The shoulders may not usually get as much pampering as the hands and feet do, but the work that these body parts exert in our day to day activities is almost equal to how our limbs perform. It enables us to reach for things, do various exercises, play active sports—the list could go on. It is not unusual for the shoulders to be overworked or develop an injury. When this happens, how exactly do you treat it? One surefire way is through physiotherapy for shoulder.
Who gets shoulder pain?
Whether you are young or old, anyone can get shoulder pain. It is not limited to age, gender, or race, although the risks may vary for each person. Teens and younger children may have an increased risk of developing shoulder pain from injuries caused by physical activities and sports. The risks in older adults or in some individuals may be associated with their body’s wear and tear or due to an underlying medical condition.
Why do we experience shoulder pain?
The reasons why we experience shoulder pain can be due to numerous factors. The pain may either be acute or chronic and it can be sharp, tingling, or throbbing and accompanied by numbness and weakness that may extend to the arm, hands, or fingers.
Shoulder pain is often linked to bruising, inflammation, instability and weakness of the joints in the shoulder. As a result, doing daily mundane tasks such as lifting or extending the arm can be difficult.
Shoulder physiotherapy: What is it?
Shoulder physiotherapy is a way to diagnose, manage, and treat conditions that cause pain and injury to the shoulders. The primary focus of this type of therapy is to minimize or get rid of shoulder pain symptoms that have persisted over the course of time, so that the shoulder’s function can be restored and patients can continue to live their lives free from being disrupted by shoulder pain or injury.
What is involved in shoulder physiotherapy?
Various techniques of exercises, stretches, and surgical procedures can be involved in a physiotherapy treatment plan for the shoulder. These methods target to mobilize, stretch, and ease the tension and pain in certain tissues surrounding the joint of the shoulder. Shoulder physiotherapy can particularly help improve its health that may be due to the following:
- Injury from an accident
- Persistent shoulder pain from doing physical activities
- Shoulder immobility
- Shoulder surgery
What are the common problems causing shoulder pain that are addressed by physiotherapy?
The common problems contributing to the development of shoulder pain that cane be addressed by shoulder physiotherapy are usually caused by these factors:
- Illness
- Infection
- Injury
These are the shoulder pain conditions that may be associated to these factors and the physiotherapy technique that can help treat the shoulder:
- Adhesive capsulitis
- Bursitis
- Cartilage tear
- Dislocation
- Impingement
- Osteoarthritis
- Sprains and strains
Adhesive capsulitis. More popularly known as frozen shoulder, adhesive capsulitis is a condition that is characterized by inflammation of the tissues in the shoulders, making the area stiff, painful, and its range of motion restricted. Physiotherapy techniques that best treat adhesive capsulitis use exercises and stretches that focus on improving the shoulder’s function and movement. Heat therapy may also be used to loosen up the tension in the muscles prior to performing stretching and exercises.
Bursitis. Bursitis is an inflammation condition that affects the shoulder bursae, which is a sac filled with fluid that works to limit friction between the bones and tendons in the shoulder. Physiotherapy methods to treat the symptoms of bursitis include heat and ice therapy, AAROM and pendulum exercises, as well as shoulder taping to alleviate pain and improve movement.
Cartilage tear. Injuries to the shoulder’s cartilage may be due to sudden rotation movements or degenerative factors. To alleviate the symptoms of cartilage tear, various shoulder physiotherapy methods can be applied, such as manual therapy and exercises that improve the shoulder’s strength, reach, and posture.
Dislocation. Glenohumeral joint dislocation, as it is coined medically, occurs when the part of the shoulder called the humerus becomes separate from the glenoid of the scapula located at the glenohumeral joint. This injury can cause damage to other parts of the shoulders, which affects its overall function. A physiotherapy treatment plan for this type of shoulder problem can include exercises that improve the shoulder’s range of motion and strength, and specialized exercises that focus on retraining your muscles ability to respond to forces that may suddenly come in contact with the shoulder. For patients who are into physical activities or sports, education about how to properly care for your shoulders and rehabilitation may also be done.
Impingement. Shoulder impingement involves the irritation and inflammation of the muscle tendons in the shoulder. This can happen due to the overuse of the shoulders, particularly when doing repetitive overhead motions and lifting. Muscle imbalance in the shoulder may also cause impingement. Physiotherapy practices for shoulder impingement concentrates on easing the pain in the shoulders, strengthening weak muscles, and stretching any muscles that may be shortened to allow the patient to recover and resume to their normal routines. The treatments can be a mix of mobilization exercises, massages, and postural realignment.
Osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis of the shoulder, also known as degenerative joint disease, happens when the articular cartilage and other joint tissues in the shoulder gradually degenerates, leading to pain and stiffness. A combination of physiotherapy modalities (e.g. heat and ice therapy, ultrasound), manual therapy (e.g. joint manipulation, massage), and exercises that help build endurance and muscle strength can help improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis.
Sprains and strains. It is important that we know the difference between shoulder sprain and strain. Sprain happens when a ligament in the shoulder is overstretched or torn, while strain is a result of the overstretching or tearing of a shoulder tendon. Physiotherapy can help improve the shoulder’s condition by massaging the area, exercises that improve the strength of the area, gentle stretching exercises, joint mobilization techniques, Kinesio taping, and trigger point release method.
Conclusion
The various techniques used in physiotherapy can bring pain relief and improvement to your shoulder’s flexibility, mobility, and overall health. Remember that the physiotherapy treatments mentioned in this article are only examples and the exact treatment plan that a physical therapist recommends may differ per person depending on their symptoms and severity of their condition. It is always best to get help from experienced physiotherapists to effectively address your shoulder pain problems.
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Physioactive
Camden Medical Centre #06-01 Singapore 248649
Phone: 6235 2347
