Common Causes of Shoulder Pain and When to Seek Physical Therapy

Shoulder pain affects up to 70% of people at some point in their lifetime. It is also the leading reason why people seek consultation for musculoskeletal conditions. The shoulder facilitates a wide range of motion, ensuring you can lift objects, reach overhead, handle things with your hands, and perform various activities you need to get through your daily life. However, when shoulder pain occurs, you may find yourself unable to perform your daily activities as you used to. Lifting objects and performing other tasks with your arm may become increasingly difficult due to discomfort. The discomfort and restriction of physical function associated with shoulder pain may make you turn to pain-relieving medications and other methods for relief. However, none of these treatment options can be as effective and non-invasive as physical therapy.

Physical therapy is more effective compared to other treatment methods because it addresses the root cause of pain rather than treating its symptoms. Therefore, you can manage shoulder pain and regain normal physical function through physical therapy. This article will explore common reasons why you may experience shoulder pain and when to seek physical therapy at Summit Physical Therapy.

How Does the Shoulder Work?

The shoulder is a very complex but highly mobile ball-and-socket joint that connects the arms to the trunk to allow a wide range of motion needed to perform daily activities comfortably. The shoulder consists of several key features and components that facilitate its functions. These components include bones, ligaments, tendons, bursa, cartilage, and the rotator cuffs. 

The shoulder is made up of three major bones - the humerus (the upper arm bone), the scapula (the shoulder blade bone), and the clavicle (the collarbone). These bones create the ball-and-socket joint commonly known as the glenohumeral joint. The shoulder joint contains bursae, small, fluid-filled sacs that act as a cushion to reduce friction between the bones, tendons, muscles, skin, and other shoulder structures. 

Ligaments and tendons are other soft tissues that make up the shoulder. The ligaments are soft tissues in the shoulder that connect bones. The tendons, on the other hand, connect muscles to bones. These shoulder structures ensure that the shoulder joint is strong and stable during motion.

The rotator cuff is one of the most important structures of the shoulder. It is a group of four muscles and their tendons surrounding the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff and its tendons help to stabilize the shoulder, ensuring that you have a wide range of motion and can perform several actions, such as lifting your arm overhead, rotating your arm, and carry out your daily routine comfortably. These and many more are components of the shoulder that work together to ensure that physical function through the shoulder.

The shoulder joint is very flexible and mobile, allowing for freedom of movement. However, the shoulder’s high mobility makes it very low in stability, relying on its muscles, tendons, and ligaments for support. As a result, the shoulder is very prone to injury, strain, wear, and tear because slight damage to the tendons, ligaments, and muscles supporting it leads to further instability, pain, and injury. Shoulder pain may be acute (occurs suddenly and lasts for a short period) or chronic (develops gradually and persists for a long period). Your may feel shoulder pain at a specific area of the shoulder (localized pain) or may extend down your arm or even up your neck to other parts of your body (radiating pain).

Causes of Shoulder Pain

Several factors, ranging from injuries and age-related degeneration to medical conditions, can cause shoulder pain. Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include:

Rotator Cuff Tears

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint. This structure helps to stabilize the shoulder, enabling a wide range of motion. However, the rotator cuff may suddenly become damaged if the muscles and tendons partially or completely tear from the bone due to overuse from repetitive motion, age-related degeneration, or injuries from accidents. Apart from the obvious loss of function that accompanies rotator cuff injury, you may also experience severe shoulder pain. You may feel a sharp or aching pain when you move or rotate your arm, leading to a loss of physical function. 

Tendinitis

Shoulder tendinitis refers to the inflammation of the tendons in the shoulder. While this condition is commonly caused by overuse and repetitive motions, you may also develop shoulder tendinitis due to injury, age-related degeneration, genetics, calcium deposits in the tendons, improper technique during work or sports, etc. Shoulder tendinitis can cause severe shoulder pain that may worsen with movement. 

Arthritis

Arthritis is a degenerative condition that affects the joints. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis that affects the shoulder. This condition occurs due to the wear, tear, and eventual breakdown of the cartilage cushioning the shoulder joint. Osteoarthritis in the shoulder usually occurs due to age-related degeneration. However, you may also experience this condition if you overuse or injure the shoulder joint, or you have a family history of arthritis (genetics), you may develop osteoarthritis in the shoulder. 

