If your shoulder huts, this is for you!

[Peak PT Administrator 0]

As the colder temperatures set in, we often see a rise in the number of patients who come to physical therapy for shoulder pain. Despite living in Rochester, the cold weather is not likely to blame for these problems! 

Overhead sports, all sorts of yard work and things like shoveling can really take a toll on your joints until they start to nag you so much that you change how you move. Eventually you’re forced to change the way you are functioning and...all too often...to STOP enjoying your favorite activities.   
 
Many different structures in the shoulder can cause pain. The rotator cuff ("rotor cup" as some would say), part of the biceps muscle, the labrum (shoulder socket cartilage ring), AC joint (small bump on top of shoulder), and multiple bursae (fluid sac friction reducers) can all be culprits that cause pain and limit function. But sometimes people are too quick to assume the cause is where the pain is and are "fooled" into blaming the shoulder when other nearby parts could really be at fault.
 
Did you know that your shoulder pain can come from its nearby neighbors, the neck (cervical) or mid-back (thoracic spine)?  Radiating pain from joints and nerves in both the neck and trunk can send symptoms to the shoulder blade and sometimes down the arm...which can be tricky as they pass right through the shoulder area. Pain doesn't have to be the only "feeling" that can raise a flag or concern; weakness or numbness/tingling can also be a sign that something is wrong.
 
For those of you reading this thinking, "I know, stretching and strengthening exercises are the answer"…you might be right. Or you might not be. And do you know which ones are the right ones to do? You see, the real challenge is first doing an evaluation to determine the source of the pain, figuring out which tissue is making that shoulder hurt but then ALSO digging deeper to find any underlying causes for why it happened in the first place! 
 
Seeing a skilled, knowledgeable health care professional is that first step. A good history and a thorough physical exam are the key first steps to discovering why your shoulder hurts. Yes, there are times when "films” might be necessary. But be careful of ‘hanging your hat’ on X-ray or MRI findings. Studies remind us that plenty of people with no pain often have similar findings on imaging studies...so they’re sometimes part of discovering what’s going on, but they have to be interpreted alongside an excellent clinical exam. 
 
Too many of today’s common treatments focus on simply masking your symptoms. Temporary “feel good” options do work to block your pain or inflammation, but have they really helped handle the actual problem? Can you be confident this isn’t going to come right back again?
 
Keep an eye out in your inbox for our next email and we’ll share a little more about understanding those different causes of shoulder pain better. 
 
Hope this helps!

Allison Pulvino, PT, MSPT, CMP, CAFS and Andrew Neumeister, PT, DPT, FAFS