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 Shoulder Pain: What You Can Do To Ease It If You’ve Been Putting Up With It For Weeks… Let’s talk about shoulder pain, and the most common cause most shoulder injuries share in common – overuse. Now, when it comes to aches and pains, there are just two ways that bring them on. 1. You can have an accident [Ouch!!] With an accident... for example you could have a fall or have a collision. You know exactly the moment it happens as there’s an incident that happens that’s usually accompanied by a pain that makes you want to yell and curl up into a ball We call this type of pain – acute pain. 2. Is related to something you’re doing that causes annoying, persistent pain that just won’t go away. This is the most common one we see here in the clinic, and we call this chronic pain. Chronic shoulder pain is identified as pain that’s always there. It’s the reason you go to grab your shoulder after lifting something heavy or when you go to reach for something in the back of the cupboard, and isn’t always put down to one particular movement or activity. Those who have this type of shoulder pain often feel doomed, as if they were just plagued with bad shoulders. But here’s the thing, there’s simple ways to ease it, and to help fix it! The faster you book an appointment, the faster you get to being PAIN FREE! Schedule an Appointment Now with us at no risk! Let me tell you a quick story about a patient we saw a few weeks ago… Bill, 52 from Lakeway, came to us after struggling with chronic shoulder pain for a whole six months… He played Golf at a high level, so having to put up with shoulder pain every day was beginning to affect his performance and get in the way of his “range- time”/ practice sessions. Not good when he was heading into tournament season and his playing partners were depending on him! After a few weeks of hands-on physical therapy with massage and personalised exercises, Bill returned to the course, able to play 18 holes, multiple days in a row without pain [ or the need of anti-inflammatory meds] ! But even if you’re not involved in a sport like Bill, this doesn’t mean chronic shoulder pain like this isn’t happening to you (or won’t either)… This same type of shoulder pain can be caused by all sorts of things – ironing, painting, a job where you have to lift heavy objects, and even from sitting hunched over at a desk all day. So what can you do about it if it’s happening to you (or if it suddenly comes on)? Well first, I want you to know that ‘overuse’ doesn’t specifically mean doing an activity ‘too much’ (so I’m sorry to say it, but something like ironing isn’t the culprit of your bad shoulder!). Overuse actually means doing an activity the ‘wrong way’ too much. Let me explain… In Bill’s case, he was performing a shoulder exercise in the gym to enhance his golf performance, using bad body mechanics while in the wrong position – which we discovered was causing his shoulder pain in the first place! But gym and exercises aside, it could just be that you could have weak muscles in your arms, back and shoulders, poor posture when sitting and standing, or you could have even spent most of your life sleeping in an awkward, twisted position! Whatever it is, all of these things can be the culprit of nagging shoulder pain. So let’s look at some ways you can ease irritating, daily shoulder pain that disturbs your sleep and gets in the way of almost everything you do…
Use Ice And Heat
Whenever you’re feeling achy or painful, such as at the end of a very busy day, ice is by far the best way to ease the pain. Apply an ice pack for ten minutes or so [little, but very often, like every 1-2 hours]. And when to use heat? When you wake up in the morning the muscles are likely to be a little stiff and cold from not moving all night, applying a hot pack will help you move your shoulder with more ease. Again ten minutes should do it. How Do You Sleep?
Hands On Physical Therapy And lastly, if you’ve been putting up with the pain for several weeks now, (even months), getting some hands-on treatment is going to help ease the pain fast. In fact there isn’t a faster way to ease shoulder pain than by going to see a Physical Therapist… Physical Therapy will be able to soothe and relax tight aching muscles, as well as give you personalised exercises that will help strengthen your muscles and make sure your posture is perfectly aligned. Combine all these tips along with a trip to see a Physical Therapist, and you will feel a dramatic drop in the pain you’re currently suffering from. These are only a few recommendations to try. If you would like more information, you have a couple of options. Download our Shoulder Report: The 7 Ways To (…Naturally) STOP! Annoying, Daily, Irritating Neck And Shoulder Pain…From Disturbing Sleep And Causing Severe Headaches! OR… Phone the clinic (512) 261-8699 and speak to one of our Specialist and see of Physical Therapy is right for you.
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 This article will help you understand:
IMPORTANT STRUCTURES Acromioclavicular Joint The important structures of the shoulder can be divided into several categories. These include:
Bones and Joints The bones of the shoulder are the humerus (the upper arm bone), the scapula (the shoulder blade), and the clavicle (the collar bone). The roof of the shoulder is formed by a part of the scapula called the acromion. Shoulder Bones There are actually four joints that make up the shoulder. The main shoulder joint, called the glenohumeral joint, is formed where the ball of the humerus fits into a shallow socket on the scapula. This shallow socket is called the glenoid. The acromioclavicular (AC) joint is where the clavicle meets the acromion. Acromioclavicular and Glenohumarel Joints The sternoclavicular (SC) joint supports the connection of the arms and shoulders to the main skeleton on the front of the chest. Sternoclavicular and Scapulothroacic Joints A false joint is formed where the shoulder blade glides against the thorax (the rib cage). This joint, called the scapulothroacic joint, is important because it requires that the muscles surrounding the shoulder blade work together to keep the socket lined up during shoulder movements. Articular cartilage is the material that covers the ends of the bones of any joint. Articular cartilage is about one-quarter of an inch thick in most large, weight-bearing joints. It is a bit thinner in joints such as the shoulder, which don't normally support weight. Articular cartilage is white and shiny and has a rubbery consistency. It is slippery, which allows the joint surfaces to slide against one another without causing any damage. The function of articular cartilage is to absorb shock and provide an extremely smooth surface to make motion easier. We have articular cartilage essentially everywhere that two bony surfaces move against one another, or articulate. In the shoulder, articular cartilage covers the end of the humerus and socket area of the glenoid on the scapula. Ligaments and Tendons There are several important ligaments in the shoulder. Ligaments are soft tissue structures that connect bones to bones. A joint capsule is a watertight sac that surrounds a joint. In the shoulder, the joint capsule is formed by a group of ligaments that connect the humerus to the glenoid. These ligaments are the main source of stability for the shoulder. They help hold the shoulder in place and keep it from dislocating. Ligaments attach the clavicle to the acromion in the AC joint. Two ligaments connect the clavicle to the scapula by attaching to the coracoid process, a bony knob that sticks out of the scapula in the front of the shoulder. A special type of ligament forms a unique structure inside the shoulder called the labrum. The labrum is attached almost completely around the edge of the glenoid. When viewed in cross section, the labrum is wedge-shaped. The shape and the way the labrum is attached create a deeper cup for the glenoid socket. This is important because the glenoid socket is so flat and shallow that the ball of the humerus does not fit tightly. The labrum creates a deeper cup for the ball of the humerus to fit into. The labrum is also where the biceps tendon attaches to the glenoid. Tendons are much like ligaments, except that tendons attach muscles to bones. Muscles move the bones by pulling on the tendons. The biceps tendon runs from the biceps muscle, across the front of the shoulder, to the glenoid. At the very top of the glenoid, the biceps tendon attaches to the bone and actually becomes part of the labrum. This connection can be a source of problems when the biceps tendon is damaged and pulls away from its attachment to the glenoid. Want a quick exercise to measure your shoulder strength? Whatch one of our great videos below or visit us on our youtube channel for TONS of options!! |
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March 2022
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