Your shoulder is the most unstable and mobile joint in your body. Its wide range of motion occurs due to four primary muscles and their tendons, called the rotator cuff. If your shoulder becomes inflamed or an impingement happens, you may make the mistake of trying to avoid using your arm to help it heal. It may surprise you that not moving can contribute to more pain or even lead to adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder). Controlled movement is one of the best ways to heal.
The tendons are one of the most common source of shoulder pain. Your tendons attach the muscles of the shoulder to the bones. If a tendon becomes trapped, it can result in shoulder impingement. If a tendon becomes inflamed, you may hear it called tendinitis or bursitis. And if a tendon of one of the shoulder muscles becomes torn, you guessed it- you have a rotator cuff tear.
Shoulder Bursitis: If the sac of fluid that cushions your shoulder becomes swollen and painful due to repetitive motions, you may have bursitis.
Shoulder Impingement: If your tendons get pinched between or under the bones of your shoulder, it can lead to impingement. Lifting overhead repetitively can cause impingement, resulting in swelling and pain. Severe cases of this can lead to tears of the supraspinatus tendon.
Rotator Cuff Tear: Your rotator cuff can become damaged due to overuse, injury, or age. Tears usually cause pain when you try to lift things, and you may hear a popping sound as you move.
Biceps Tendon Injuries: Additionally, the biceps tendons attach to the shoulder, and injuries to these tissues actually cause shoulder pain and dysfunction. For this reason, biceps tendon injuries are actually shoulder injuries. In many cases, they can feel the same to the patient as impingement.
The good news is that Dr. Barlas regularly treats these injuries with success, using Active Release Technique (ART) soft tissue therapy, as well as other chiropractic therapies.
Call us today at 206-954-7479 and we would be happy to provide a full evaluation and help you take the first steps on the road to recovery. You can also download and message us through the Barlas Chiropractic App! Download it from the App Store here, or from Google Play here.
Feel free and email us at drjafferbarlas@gmail.com or contact us through our website here.
*Following proper evaluation, patients at Barlas Chiropractic are often treated with light chiropractic adjustments, Active Release Technique soft tissue therapy, Graston Technique soft tissue therapy, and therapeutic exercise to reduce pain, improve mobility, and safely speed recovery.
Yours in health,
(206) 954-7479