With almost 30 percent of people experiencing rotator cuff injuries in their lifetime, “frozen shoulder” is not an injury to be taken lightly. This is especially true for those whose work or sport relies heavily on a large range of arm and shoulder movement, like painters, golfers, swimmers or carpenters. The repetitive motions in these activities have the potential to cause serious damage on the joints and muscles in your shoulder.
When it comes to rotator cuff injuries, many of our patients find themselves pushing through pain. While patients can choose to live with their injuries, ignoring a rotator cuff issue isn’t as easy as it sounds. Rotator cuff injuries can result in a dull, aching pain deep in the shoulder. Sleep can be disrupted, and simple tasks like brushing your hair or reaching behind your back can result in intense pain. When left untreated, rotator cuff injuries are often accompanied by an increased weakness in the affected arm. Pain typically worsens over time, and as the injury progresses, treatment options become less desirable – read: surgical.
While it’s always better to treat these injuries early, that doesn’t mean that chiropractic care can’t provide relief late into a chronic injury. “People present to our office at different stages of a rotator cuff injury. Some of these injuries are acute injuries that have just happened in the last couple of days, and some of these are chronic injuries that are just going on for months at a time,” said Dr. Tom Vrbka, D.C., CCSP. “It doesn’t matter if it’s an acute or chronic injury – we can help both by treating them in different ways.”
For acute injuries, treatment includes focusing on getting inflammation down before starting rehabilitation. Chronic injuries involve restoring blood flow to the injury’s location for rehabilitation. During rehabilitation, not only will the appropriate muscles be activated and exercised, but also modifications will be made to ensure that this type of injury doesn’t happen again.
If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, don’t wait until you start to lose the function in your arm. Call Advantage Chiropractic Clinic to schedule a consultation. The sooner you get treatment, the better your outcome will be. Before you know it, you’ll be waving a football shaker above your head with ease.