The Most Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
By Sara Butler
On an average day, you probably don’t think much about your shoulders, but they do "shoulder" a lot fo your load, so to speak! There are many common conditions and injuries that can befall your shoulders, and you can increase the odds of experiencing pain in your shoulders through your lifestyle. How your chiropractor can treat your shoulder pain depends on what it is, but here are some of the most common reasons for your shoulders to hurt.
Tendonitis
This is a condition chiropractors see quite a bit because it usually impacts people who are very active or have a job involving repetitive motions. If you play tennis or you’re a professional painter or you do a lot of work at the computer, you just might be at risk for developing tendonitis in your shoulder.
Tendonitis is inflammation of the tendons in your shoulder. It’s very important to understand if you are at high risk of developing this condition that you must rest your shoulders when possible. If you do experience discomfort or pain, talk to your chiropractor about it.
Bursitis
Your shoulder is actually a very complicated joint with a lot of little parts. One of those parts is called bursa, and they are tiny sacs containing fluid that help to keep the joint well lubricated. When those sacs become irritated and inflamed then you get bursitis, and it and tendonitis are best friends usually showing up together!
Impingement
This is a condition where your shoulder can’t move properly due to impingement, and it’s frequently seen in people who overuse their shoulders. When the shoulders are overused, the rotator cuff can become stuck between the bone, which makes the full range of motion of the joint very difficult – and painful!
Frozen Shoulder
This isn’t a condition you’ll find in a mythic Disney universe. Frozen shoulder is something that is likely to occur after an injury or in conjunction with a shoulder condition. Rest is needed when you’re recovering from shoulder issues, but when you don’t move your shoulder the tissue can become scarred and that can lead you right to frozen shoulder. It causes the muscles to tighten so much you can’t move your shoulder in its full range of normal motion.
These are only a handful of conditions that can plague the shoulder joint, but lucky for you, your chiropractor is an expert in joints and can help you with any shoulder condition or injury you may encounter!