The prevalence of shoulder pain in the US has been reported to be between 2.4% to 26% of the population at any given time. Shoulder pain is often more common in women, and can be particularly debilitating as it can affect many of our activities of daily living including:
- Hygiene Tasks
- Bathing
- Getting Dressed
- Cooking
- Cleaning
- Among many other tasks.
What Causes Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain can be due to a variety of conditions including:
- Arthritis
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Frozen Shoulder
- Labral Tears
- Tendonitis or Bursitis
- Among many other causes.
What Does Shoulder Pain Feel Like?
Shoulder pain can be sharp and stabbing while attempting to use our arm, or a dull tooth ache feeling throughout the day and night.
How Does the Shoulder Work?
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint and functions through a complex relationship between muscles, ligaments, and bones.
The shoulder joint has been described as having the same relationship as a golf ball on a tee. There is a small socket relative to the ball which allows it to have the most range of motion of any other joint in the body. Due to this small socket your shoulder relies heavily on the dynamic stabilization of your rotator cuff muscles and supporting muscles of the scapula.
Physical Therapy Can Decrease Shoulder Pain
This is where physical therapists become the ideal provider to address your pain. A physical therapist is a movement expert who has extensive education in anatomy and how your musculoskeletal system moves and functions.
The role of the physical therapist is to assess your joint mobility, strength, range of motion, and coordination of the muscles that support your shoulder to determine what the best course of treatment would be for you without surgery or the use of pain medications.
What Happens During a Shoulder Pain Assessment?
During this assessment our physical therapist will determine if you have strength imbalances, tissue tightness, or abnormal joint mechanics and develop an individualized plan to correct these issues regardless of condition causing your pain. This can help alleviate your pain without the use of pain medications or the need for surgery.
Physical Therapy May Help Avoid Surgery
A recent study determined that conservative treatment by physical therapists had the same results as arthroscopic shoulder surgery for non-traumatic rotator cuff tears at a 1 year follow-up. Additionally, since physical therapy is less expensive and less prone to complications it is advocated to have physical therapy as the initial course of treatment.
Schedule a Consultation Today
Our physical therapists at Rising Tide Physical Therapy can help lift you up out of your pain and debility to get you back to life without pain medication or the need for surgery.
Contact one of our Rising Tide Physical Therapy locations today to schedule an assessment.
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