We use our arms each and every day to lift, carry and perform tasks, and while muscles in the area do a lot of work, much of the torque and stress falls on your shoulder joint. Over time, this can take a toll on the shoulder joint and lead to a breakdown of the area or nearby structures. There are a wide variety of problems that can develop in the shoulder region, but the good news is that physical therapy can usually be very helpful in treating all of these ailments. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at 10 types of shoulder issues that a physical therapist can help treat.
Common Shoulder Problems And How PT Can Help
Here’s a look at 10 types of shoulder injuries and ailments that we see regularly at our clinic. If you’ve been diagnosed with any of these conditions, or you’re dealing with pain and stiffness in your shoulder and you want to see if a physical therapist can help, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today.
- Shoulder Arthritis – Caused by inflammation in the joint, shoulder arthritis can lead to pain and stiffness. Physical therapy can help to calm this inflammation, reduce pain and improve flexibility in the area.
- Shoulder Instability – When ligaments that hold the shoulder joint in place become overstretched or torn, making the joint unstable and oftentimes painful. PT helps to strengthen these ligaments and ensure they can provide stability to the area.
- Frozen Shoulder – A thickening of the shoulder capsule ends up restricting motion in the area. Physical therapy can help to re-engage the area and increase range of motion.
- Torn Labrum – The labrum is a thick piece of tissue that attaches to the rim of the shoulder socket to help stabilize the area and keep it in place. If the labrum tears, physical therapy will be needed to help the tissue recover and once again provide stability.
- Rotator Cuff Injury – A tear in the tissues connecting muscle to bone around the shoulder joint is classified as a rotator cuff injury. These tendons can have their function restored through targeted physical therapy.
- Shoulder Tendonitis – If your rotator cuff or other tendons in the shoulder become inflamed, you’ll be diagnosed with tendonitis and likely told to connect with a physical therapist to help calm the inflammation.
- Shoulder Joint Replacement – If you recently had surgery to replace your degenerative shoulder joint, you’ll need physical therapy to help strengthen all the tissues in the area and establish range of motion with the new artificial joint.
- Thoracic Outlet Syndrome – If blood vessels and nerves in the collarbone region become compressed, you’ll need a physical therapist to help free these structures from whatever is causing the impingement and symptoms.
- Throwing Injuries – Athletes, especially pitchers, put a lot of stress and strain on the shoulder in their throwing arm. We can help strengthen the area or help it fully recover after an overuse or acute injury.
- Dislocations – While you’ll probably have your shoulder popped back into place before you get to our office, once you have a shoulder dislocation injury, you’re much more likely to suffer a subsequent dislocation. By connecting with a physical therapist, we can help safely improve the muscles and tissues that help hold the joint in place to help prevent another painful dislocation.
If you’re dealing with any of the above conditions, or you just want to see if we can help with your shoulder pain, reach out to the team at OrthoRehab Specialists today for more information.
PT of Costa Rican National Soccer Team for 2007 World Cup in Victoria, CAN. Clinical Instructor for University of Minnesota Doctor of Physical Therapy Affiliations
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