Shoulder Pain

One of the most common conditions we see at the clinic is shoulder pain-  commonly diagnosed as ‘Shoulder Impingement’ or ‘Shoulder Bursitis’.  Impingement occurs when the humeral head moves upwards, hitting or impinging upon the acromion process (part of the shoulder blade). Bursitis occurs when a small sac of internal lubrication fluid, the Bursa, becomes inflamed. 

Sufferers will typically feel a pinch when lifting the arm or exercises such as swimming, boxing, bench press varieties etc.

The impinging of the bone on bone can irritate and even cause damage to the rotator cuff tendons that occupy the space between the humeral head and acromion. The sub-acromial bursa, which also occupies this space and acts a lubricating strip, becomes painful and inflamed with excessive impingement.

What causes Shoulder pain and impingement?

• Desk jobs and poor posture can cause thoracic kyphosis and forward head posture or stooping
• Muscle imbalance can cause poor resting positions and movement biomechanics
• Coexisting injury such as rotator cuff tendinopathy or tears
• Training program errors such as balance and excessive volume or “too much too soon”
• Poor exercise technique

How Complete Care can treat your shoulder pain and impingement.

• Perform an objective examination to determine which of the many potential causes are relevant to your case.
• Treat excessive muscle tension with massage or dry needling
• Treat tight thoracic spines or shoulder joints with joint mobilization
• Modify current training regimes to prevent further aggravation/damage
• Customised rehabilitation to correct posture, muscle balance and biomechanics