Shoulder pain is incredibly common and too often left untreated, resulting in chronic pain and further tissue damage. The problem is, most people don’t know how to read their body in order to understand the cause of their symptoms. Massage therapy is great for relieving muscle tension. If massages are not working to ease shoulder pain however, chances are the problem lies deeper than the muscle.
Diagnosing shoulder pain based purely on symptoms is difficult to do, as the shoulder is a very complex area of the body. Another way of detecting an imbalance in your shoulder joints is simply looking in the mirror. If you regularly favor one arm over the other, for instance by using a computer mouse all day, you may notice that one shoulder is slightly pushed forward or misaligned.
A misaligned shoulder can cause further stress through physical activity and exercise. If you are performing exercises with uneven shoulders, you will be over-stressing one shoulder more than the other. In addition, you will be using the wrong muscles to complete the movements. Retraining muscles, physio and stretching will have little impact to rectify an imbalance if the nerve signals from the brain are not communicating effectively to the muscle group.
How do chiropractors treat shoulder pains?
If your shoulder pain is constant or recurring even after a massage, there is a strong possibility that the nerves controlling the shoulder muscles aren’t communicating properly with the brain due to a spinal subluxation (a misalignment of the vertebrae). Chiropractic focuses on releasing tension in the spinal nerves, allowing them to communicate naturally again with the rest of the body.
Often the area you are experiencing pain or imbalance is caused by a subluxation in a different part of the spine. Because of this, a Chiropractor will look at your spine as a whole, not just the area in which you have symptoms. They will examine your full range of movement in order to understand how every part of your body is working or not working together.
To treat shoulder pain, a Chiropractor will examine and adjust your spine to make sure that the nerves connected to your shoulder are functioning properly. They can also adjust the various joints that make up your shoulder complex. Although these adjustments may seem small, the effects of them can go a long way in restoring a normal range of motion to the muscles in your shoulder.
Aside from performing adjustments, a Chiropractor will also advise you on ways to maintain your overall spinal health. This advice may include suggested sleeping positions, posture while working and correct lifting procedures that will avoid putting strain on your shoulders.
Don’t put up with shoulder pain any longer. Contact us today, to begin your journey towards better health for tomorrow