The shoulder is a complex joint involving three different bones and 20 different muscles allowing for a wide range of motion. The main joint of the shoulder (glenohumeral joint) is connected by a group of four muscles and their tendon attachments, called the rotator cuff. Problems with the rotator cuff include sports injuries, dysfunction due to muscle imbalance, wear and tear issues leading to fibrotic scar tissue formation and adhesions. The symptoms from rotator cuff problems can vary from a slight catching pain to severe pain and frozen shoulder. Because of the wide range of motion of the shoulder joint, structural alignment is also key to the health of the joint. Misalignment will lead to premature deterioration of the joint. A third consideration is nerve supply to the shoulder. Many pains in the shoulder actually originate in the cervical spine as the nerves from this region travel to the muscles and other tissues of the shoulder as well as the arm and hand. Irritated nerves in this region can lead to referred pain or cause the muscles in the region to become tight or weak leading to imbalance and dysfunction in the shoulder joint.
A chiropractor is one of the few health care providers to analyze and treat all three major causes of shoulder pain; nerve irritation, misalignment, and muscular/tendon issues. In addition special rehabilitation exercises may be advised by your doctor to assist in a complete and quicker recovery. Don’t “wait and see” if the pain will go away on its own. Pain is an indication that something is wrong and waiting could be the worst thing to do.
To get a comprehensive evaluation, call Dr. Jeff Bowne at 661-288-2321 and don’t forget to visit his website at www.bownechiropractic.com