Cause of shoulder pain

Shoulder pain can be caused by irritation to the joints, soft tissue, cartilage or nerves. This can happen due to repetitive minor trauma such as working or playing sports, more rarely, by a single traumatic injury such as a fall or car crash. It can also be caused by inactivity which causes the joints to stiffen up and the supporting muscles to become weak.

If the joints of the shoulder get stiff, they are less able to carry out normal movements which can lead to further joint irritation, stiffness and pain.  The first step on your road to recovery for shoulder pain should be to establish the cause of your symptoms and the best type of management.

Treatment for shoulder pain

Making an accurate diagnosis is crucial to solving your shoulder pain as the treatment for different shoulder problems are not the same. Stiff joints benefit from gentle manipulation or mobilisation to loosen them up; muscle, tendon and ligament issues get better quickest with massage, stretching techniques and strengthening exercises and instability issues get better with stability and strength training.

The right type of exercises will help with all shoulder problems, although they differ depending on the exact cause of your pain. One thing is the same for all shoulder problems though – an accurate diagnosis is required for treatment to be effective.

Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)

Frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis is caused by initially painful and later progressively restricted range of movement in the shoulder joint with complete or near-complete recovery over a varied period of time.

Frozen shoulder is often more common in women and individuals aged between 40-65 years old, diabetics, after trauma or prolonged periods of inactivity.

If you have frozen shoulder people will often report a sudden onset of stiffness and pain and a gradual decrease in range of movement of your shoulder joint.  People who have frozen shoulder often report difficulty placing their hand behind their back, overhead activity such as brushing or washing their hair and difficulty sleeping at night.

Treatment for frozen shoulder

Although frozen shoulders can take up to two to three years for symptoms to resolve in some patients, treatment can speed this up a lot.  The focus of recovery for frozen shoulder is pain management, improve range of movement, strength and gradual return to full activity.

If you have frozen shoulder understanding all about it is essential.  Helping you to understand the nature of the condition and potential healing times is extremely important.  With the right care and advice you can reduce your frustration and know the right exercises to do, which will help to decrease your joint stiffness and improve your function and strength of the shoulder.  Techniques such as mobilisation of the shoulder joint, massage, acupuncture, low-level laser therapy and exercise can all be useful in the management and rehabilitation of frozen shoulder.

Rotator cuff related pain

The Rotator Cuff is a common name for a group of 4 distinct muscles in the shoulder.  The muscles and their tendons provide strength and stability during shoulder movements

Without getting making things too complicated the term rotator cuff related pain could be used for any condition such as rotator cuff tendinopathy, tendinitis and partial tears of the rotator cuff.

Shoulder disorders are extremely common with up to 30% of the population experiencing shoulder pain in their lives.  This condition is also the most common cause of shoulder pain in the active population that we see within our clinic. Rotator cuff related pain often causes weakness and pain in the shoulder joint and the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments.

If you have rotator cuff pain it is likely that it has been caused by a sudden increase in activity or doing too much too quickly.  Patients will often report pain when abducting the shoulder above 90 degrees or rotating the shoulder out to the side. Sleeping on the affected side can also cause pain and often sudden movements such as reaching out to stop yourself falling on a bus can cause pain.

Treatment for rotator cuff symptoms

The use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) such as ibuprofen may have a pain-reducing effect but always consult your pharmacist or doctor before taking any medication.

The treatment for your rotator cuff symptoms will aim to reduce your pain, swelling, improve range of motion and eventually strengthen the shoulder.  Initially, rest and ice can be used to decrease pain in the initial stages. However, it’s very important that in the initial stages you avoid activities that cause high levels of pain or aggravation.

We may use treatments such as massage, taping techniques, acupuncture and joint mobilisation all of which will help reduce pain and encourage movement in the shoulder.  As you improve, we will gradually introduce strength exercises into your programme which will help you return to your normal activity levels and ultimately reduce your chances of further injury.

You can book an appointment for a consultation online or by calling us. Details at the top of this page.

• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
• Impingement syndrome
• Rotator cuff injury
• SLAP tears (cartilage tear)

• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Arthritis pain
• Rehabilitation after fracture, surgery or dislocation