Frozen Shoulder

Also known as adhesive captulitis, this condition occurs when the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint thickens and tightens, causing restricted movement. Frozen shoulder causes severe pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. While the exact cause of this condition is unknown, it is often linked to shoulder injury and other risk factors like diabetes, thyroid disorders, prolonged immobility after injury or surgery, etc. 

Shoulder Instability and Dislocations

As mobile as the shoulder joint is, it is very unstable. Therefore, it is not entirely uncommon to see a partial or complete slip (dislocation) of the head of the humerus out of the shoulder socket. Injuries from traumatic events, such as falls or sports collision can cause you to dislocate your shoulder. Previous dislocations and loose ligaments can also put you at further risk of dislocating your shoulder. Shoulder instability and dislocations cause severe shoulder pain.

Other common causes of shoulder pain include bursitis, shoulder impingement syndrome, referred pain, fractures, poor posture, repetitive strain, etc.

Symptoms Associated with Shoulder Pain

Some of the common symptoms that may be associated with shoulder pain include: 

• Stiffness
• Weakness in the shoulder
• Clicking or popping sensation
• Limited range of motion
• Swelling 
• Tenderness
• Muscle fatigue
• Muscle tightness, etc. 

When Should You Seek Physical Therapy for Shoulder Pain?

Although shoulder pain is a common condition and may sometimes get resolved through adequate rest and home remedies, it should not be ignored when it is persistent and it interferes with the smooth running of your daily life. It may be time to consider physical therapy in Merrick if you experience:

• Persistent shoulder pain that lasts for more than 3 weeks despite the application of home remedies
• Difficulty performing basic daily tasks due to pain
• Frequent popping, clicking, and grinding sensations with pain whenever you move or rotate your arm
• Visibile deformity in the shoulder (fractures or dislocation)
• Limited range of motion or strength in the shoulder
• Recurring pain when you perform specific movements

You should also consider seeking shoulder pain physical therapy if you have just had a shoulder surgery for injury to ensure proper rehabilitation.

What can you Expect During Physical Therapy for Shoulder Pain?

If you are considering physical therapy for shoulder pain treatment, you may want to know what to expect. The following is what a typical physical therapy session for shoulder pain looks like:

• Comprehensive Evaluation: This is the first step in physical therapy. Your therapist will try to understand your condition by reviewing your medical history, assessing your symptoms and condition, performing a physical examination, and ordering diagnostic tests, if necessary. This initial comprehensive evaluation forms the basis of your treatment plan.

• Personalized treatment plan: Your physical therapist will design a unique treatment plan based on the evaluation results and diagnosis. This treatment plan will be tailored to suit your treatment goals and needs. Physical therapy employs non-invasive techniques for treatment. Some of the common physical therapy techniques that you may experience during shoulder pain treatment include manual therapy, therapeutic exercises, taping, dry needling, etc. 

• Postural and movement education: Since shoulder pain can be caused by poor posture and ergonomics, your therapist may find it necessary to include postural and movement education in your treatment plan to teach you how to move more efficiently and avoid habits and situations that may worsen your condition.

• Patient Education and Self-management strategies: Physical therapy equips you with knowledge about your condition to ensure that you can actively participate in your treatment for efficiency and long-term support.

These and many more are some of the components of physical therapy that you may experience during shoulder pain treatment. 

Benefits of Physical Therapy for Shoulder Pain

The following are the benefits of undergoing physical therapy for shoulder pain in Merrick, NY:

• Physical therapy ensures that you can avoid unnecessary medications and invasive treatment options like surgery and the complications that come with them.
• It manages and eliminates pain and discomfort
• Physical therapy can strengthen the shoulder muscles to prevent future injuries
• It can help you to regain your mobility, flexibility, and physical function
• Physical therapy can restore and improve the range of motion in your shoulder

Conclusion

Shoulder pain is a disabling condition, whether it is caused by overuse, injury, poor posture, or underlying medical conditions. This condition makes it harder to perform your normal activities to ensure the smooth running of your daily life. However, you do not have to live with daily pain forever. Physical therapy is a safe, effective, and non-invasive treatment procedure that can treat the root cause of shoulder pain, restoring your mobility and physical function. If you suffer from shoulder pain, you should consider undergoing physical therapy at Summit Physical Therapy.