Chiropractic Treatments for Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain is one of the more common reasons for physician visits involving the musculoskeletal system. The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body. However, it is an unstable joint because of the range of motion allowed. Instability increases the likelihood of joint injury, often leading to a degenerative process in which tissues break down and no longer function well.

Shoulder pain may be localized or referred to areas around the shoulder or down the arm. Pain felt in the region of the shoulder blade or scapula nearly always have an origin the neck and upper back.

Causes of shoulder pain include strains from overexertion, tendonitis from overuse, shoulder joint instability, dislocation, fractures, frozen shoulder, and pinched nerves in the upper back and neck. As stated previously, pains associated with the shoulder and shoulder girdle, have an origin in the neck and the upper back.

Chiropractic evaluation of the shoulder and the neck and upper back will determine the origin of pain. From there chiropractic adjustments will be given to alleviate spinal and shoulder misalignment reducing muscular and ligamentous tension and elimination nerve irritation contributing to the pain.