Shoulder pain, can affect daily living.

According to www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, “The reported annual incidence of shoulder pain in primary care is 14.7 per 1000 patients per year [1] with a lifetime prevalence of up to 70%.”

This means up to 70% of the population has experienced shoulder pain and 1.47% of all primary care visits are related to shoulder pain every year.

At Barham Chiropractic, we treat countless patients with shoulder pain daily. Here’s a short explanation of what causes shoulder pain, and what you can do to reduce it. (Besides chiropractic care)

Shoulder Pain Explained by Top Sacramento Chiropractor

Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

There are a lot of factors that can lead to shoulder pain, however, the most common are:

• Overuse or injury of nearby tendons, such as the bicep muscles of the arms: One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is overuse or injury of nearby tendons, such as the bicep muscles of the arms. This can cause tendons to become inflamed, leading to shoulder pain that can range from mild to severe.

• Poor shoulder posture and mechanics: Many activities such as sports, repetitive use of the arm, and poor posture can cause shoulder strain and discomfort. The shoulder joint is a complex ball-and-socket joint, allowing for a wide range of motion, but also making it particularly susceptible to injury. Proper posture and mechanics, as well as maintenance of muscle strength and flexibility, are key to avoiding shoulder pain.

• Dislocated Shoulder: The shoulder joint contains three bones: the collarbone, shoulder blade, and upper arm bone, which is shaped like a ball. This “ball” fits into a cuplike socket in your shoulder blade and when your shoulder gets dislocated, the ball pops out of your socket. A dislocation can either be partial, which means that only part of it is out of the socket, or it can be completely out of the socket.

• Frozen Shoulder: A frozen shoulder is a shoulder joint that has lost a significant range of motion in all directions. The range of motion is usually limited when the patient attempts to move it, as well as when the doctor tries to move the joint fully while the patient is relaxed. A frozen shoulder is the outcome of inflammation, scarring, thickening, and shrinkage of the area that surrounds the normal shoulder joint.

• Rotator Cuff Injury: The rotator cuff is made up of a group of muscles and tendons which surround the shoulder joint and help to firmly keep the head of your upper arm bone inside of the shallow socket of the shoulder. Rotator cuff injuries are common for people who perform repeated overhead motions in their jobs or in sports. Painters, carpenters (really anyone who works in construction), and people who play baseball or tennis are some of the most common fields people experience rotator cuff injuries. The risk of rotator cuff injury increases as we get older and can cause a dull ache in the shoulder, which often worsens when the involved side is slept on.

• Strains & Sprains: Sprains refer to an injury to a ligament (the connective tissue that links bones together at joints). Sprains are most common in the ankle, knee, elbow, or wrist. Strains are tears in muscle tissue. They happen most often in the muscles that support the calf, thigh, groin, and shoulder. In addition to joint manipulation, chiropractors use other treatments like ice, heat, ultrasound, and electrical muscle stimulation.

• Tendinitis: Tendinitis (also tendonitis) is the inflammation and irritation of a tendon. It is commonly caused by overuse and repetitive motion can create excess friction in a tendon and cause pressure to build up, which leads to inflammation and irritation. Nevertheless, it is known that tendons lose their elasticity and ease of movement

Less Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

Some less common reasons for shoulder pain are:

• Shoulder bursitis: This occurs when your shoulder bursa is inflamed. The bursa is the fluid-filled sac that helps to lessen the friction in shoulder spaces. There are several bursae within our shoulders. Your subacromial bursa is the most frequently inflamed of the shoulder bursa and is the common cause of pain felt in the shoulder, which is usually related to shoulder impingement of the bursa between the rotator cuff tendons and bone.

• Arthritis in the shoulder joint: Arthritis in the shoulder joint is a common problem, especially in those that are over 40 years of age. This type of shoulder pain is usually caused by wear and tear on the shoulder joint, as well as a decrease in the production of lubricating joint fluid, which can cause the cartilage to break down. Furthermore, arthritis can also cause inflammation and stiffness in the shoulder joint, leading to loss of motion and greater shoulder pain.

• Bone spurs in the shoulder area: Bone spurs in the shoulder area are a common source of pain and discomfort. These bony growths, also known as osteophytes, occur when the body attempts to repair itself by forming extra layers of bone. Bone spurs can cause the shoulder to become stiff, or even to lock up. In some cases, these growths can even disrupt normal joint movement.

• Shoulder bone fracture: Shoulder bone fractures can cause severe pain in the shoulder and surrounding area. The pain may be sharp or dull and can range from mild to unbearable. Depending on the severity of the fracture, the shoulder may be immobilized to decrease the risk of further damage.

• Nerve injury that leads to abnormal shoulder movement: A nerve injury that leads to abnormal shoulder movement, can lead to shoulder pain because of the increased tension on the muscles and joints when the shoulder is moved in an unnatural way. Persistent unnatural movement can cause irritation and inflammation of the nerves and muscles in the area which can be very painful.

Top 3 DIY (Do It Yourself) Shoulder Pain Remedies WITHOUT Medications

DIY shoulder remedies include: Icing the area, Resting, and Reducing shoulder activity. It is important to consult a medical professional if shoulder pain persists or worsens in order to rule out potentially more serious underlying problems.

Normally, we encourage people to use the RICE acronym.

RICE—Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation

Unfortunately, shoulder compression can be very tricky and you simply can not elevate your shoulder. So we listed our the top 3 shoulder pain remedies and how to do them below.

1. Ice the shoulder area for 15 minutes, then leave it off for 15 minutes. Do this 3 to 4 times a day for 2 to 3 days. Wrap the ice in cloth. Do not put ice directly on the skin because this can result in frostbite.

• Rest your shoulder for the next few days.

• Reducing shoulder activity slowly before returning to your regular activities.

Should You See a Chiropractor For Shoulder Pain?

Yes, chiropractors can help shoulders. The shoulder joint is a complex ball-and-socket joint, allowing for a wide range of motion, but also making it particularly susceptible to injury. Although most people visit a chiropractor for their back pain, chiropractors can treat almost all the joints in the body.

Regardless of what specific shoulder issue you have, our Sacramento chiropractic office can give you a targeted diagnosis and determine the source of the irritation.

By ascertaining precisely what the problem is, we can create and provide a treatment plan that is right for you or connect you with the right medical provider that can help you. Our goal is your health and well-being, and we turn down patients and refer them to other doctors that can help them all the time.

However, very often we can help patients significantly reduce their shoulder pain.

If we can help relieve your shoulder pain, we would love the opportunity to do so.

Give us a call during our office hours or check out our new patient offer to take the first step in correcting your shoulder pain.

We look forward to celebrating that your shoulders are pain-free again.

-Barham Team

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