Shoulder Pain

It only takes a mild shoulder injury to cause intense pain and limit your arm movement. When you need help to relieve the pain, improve mobility, or recuperate from an injury or surgery, call Mahmud Ibrahim, MD, and the team at Ascension Spine, Pain, and Sports Medicine, in East Brunswick, New Jersey. They provide personalized treatment and solutions that support all aspects of your shoulder rehabilitation to regain optimal function. Don’t ignore shoulder pain; call the office or schedule an appointment online today.

What causes shoulder pain?

The stress of everyday wear and tear is enough to strain the rotator cuff muscles that support your shoulder. Additional pressure from intense athletic activities and repetitive movements further increases your risk of developing painful shoulder injuries or joint degeneration.

A few of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:

• Arthritis
• Rotator cuff tear
• Biceps tendinitis
• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Impingement
• Frozen shoulder
• Labrum tear
• Fractures

Bursitis, or inflammation of the tiny sacs that prevent friction in the joint, is another common source of shoulder pain.

What is adhesive capsulitis?

Adhesive capsulitis occurs when the connective tissue surrounding the shoulder joint becomes inflamed. Inflammation causes scarring, which in turn stops shoulder movement. That’s when you have adhesive capsulitis, or a frozen shoulder.

A frozen shoulder goes through three stages:

Freezing

During this time, your shoulder pain increases while the joint gradually loses its range of motion, making it harder to move your arm. The freezing stage lasts six weeks to nine months.

Frozen

During the frozen stage, your pain may begin to improve, but your shoulder is too stiff to move. Daily tasks like brushing your teeth are difficult or impossible to perform. This stage lasts about 4-6 months.

Thawing

Your shoulder gradually begins to improve, but returning to your normal strength and movement takes six months to two years.

How does physical therapy treat shoulder pain?

Whether you injure your shoulder, need post-surgery rehabilitation, or face an inflammatory condition, physical therapy is an essential part of your treatment and rehabilitation. Though your treatment is always customized to meet your underlying condition, the goals of physical therapy are similar for all causes of shoulder pain:

• Control pain and swelling
• Improve muscle strength
• Improve joint flexibility
• Restore normal movement

Your physical therapist uses a variety of techniques or modalities to reach those goals. Here are a few examples:

• Dry Needling
• Therapeutic massage
• Joint mobilization
• Passive range of motion therapy
• Strengthening and stretching exercises
• Sport- and activity-specific exercises
• Range of motion exercises
• Muscle energy technique
• Ultrasound therapy
• Electrical stimulation

Your physical therapist also teaches you exercises to do at home to support your ongoing rehabilitation.

If you need relief from shoulder pain, call Ascension Spine, Pain, and Sports Medicine or request an appointment online today.