Shoulder pain is one of the most common complaints we treat. It can be caused by several mechanisms:
1) Arm overuse, typically overhead - like painting a ceiling on the weekend
2) Sudden overload, like catching something heavy or falling on an outstretched arm
3) Gradual onset from work, exercise, or throwing sports
A common cause of this type of pain is something called supraspinatus tendinopathy. This can present with pain in the badge area of the shoulder, it can radiate down the arm toward the elbow or up into the neck depending on severity. Pain can interrupt sleep especially when sleeping on the affected shoulder.
The supraspinatus is the most commonly injured tendon in the shoulder.
Treatment will consist of:
1) Activity Modification: To reduce tissue strain and control pain
2) Exercise: Isometric strengthening of the tendon
3) Postural Correction: Joint and spine sparing postures to take stress off the injured tendon and support the shoulder with appropriate muscle activation.
4) Manual Therapy: Shoulder mobilizations performed by your physiotherapist.
You can typically expect return to near normal function within 8-12 weeks of physiotherapy care depending on the severity of the injury. It is normal to have lingering stiffness at end ranges of motion and slight discomfort with very strenuous movements.
Of course this all needs to get started with a physiotherapy assessment to determine the root cause of the pain. We are here to help, let us know if you have any questions about shoulder pain!
Eric
