Treating Shoulder Pain With Chiropractic Care

What happens when you experience shoulder pain? Do you try DIY treatments first at home with accessible household products like pain relievers, ice packs, and heat pads? If not, you really should make the effort to self-treat before going in to visit a chiropractor or general physician. We visited the website of Ashlock Chiropractic in Owasso Oklahoma to see what they had to say about shoulder and neck pain and we came away with some great notes. Continue reading to learn more about the self-healing at the home and professional treatment as an alternative.

Shoulder and neck pain cause millions of Americans discomfort every year and treating this if it's not a major injury, just might be easier than you think. Preventative measures should be taken to avoid cramped neck and shoulder muscles while sleeping. Limiting the time spent on computers and mobile devices will help lower your chances of shoulder and neck pain. Proper stretching in the morning is another way to avoid unwanted kinks. Exercise can help neck and shoulder pain if the injury responds well to it.

There may be a situation where home-healing just isn't an option and you need to seek professional advice from a chiropractor or general physician. Many chiropractic offices also offer acupuncture, which has been known to treat tension and tight muscles in the neck and shoulder area.

When visiting a chiropractor, how can they identify the problem with your neck or shoulder? Most doctors have specialized tests in place to target certain areas of the neck and shoulder to identify what might be causing the pain. These tests can usually identify pinched nerves, loss or range of motion, fractures, and other serious injuries. Sometimes X-Rays may need to be ordered to identify any damage done to the bone, muscles, or ligaments.

Chiropractic treatment is often enough to get your shoulder and neck adjusted, adding massage therapy, and acupuncture to the treatment will help speed up the recovery process if the injury is muscle related. Otherwise, your chiropractor might refer you to a physical therapist.

If you find yourself working with a physical therapist to recover your range of motion, your injury is probably more severe and will require multiple visits to recover properly. If this is the case, your muscles could be palpated to identify sensitive spots along the neck and shoulder.

Shoulder specific tests can also be performed, tests like this will help the therapist to identify the root of the pain. Usually, they can identify if the injury is specific to the muscle, tendon, or bone. There may also be nerve damage that can be identified through proper testing.

Neer's Test For Neck And Shoulder Pain

This test is used to identify shoulder impingements. Your chiropractor or physical therapist will ask you to raise your shoulder, then they will add pressure to the shoulder as the range of motion is at its peak. If you experience pain in your shoulder as you reach your maximum range point, you will have tested positive, and your likely diagnosis will be an impingement of the shoulder. What this test is telling you is that something is being pinched at full range, but it doesn't tell you what exactly is being pinched. Possibilities may include pinched nerves, pinched ligaments, or pinched rotator cuffs.

Speed's Test For Bicep And Shoulder Pain

This test is for identifying problems with your bicep that may be causing your shoulder pain. This pain can drive from the bicep and through the shoulder. It often identifies bicep tendonitis. During this test, your chiropractor or therapist will again test your range of motion and then bicep specific testing will follow. Usually, patients will test with arms extended to their sides, parallel to the floor, and the doctor will add slight pressure to the arm while the patient pushes back. If there is pain experienced during this test, it's likely that the bicep has been injured and is the source of the pain.

Apprehension Test For Neck And Shoulder Injuries

This test is completed with the patient lying on their back and could indicate a labrum tear. With you on your back and your chiropractor bending your elbow at a 90-degree angle, they will move your arm out to the side of your body. During this test you may feel your shoulder pop, or it may feel like it's going to pop, at that point the test will be considered a successful test, and apprehension may be identified. If your shoulder does pop, your therapist or chiropractor will need to provide an adjustment to pop it back in place.