Best treatment for shoulder pain Gold Coast
Why do people suffer from shoulder pain? What your Gold Coast shoulder Physiotherapist says.
In this blog we will look at atraumatic shoulder pain and what it looks like from a Physiotherapy standpoint and what we believe is the best treatment for shoulder pain here on the Gold Coast. This is shoulder pain without a traumatic ‘incident’ such as a dislocation.
The main causes we commonly see for shoulder pain are usually overuse injuries in the workplace or overload injuries in the gym/sporting field. This could be excessive mouse work OR lifting too heavy above head in the gym for example. Another very common cause of shoulder pain is poor flexibility in the shoulder joint and upper spine. The Physiotherapists job is to determine WHY the overload is happening, what movements need to improve; and build you a management plan to fix your shoulder pain long term.
What are common causes of shoulder pain? What your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will assess.
Your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will always assess all the following to help you improve your shoulder pain. One or more of these common findings could be contributing to your shoulder pain.
- Limited shoulder range of motion
- Excessive shoulder range of motion
- Poor spinal mobility in the neck and upper back
- Decreased shoulder muscle endurance/strength
- Poor shoulder blade control
What are the symptoms of shoulder pain?
Many symptoms can occur with shoulder pain. The most common symptoms are a dull throbbing pain around the shoulder itself, which can radiate into the shoulder blade or down the arm towards the elbow.
Commonly the shoulder pain sharply increases with certain movements such as raising the arm, picking up objects or putting on clothes etc. Sleeping on the shoulder can also be very uncomfortable.
When should I get an MRI for shoulder pain?
Your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will advise you on whether an MRI is necessary after they have taken your history and done their assessment + provisional diagnosis. Usually if a traumatic event has occurred to the shoulder, it is more likely your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will refer for an MRI when compared to atraumatic shoulder pain.
Your Physiotherapist will complete several tests on your shoulder to determine the diagnosis and best ongoing care. If serious pathologies and structural damages that require specialist input are cleared, then Physiotherapy treatment commences. Most shoulder pain we see does not need an MRI or specialist review.
How will your Gold Coast Physiotherapist treat your shoulder pain?
After the assessment and diagnosis stage we then get started on fixing your shoulder problem/condition. This is done by first off improving range of motion in your shoulder joint, upper back and neck; as well as regaining the essential shoulder movements. This is done with a mixture of hands on manual therapy, stretches and home exercises.
If needed your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will also restore your shoulder blade position and ability to control that position in all directions. Your shoulder is then strengthened further by integrating weight bearing exercises such as EXERCISE 1 or EXERCISE 2.
Lastly your Gold Coast Physiotherapist will begin to build you a shoulder and whole body strengthening program until you can complete exercises such as EXERCISE 1 or EXERCISE 2.
How your Gold Coast Physiotherapist helped treat a client’s shoulder pain.
Client X presented with ongoing worsening shoulder pain when in the gym performing shoulder press and bench press. They experienced a sharp ache around the right shoulder when doing reaching movements, picking up grocery bags and sleeping directly on the shoulder.
An assessment was completed, and it was determined that Client X had pain because of limited shoulder range of motion due to shoulder blade positioning and control combined with poor thoracic spine mobility. This was what was causing the shoulder to become most painful when pushing heavy weights in the gym.
Treatment consisted of restoring full range of shoulder movement and shoulder blade control with massage, mobility drills and stability exercises. Progressing then to strengthening the shoulder and shoulder blade in all directions to progress the client to once again performing shoulder press and bench press in the gym pain free in 7 weeks’ time.
How often does your Gold Coast Physiotherapist treat shoulder pain?
Insidious shoulder pain is one of the more common conditions that come through our door, up there with lower back and neck pain. Here at Central Physio and Health we have a special passion for treating shoulder pain as we are aware of the limitations it can bring to peoples lives.
We believe strongly in our integrated systems and procedures for treating shoulder pain and trust every client that comes will achieve their desired outcome or “good result”. Enabling people to complete certain tasks/exercises that they were once fearful of is something that empowers and fuels our appetite for fixing shoulder pain in the community.
Are our Gold Coast Physiotherapists the right fit for you?
If you have any questions about your shoulder complaint and whether we can assist, we encourage you to give us a call 07 5679 3664 or email us at info@centralphysiohealth.com.au about any questions that you might have. One of our practitioners will give you a call to discuss your specific questions and how we can assist.
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