Shoulder Pain Relief Portland & Winchester, IN

Shoulder Pain Relief

Sandy R.

When I first came in I went to the shoulder seminar. I was then evaluated and received an imaging ultrasound that showed tears. I did not want to have surgery and did the therapy. I noticed a difference almost immediately.

Jane T.

Adams Physical therapy had previously helped me with an issue I had with my foot. I woke up one day with pain in my shoulder and unable to move it very well.

Martha H.

My goals were to get rid of the pain and be able to move my arms without any pain. My cervical doctor said that he could offer me no more help so he referred me to therapy because I was not getting any lasting relief.

Why can’t I figure out how to treat my shoulder pain?

Shoulders: We carry the weight of the world on them, but don’t spend much time taking care of them. Yet our shoulders are each an incredibly complicated joint system. The positive aspect of this complexity is that your shoulders allow your body to undertake an amazing range of activities. On the downside, when something goes wrong with one or both of them, it can be complicated to treat.

Specifically, each one of your shoulders is made up of four joints. These are connected not only to one another but form the connecting unit to your shoulder blades, collarbone, and upper arms. Because of this interdependence, any problem with your shoulder often means trouble performing functions that require almost any kind of upper-body mobility.

What causes shoulder pain?

The causes of shoulder problems can stem from a sudden injury, a lifetime of poor posture, or conditions that aggravate the shoulder such as repetitive arm use at work or reaching overhead. These conditions include various forms of arthritis and other inflammatory disorders.

Aggravating injuries include shoulder dislocation and broken arms, rotator cuff tearing, and falls or blows to your torso. In addition, shoulders tend to carry problems with other parts of your body. This means that even heart disease or gallbladder problems can show up as “referred pain” in your shoulders.

What does physical therapy do to stop shoulder pain and stiffness?

Our highly trained physical therapists apply a variety of treatment techniques to restore pain-free mobility to the shoulder. After a thorough evaluation, these techniques include, but are not limited to:

You will also receive a home program of activities to help you along to a full recovery.

Ready to get started?

Whether you’re in need of post-surgical rehab or are hoping to avoid surgery, our comprehensive treatment plan can help.

Contact us today at our Portland, IN & Winchester, IN offices to request an appointment online. We will help you learn how our physical therapists can help you quickly relieve your shoulder pain.

FAQs

  • What is the best exercise for shoulder pain?

    While there is no one-stop solution for shoulder pain, there are many exercises that can be done to help strengthen the rotator cuff region and ease the pain you are expereincing. Our physical therapists are highly trained to help improve the flexibility and range of motion in your shoulder, in addition to relieving your pain and discomfort. This will be done through an individualized treatment plan designed specifically for you, including therapeutic modalities and targeted pain-relief exercises. A couple common rotator cuff-strengthening exercises that physical therapists prescribe are wall push-ups and chair push-ups. Resistance bands can also be used to increase the strength in your shoulder and help relieve pain. However, it is important to note that if your pain is serious, these exercises should not be performed without the aid of a physical therapist.

  • How many types of shoulder pain exist?

    When it comes to your upper extremities, injuries typically fall into two categories: acute or overuse. Acute injuries are caused by a single specific incident, such as a strain or tear. Overuse injuries are caused by excessive repetitive movements over time. Both acute and overuse injuries can range from mild to severe and can have a significant impact on daily life function. Shoulder pain can also be chronic, meaning it has persisted for 3 months or longer, despite efforts to relieve it. If you have been living with chronic shoulder pain, it is in your best interest to consult with a physical therapist as soon as possible, so they can get to the root of the problem and treat you accordingly.

  • Can physical therapy help shoulder pain?

    Two of the biggest goals of physical therapy are 1) to alleviate your pain and 2) to improve your function. Your physical therapist will work with you to make sure that both of these are achieved throughout your physical therapy sessions. Physical therapy has been proven to manage the pain of several conditions, and in many cases, it has even been proven to eliminate shoulder pain altogether, thus making the need for harmful drugs or surgical intervention obsolete.

  • What are the causes of shoulder pain?

    There are several underlying causes that could result in shoulder pain. For example, a sudden injury or trauma to the shoulders can cause them to become painful. Repetitive motions can also cause shoulder pain, as your muscles, joints, and tendons are working in overdrive. While there are multiple factors that could be causing your shoulder pain, some of the most common include sprains, strains, a torn cartilage, dislocation, frozen shoulder, tendinitis, and arthritis.