the inflammation of the bursa sacs, reducing free space in the joint and restricts movement. Usually goes hand-in-hand with tendinitis and is treated much the same

Rotator Cuff Injuries - tears in the rotator cuff (group of muscles encircling the shoulder joint) caused by the progressive worsening of tendinitis, repetitive strain through overuse or trauma. The sort of rotator cuff tear that is gradual is similar to a shirt wearing out (it gets more threadbare until the edges fray or a hole appears) and can be difficult to repair surgically. A clean tear can often be repaired surgically.