Your shoulder contains various structures, all of which can be injured either singly or in combination. Some common reasons for shoulder pain include:

It’s also possible that when you feel pain in your shoulder, you may not have injured your shoulder at all. The pain in your shoulder might actually be radiating from an injury in your neck.

When you come to Leading Edge Medical for shoulder pain, your doctor gives you a thorough examination to determine if your neck is involved in your discomfort.

One of the most common shoulder injuries is a rotator cuff tear, in which all or some of the tendons and muscles in your shoulder joint are damaged. Activities that can create rotator cuff tears and other shoulder injuries include:

Medical treatments for shoulder pain

Medical treatments for shoulder pain include over-the-counter pain medications, as needed, and short-term prescription medication when necessary. Your doctor can also ease your pain by stimulating specific points in your ear with innovative DyAnsys® P-stim percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation.

Shoulder pain often arises from trigger points, which are tissue knots that form when your muscles can’t relax. Your doctor gives you trigger-point injections directly in these knots. The injections contain an analgesic with or without a corticosteroid to alleviate pain and inflammation. If you’re allergic to medications, a needle alone is sometimes sufficient to deactivate the trigger point.

Other effective medical therapies include massage to increase circulation of blood, oxygen, and other fluids to your shoulder and neck. Your doctor may recommend rehab therapy to restore your shoulder’s mobility.

Chiropractic treatments for shoulder pain

Chiropractic treatments for shoulder pain start from the belief that all of your body’s systems are interrelated. If one area of your body hurts, other areas may be compromised or contribute to your pain. Your doctor corrects misalignments (subluxations) of your spine with chiropractic adjustments to alleviate your shoulder pain.

A novel treatment called the Graston Technique® can also help you heal. Your doctor uses a series of specialized tools to massage and manipulate your tissues to break down scar tissue. Graston massage can accelerate your recovery and increase your shoulder’s range of motion.

Treating your shoulder or neck injury and shoulder pain early prevents the development of complications and chronic pain. When you have trouble moving your arm or your shoulder hurts, call your Leading Edge doctor for a consultation or book an appointment online.