Shoulder Pain Treatment Sydney | Stretches and Exercises You Can Do to Soothe Shoulder Pain
Try Dr. Greg Sher’s sequence of exercises to relieve your shoulder discomfort
Your shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in your body. It has such a wide range of motion at the expense of stability. Aside from some ligaments and the labrum (the cartilage in your joint), shoulder movement comes from your rotator cuff – four muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, which is a ball and socket joint. Dysfunction or injury to any of these structures, such as rotator cuff tears, can cause severe shoulder pain. Cases of shoulder pain can occur from falls, accidents, joint overuse, arthritis or referral pain. Overuse can be caused by sports like swimming, tennis, baseball or volleyball; or chores like brushing your hair, reaching for a high shelf, vacuuming or bed-making. We don’t realize how often we are using our shoulders when it comes to day-to-day tasks, specifically the front of the shoulder. Shoulder injuries can be some of the most annoying types of muscle pain due to the high usage of our arms and the large groups of muscles around the shoulder. Referral pain from neck and mid-back issues can create discomfort in your shoulder too. In a nutshell, rotator cuff injuries are common and can really impact your comfort as you complete your everyday activities. Here’s how you can find some temporary relief.
Stretches to relieve shoulder pain
Stretching regularly is an important tool that you can use to reduce or self-manage discomfort. Here, Dr. Greg Sher demonstrates a series of exercises you can do to relieve shoulder pain:
Shoulder pain prevention
If you have been susceptible to shoulder pain in the past, you can reduce your risk of triggering an injury by:
Practicing good posture throughout your day
This includes at your desk, when you text, when you drive or when you go to bed! You can also try these thoracic extensions to improve your mid-back.
Following proper technique
When you’re reaching for something high, use a stool. If you need to lift a heavy item, remember to squat by bending your knees and hips only; and lift using your legs (not your back).
Taking breaks
It’s important that you keep your body mobile throughout the day. So, if you’ve been sitting for a long stretch – stand. If you’ve been standing for an extended period – find a spot to rest
Check-in on your neck and back
Spinal issues can play a huge role in your shoulder function. As pain is one of the last signals your body uses to report its out of alignment, a regular check-in with your chiropractor can assist you to proactively manage your health. A healthy spine helps prevent minor aches and poor posture to develop into major points of discomfort.
Learn More
At Sydney Spine and Sports Clinic, we put you first. We believe in offering chiropractic care that enables you to make informed and educated choices about your health. If you are suffering pain and would like to talk to us about how we can help you get mobile and active again – get in touch right here. Our experts will offer customized shoulder pain treatment in Sydney to improve your quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
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The best treatment is to diagnose why the patient has shoulder pain (it could be coming from the shoulder, neck or even the mid-back) and then apply a specific treatment protocol to treat the root cause of the shoulder pain.
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Chiropractors, Physiotherapists and Osteopaths are the best practitioners to consult for your shoulder complaint. GP’s can also be very helpful.
The most important aspect of any treatment is to make a correct diagnosis of the problem, rule out any potential contraindications or underlying pathologies, and then apply the correct treatment.
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There is no real way to “cure” any pain. We use the term manage, as we find out what aspects of your lifestyle brought the shoulder pain on, and also try to diagnose which structures are causing your shoulder pain (it could be coming from the shoulder, neck or even the mid-back).
The most effective way to manage the pain is to reduce the load through the overloaded joints, improve their mobility and rehabilitate the muscles to assist them in supporting the joints in the best way possible.
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Chiropractic (but visit an extremity or sports chiropractor)
Physiotherapy
Exercise physiology.