Shoulder Pain Relief New Iberia
Does a simple move to place a jar on a high shelf seem impossible because of shoulder pain? Do you wonder whether or not you’ll able be able to sleep on your side again without waking up in agony? Has a recent injury made your shoulder all but immobile?
There are many kinds of shoulder pain, ranging from the temporary discomfort of a pulled muscle to the bone-on-bone friction of arthritis. But whatever is behind your shoulder pain, you can find comfort in the fact that physical therapy offers great promise as a natural pain management modality. Contact Us Today at New Iberia, LA Center to find out how this form of treatment can benefit your shoulder!
What is shoulder pain?
Your shoulder is capable of amazing feats; however, with amazing feats also sometimes comes amazing discomfort. Your shoulder joint is called a ball-and-socket joint because the head of the humerus (upper arm bone) naturally fits into a corresponding space within the scapula (shoulder blade.) A layer of cartilage keeps the bone ends from rubbing together, and sacs called bursae keep nearby tendons from rubbing painfully against the bones. The tendons attach the bones to a set of muscles called the rotator cuff. When something goes wrong with the intricate mechanical interplay among these structures, pain is sure to result.
This pain can vary, depending on its cause. In some forms of tendon impingement, for instance, you feel pain as you raise your arm up, only to stop feeling the pain before the arm stretches completely skyward. A degenerated shoulder joint may ache annoyingly every time you move it in any direction. An acute injury can cause sharp, intense pain that makes it impossible for you to move your shoulder at all.
What causes shoulder pain?
The complexities of the shoulder joint present many opportunities for pain-causing conditions. WebMD cites some of the more common causes of shoulder pain as:
Arthritis
Osteoarthritis occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint wears out, a common age-related issue. Rheumatoid arthritis causes pain when the immune system decides to attack membranes surrounding the shoulder joint.
Tendonitis
Overuse of the shoulder joint (often related to the demands of a job or favorite sport) can cause the tendons to suffer from ongoing inflammation. The swelling can then create painful impingement when you raise your arm.
Bursitis
Sometimes, the friction from neighboring tendons can cause the bursae to experience inflammation, making overhead motions painful.
Dislocation
When the head of the humerus pops out of its place, the shoulder is said to be dislocated. This is an enormously painful injury, and one which you may be more vulnerable to after the first incidence.
Frozen shoulder
The medical term for frozen shoulder, according to the Mayo Clinic, is adhesive capsulitis. If your arm has been in a cast or sling for a long time, or you were bedridden and had no opportunity to exercise your shoulder, the tissues may have stiffened up on you.
How physical therapy helps shoulder pain
Don’t assume that you have to gulp down painkillers or schedule surgery to fight shoulder pain. Physical therapy can treat many of the conditions responsible for this complaint in a safe, non-invasive manner. Your physical therapist can pinpoint the cause of your pain through a variety of diagnostic techniques. X-rays can reveal signs of arthritis or dislocation. Range-of-motion tests and discussion of your symptoms can tell us exactly which soft tissue may be involved in your pain.
Once we know why your shoulder hurts, Our physical therapists can recommend the correct mix of physical therapy methods to help manage or even completely relieve that pain. Exercises can be very helpful for easing both the pain of osteoarthritis and the stiffness of frozen shoulder. Bursitis responds well to techniques ranging from heat and ice applications to changes in your workplace ergonomics or athletic training routine. Strengthening exercises can rehabilitate injured muscles and stabilize a shoulder prone to dislocation.
Life is too short to bother with shoulder pain. Call Iberia Sports and Rehabilitation today to schedule treatment!
Visit our New Iberia clinic location today!
Find out if your shoulder pain is caused by one of these 5 symptoms by reading our blog here!
FAQs
What is the best exercise for shoulder pain?
While there is no one-stop solution for shoulder pain, there are many exercises that can be done to help strengthen the rotator cuff region and ease the pain you are expereincing. Our physical therapists are highly trained to help improve the flexibility and range of motion in your shoulder, in addition to relieving your pain and discomfort. This will be done through an individualized treatment plan designed specifically for you, including therapeutic modalities and targeted pain-relief exercises. A couple common rotator cuff-strengthening exercises that physical therapists prescribe are wall push-ups and chair push-ups. Resistance bands can also be used to increase the strength in your shoulder and help relieve pain. However, it is important to note that if your pain is serious, these exercises should not be performed without the aid of a physical therapist.
How many types of shoulder pain exist?
When it comes to your upper extremities, injuries typically fall into two categories: acute or overuse. Acute injuries are caused by a single specific incident, such as a strain or tear. Overuse injuries are caused by excessive repetitive movements over time. Both acute and overuse injuries can range from mild to severe and can have a significant impact on daily life function. Shoulder pain can also be chronic, meaning it has persisted for 3 months or longer, despite efforts to relieve it. If you have been living with chronic shoulder pain, it is in your best interest to consult with a physical therapist as soon as possible, so they can get to the root of the problem and treat you accordingly.
Can physical therapy help shoulder pain?
Two of the biggest goals of physical therapy are 1) to alleviate your pain and 2) to improve your function. Your physical therapist will work with you to make sure that both of these are achieved throughout your physical therapy sessions. Physical therapy has been proven to manage the pain of several conditions, and in many cases, it has even been proven to eliminate shoulder pain altogether, thus making the need for harmful drugs or surgical intervention obsolete.
What are the causes of shoulder pain?
There are several underlying causes that could result in shoulder pain. For example, a sudden injury or trauma to the shoulders can cause them to become painful. Repetitive motions can also cause shoulder pain, as your muscles, joints, and tendons are working in overdrive. While there are multiple factors that could be causing your shoulder pain, some of the most common include sprains, strains, a torn cartilage, dislocation, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, and arthritis.
