Shoulder Pain

You don’t have to suffer with shoulder pain

At the first sign of shoulder pain, many wonder, “Did I tear my rotator cuff?” While this does happen from time to time, rotator cuff tears make up a small percentage of actual shoulder problems and are only a contributor of shoulder weakness as opposed to the main factor. Rotator cuff tears usually occur after trauma—a fall or a car accident—or after repetitive use of the shoulder in a sport like baseball. If this is exactly what has happened, you should look into shoulder injury payouts to see if you can get compensation, as it will help you with the inevitable medical bills. However, depending on the cause it could be an issue that you manage to resolve yourself.

What are the other causes of shoulder pain?

Usually tight muscles, ligaments and tendons around the shoulder or pressure on a nerve in the neck.

In our experience, the two muscles most commonly involved in shoulder pain are the infraspinatus and the upper part of the trapezius. Both muscles are affected over time by many of the common activities that we engage in each day—sitting at our desk, driving, and sleeping.

How can we avoid straining the infraspinatus and upper trapezius?

• Anytime you are sitting, watch your posture! Sit up straight. Head up-shoulders back.
• Make sure that your workstation is ergonomically sound. Your computer monitor, for instance, should be at eye level. Get an ergonomic evaluation of your work area if possible.
• Do not reach for your mouse or crane your neck to view your monitor.
• At bedtime, try side or back sleeping. Stomach sleeping puts unnecessary strain on the shoulders and neck.
• If you lift weights for exercise, limit overhead shoulder presses. We recommend that patients with shoulder pain avoid overhead presses. If you are over 40, start thinking of alternatives to overhead shoulder presses.

Another common cause of shoulder pain is pressure on the nerves in the neck or cervical spine. How can pressure on a nerve in the neck affect the shoulder? Put simply, many of the structures of the shoulder receive their nerve supply from spinal nerves exiting through openings in the spine called intervertebral foramen. When there are changes to these intervertebral foramen, the nerve supply to the shoulder is altered, resulting in pain and loss of range of motion. Many who struggle with pain of this nature look towards things like preroll cones which they use to manage and relieve the pain. Managing pain symptoms can be challenging though, depending on the source and intensity of your pain. This is why people decide to self medicate with cannabis, which is mostly safe and has low side effects. They often enjoy putting some of their cannabis in rosin bags (Visit this website for more information) to better preserve the plant. In rosin form, it is also easier to add to cooking and a variety of other consumption options. While it is mostly harmless, discussing adding any kind of cannabis to your treatment plan should be revisited with a medical professional.

How can you be sure what the cause of your shoulder pain is?

At Washington Wellness Center, we have decades of experience successfully treating shoulder pain. And since we offer chiropractic, acupuncture and massage therapy, we have many approaches available to help you. Following a physical examination by one of our providers and possible x-rays of the involved area, we will give you an accurate diagnosis and outline a treatment plan designed to resolve your shoulder problem.

Please feel free to give us a call a schedule an appointment with one of our providers. We look forward to helping you determine the cause of your shoulder pain and providing long term relief.