Shoulder Pain Physio Cork

Shoulder Pain

You know that long lost shoulder injury that has just been lingering in the background for the past while; that one that just pops its head to say hello every now and then? Or maybe that shoulder injury that came on one day randomly at work and your shoulder and neck just don't feel the same since. If it's in the shoulder we can help you with it!

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Symptoms

Shoulder pain can take many different forms, but most commonly it presents as pain around the shoulder joint, and the pain can be increased or decreased with different shoulder movement. Some of the most common symptoms of shoulder pain are:

Stiffness and acheyness after long period of sitting
Shooting pain that radiates down the outside of the arm but doesn't cross the elbow
Pain around the shoulder blades/ mid back
Acheyness that travels up the neck with shoulder movements
Increased shoulder pain after waking up or from sleeping on it

Some signs to look out for with shoulder pain are acheyness in both shoulders with no cause of injury, pain in the left or right shoulder that isn't increased or decreased with movement, Stiffness in the shoulders when you wake up that lasts more than 30mins and doesn't change. If you're experiencing any of those symptoms you should consult a GP .

How we treat it

With shoulder pain there are many approaches. Depending on the symptoms, you may need strengthening exercises, range of motion exercises or even weight bearing exercises. These are determined by your goals and the way you’re presenting. At times manual therapy can come in handy to alleviate any muscle pain or tightness around the joint. In other times some shoulder mobilizations can help with improving range of motion. Some physios might choose to use dry needling and they may also target some muscles in the neck since the neck and shoulder work very closely together. If there are tendon problems there is evidence to suggest that shockwave therapy can help increase the healing process and improve function faster.

With shoulder pain the longer it’s been going on generally the longer it will take to resolve. However, with most physiotherapy treatments there are three phases of recovery. The first phase is pain relief, then rehabilitation and lastly resilience. Depending on where you are within that spectrum and your goals you may expect anywhere between 4-8 sessions. These generally are closer together at the beginning and then more spread out as you improve.

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How physiotherapy works

What to expect

Like other physiotherapy sessions you can expect a thorough history and questions about when and how you first got the shoulder pain. If you have any X-rays, MRIs or other imaging reports you can bring them along, we can help clear up any questions you may have and it could be important to help guide the assessment process. However, imaging is not necessary.

Following the history, your therapist will do an assessment, the first thing they will need to check is your neck movements to ensure that none of the symptoms are caused due to any nerve irritation. Then you will go through some shoulder movements as you’re able which will help us identify the points that we need to work on.

Lastly you and your therapist will then discuss the best protocol that is individualized to your need and goals.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the symptoms of a frozen shoulder?

Frozen shoulders has three phases; the "freezing" phases when it very painful to move, the "frozen" phase where the movement is still limited however the pain is not as intense and lastly the "thawing" phases where the individual slowly starts gaining movement back. Generally frozen shoulder comes after an acute injury to a shoulder but in more unique situations its idiopathic. It is generally characterized by limited ability to lift the arms up from your side.

Why do I have pain in my neck and shoulder?

A lot of the structures of the body overlap and work together. One of the most closely related structures are the shoulders and neck. Therefore its common that when there is a presenting problem in the shoulder the neck will also react and vice versa.

Why does my shoulder blade hurt?

For most arm movements part of the motion comes from the shoulder socket itself and the other part comes from the shoulder blade. Thus if there are limitations in the shoulder socket sometimes the shoulder blade will have to pick up the slack and do more of the work. In other times its the opposite that happens. Thus getting an assessment to see what is causing the pain can help identify the important structures to target.

What is a rotator cuff rupture/tear?

The "rotator cuff" is a group of four muscles that work together to keep the shoulder socket in place. This a rotator cuff or tear or rupture means that one of those four muscles is separated from the shoulder whether at the muscle or at the tendon.