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Shoulder
Pain
Often the cause of shoulder
or arm pain is obvious. You do something to injure the arm or
shoulder and immediately feel pain. Or you begin feeling the
pain a day or so later. You may have broken a bone or dislocated
your shoulder. Perhaps you strained tendons or ligaments by
carrying too much weight for too long, by lifting something that
was too heavy, overreaching or overexerting your arm--as when
playing sports when you're out of shape--or by keeping your arm
in an awkward position, or even by sleeping on the shoulder. The
resulting pain may range from an annoying ache to acute pain
that makes it hard for you to use the injured arm. Fortunately,
the majority of such injuries are seldom critical.
However, there
are other, less-obvious causes of shoulder or arm pain. Each is
distinguished by where it is felt, whether it comes on suddenly
or over time, when it is at its worst, if the pain extends to
other joints in your body, and if other symptoms--such as
swelling, numbness, tingling, fever, fatigue, and
insomnia--accompany the pain. The causes of shoulder and arm
pain include tendonitis, bursitis, arthritis, and gout. Such
pain may also result from a reaction to medications such as
penicillin, anti-anxiety drugs, and oral contraceptives.
Whiplash injuries, common in auto accidents, can also cause
shoulder and arm pain.
Shoulder and
arm pain may be referred from some other region of the body, as
when someone suffering a heart attack feels pain in the left
shoulder and down the left arm. The pain may also be referred
from nerves that originate in the upper spine or from trigger
points (muscle knots).
What can
chiropractic do?
Your
chiropractor will examine you to determine exactly what is
causing your shoulder or arm pain. Because the causes and the
seriousness of different conditions are so varied, it is
important to pinpoint the cause and begin the most appropriate
treatment. He or she will discover if your problem is mild and
transitory or serious and likely to trouble you for a long time.
A broken bone cannot be treated in the same manner as bursitis
or tendonitis. Arthritis and gout call for different care than
pain originating in nerves supplying the shoulder and arm. Your
chiropractor will decide which treatment will be best for you
and if referral to a specialist will be necessary.
Chiropractic
can be successfully employed to deal with so-called frozen
shoulder, a severe inflammation technically known as adhesive
capsulitis. Chiropractors are accustomed to relieving painful
trigger points between the spine and shoulder. Chiropractors can
help you modify your habits and lifestyle to protect yourself
from arm and shoulder injuries and ailments. |