Shoulder injuries are extremely common amongst both athletic and non-athlete populations. These nagging ailments can cause significant disability, forcing patients to pursue surgical options when they feel like their shoulder pain will never go away.
Fortunately, there are numerous non-surgical options for the treatment of shoulder pain. One such option is chiropractic care. Chiropractic treatments offer a low-risk, highly effective way to reduce pain and improve function in this highly mobile joint.
In this article, we will review the topic of shoulder injuries and demonstrate how chiropractic care can help patients suffering from shoulder-related issues.
The Basic Structure of the Shoulder
When talking about a joint within the body, it’s usually helpful to start with the bones, muscles, and other structures that make it up.
The shoulder joint is slightly unique when compared to most other joints because there are many specific joints (junctions between two or more bones) contained within the broad “shoulder joint”.
Specifically, the scapulothoracic joint (where the shoulder blade meets the spine), the glenohumeral joint (where the upper arm meets the shoulder blade), and various other joints come together to make up the shoulder as a whole.
Some of the major muscles in this region include the rotator cuff group and the deltoids. Of course, there are many other muscles in this area that connect with the neck, the spine, and other parts of the arm. All of these intricate muscles enable us to move our shoulders with a high level of strength and mobility.
Beyond the muscles and bones that make up the shoulder joint, there are also ligaments, tendons, a labrum, and a few other key structures. These all serve important functions such as providing stability and padding for the joint.
Common Shoulder Injuries
Depending on your activity level, there are a number of shoulder conditions from which you are likely to suffer.
For instance, many athletes may suffer traumatic shoulder injuries, such as labral tears.
On the other hand, many non-athletes may develop osteoarthritis in their shoulder joints.
But both athletes and non-athletes can suffer a very troublesome shoulder injury known as a rotator cuff tear.
This is an issue in which one or more of the four rotator cuff muscles are damaged due to strain and overuse.
Rotator cuff tears often lead to serious dysfunction and pain. In fact, severe rotator cuff tears can make it almost impossible for one to use his or her arm. Therefore, many of these patients will undergo surgery to correct this issue, assuming that there is no other way to recover.
However, many shoulder injuries, including some rotator cuff tears, can be dramatically improved through chiropractic care.
Chiropractic Care and Shoulder Pain
For almost every shoulder issue, chiropractic care can help, at least to some extent. Of course, if you have completely ruptured a rotator cuff tendon, or suffered a bad break in your arm, chiropractic adjustments are unlikely to solve the problem.
That being said, cases of generalized shoulder pain and minor rotator cuff tears can improve significantly with structured chiropractic care.
Why is this the case?
Interestingly, the spine seems to have intimate and important connections with every structure in the body. For this reason, whenever a skilled chiropractor performs a spinal manipulation on a patient with shoulder pain, they can often help said person return to their daily lives with less pain and dysfunction.
Are you looking for a nonsurgical solution to your shoulder pain? Chiropractic care may be the right fit for you! Our expert team at Keystone Chiropractic, the best chiropractors in Plano, TX, is ready to help you. Book your appointment today.
