Shoulders are the joints with the greatest mobility in the human body. Your arm is capable of a 360 degrees rotation thanks to the special build of the shoulder. The humerus (the upper arm bone) connects to the shoulder blade and the collarbone through a complex network of ligaments and muscles.
Thus, accidents can happen and destroy the delicate balance of this mechanism, especially because we do a lot of movements involving the shoulders. In this article, we will show you that chiropractic treatment for shoulder pain is an effective alternative to other treatments.
What Are the Main Causes of Shoulder Pain?
Physical injuries represent the prevalent cause of shoulder pain. The reason for this is that we subject our shoulders to a lot of effort. We carry and lift heavy items. We lift them up to reach for objects on a high shelf in stores. We practice various sports, such as swimming and tennis. Thus, every day our shoulders have to endure a lot of wear and tear.
It takes one wrong move, at an awkward angle, to cause an injury to one of the many components of your shoulders. Left untreated, a simple injury can get worse due to inflammation of the tendons (tendonitis). Also, breaking a fall with your arms can also lead to shoulder injuries.
Should You Be Worried? Types of Shoulder Pain You Should Not Ignore!
Of course, not all types of shoulder pain require more than a little massage with an over-the-counter pain cream. However, certain symptoms indicate a serious problem with your shoulder, and you should not ignore them.
These are:
- Weakness in the arm: you cannot hold or lift anything, even a cup of coffee
- Stiffness
- Limited mobility in the shoulder
- Popping sounds anytime you move your shoulder
- Recurring pain.
Chiropractic Treatment for Shoulder Pain – What You Need to Know
So, how can a chiropractor help you get rid of the unpleasant symptoms listed above? First of all, you must understand that chiropractic treatment for shoulder pain aims to solve the cause of pain, not simply eliminate the symptom.
Depending on the type of injury that causes your shoulder pain, chiropractors recommend a course of treatment consisting of:
1. Chiropractic Adjustment
If you suffer from a shoulder dislocation, the chiropractor will use a series of adjustments to set all the bones and ligaments in their right place. This is a specialized technique that requires training to apply just the right amount of pressure.
Thus, you should not attempt it on your own or ask an unlicensed person to do it for you. A wrong manipulation may make your condition worse than it is. Also, do not take Hollywood movies as a source of self-setting your shoulder. Slamming it into a wall will not put all your bones back in place, but cause further injury. Only a certified chiropractor should adjust your shoulder.
2. Massage
A therapeutic massage is also a specialized form of treatment. An experienced chiropractor knows how much pressure to exercise on precise areas of your shoulder to heal the pain and solve the underlying issue.
3. Compression
This is one of the specific types of chiropractic treatment for shoulder pain. It involves palpating the painful area and monitoring the patient’s response to identify the correct pressure points. This type of treatment, scientifically called the ischemic compression technique, was documented in a scientific paper published by the National Institute of Health.
4. Posture Correction
On many occasions, chiropractors find out that the main cause of recurring shoulder pain is poor posture. This problem has grown worse during the last year because a lot of people work from home and do not have ergonomic furniture that allows them to keep a neutral posture while working on the computer.
In this case, the chiropractor will show the patient how to keep a correct posture and offer them advice to prevent them from hunching over their laptop and other poor posture issues.
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