Category: Shoulder Pain

Passive vs. active shoulder pain treatment in El Paso, TX
There are many types of therapy used for shoulder pain treatments at our El Paso, Texas locations. Passive and active therapy exercises are the two main types of therapy we offer. At Border Therapy Services, we want to help you understand the difference between these two helpful forms of therapy.

We pride ourselves on helping our patients understand their therapy. A high level of understanding is important for you and for us because the more you know, the better you’re likely to do in your therapy sessions. Therefore, helping you understand your injury and the treatments we prescribe for it may be a major factor in getting you better faster. For this reason, Border Therapy Services in El Paso, Texas wants to help you understand the difference between passive and active therapy exercises in your shoulder pain treatment.

What’s the difference between passive and active shoulder pain treatment exercises

Our team at Border Therapy Services uses a variety of therapies for shoulder pain treatment. Two of the exercise types we commonly include are passive and active exercises. Your shoulder is one of your body’s most complex joints. There are three bones, four tendons and a variety of muscles that make up your shoulder. When one or more of these structures is injured, you may experience some pain.

One therapy method that our team may use to help you fight your shoulder pain is passive exercises. The word passive that’s used for describing these exercises may give you the wrong impression about them. You may think passive means you won’t be moving your shoulder at all during this type of therapy. Our team wants you to know that these exercises will involve shoulder movement.

However, we call these exercises passive because you aren’t the one who is moving your muscles. One of our therapists will move your shoulder through the movements of the exercise while you remain relaxed. Some types of passive exercise we may use in your treatment are joint mobilization and massage.

Another type of therapy exercise we’ll likely use in your shoulder therapy is active exercises. During active exercise, you’ll use your own muscular effort to perform the prescribed movements. One of our therapists will be there to guide your efforts, but they won’t provide any of the muscular effort for the exercises themselves.

One type of active exercise we may use in your treatment is shoulder pulley exercises. We may also provide you with a variety of self-stretches that fall into the active exercise category.

Both types of active and passive exercises include several benefits, such as:
- Decreasing your shoulder pain
- Reducing swelling and inflammation in your shoulder
- Improving circulation in your shoulder
- Decreasing shoulder muscle tension
If you’re ready to get all the benefits that passive and active exercises have to offer, we can help you. Contact us at one of our six El Paso, TX locations today.
December 15, 2018
Treat causes of your rotator cuff pain in Grand Rapids, MI
If you have rotator cuff pain, you understand how it can have many negative effects on your life if left untreated. Thus, it’s critical that you find out what’s causing your rotator cuff pain and find an effective treatment for it. Luckily, if you live near Grand Rapids, Michigan, treatment for this type of injury is nearby.

Advent Physical Therapy can help you deal with many different types of pain. We’ve been helping people in Grand Rapids, Michigan find the best physical therapy for their pain since 1996. We know that damage to your rotator cuff can cause you a significant amount of pain. We’re also aware that several things could be causing this pain. Our team can use evidence-based physical therapy to help you deal with your rotator cuff pain efficiently and effectively.

How we treat rotator cuff pain at our downtown Grand Rapids, MI location

Four muscles and tendons connect your upper arm bone to your shoulder blade. These muscles and tendons are commonly known collectively as the rotator cuff, and it can be injured in many different ways.

Advent Physical Therapy commonly sees rotator cuff injuries, because they are easily caused by a variety of everyday activities. For instance, an excessive amount of throwing the baseball with your children can lead to this type of injury. It can also be caused by stretching your shoulder too far while reaching for something on a high shelf in the kitchen. Even lifting objects like boxes of holiday decorations that are heavier than you thought can cause you to injure your rotator cuff. Besides these common causes, your rotator cuff can also be injured by things like car accidents or falls around the house.

No matter how you injured your rotator cuff, the team at Advent Physical Therapy wants to help you treat the pain of this injury. We have a variety of evidence-based physical therapies we can use to create a treatment plan for you. Some of these evidence-based therapy methods include:
- Joint stabilization exercises
- Muscle stretches
- Ultrasound therapy
- Electrical stimulation treatment
- Shoulder strengthening exercises
Our team and you can work together to combine these evidence-based therapies with things like resting your shoulder at home. There are many ways that we can help you get started with your treatment plan, but one of our most popular is our 15-minute free screening. To sign up for your free rotator cuff pain screening, contact our team at 150 Jefferson Ave. SE, Suite 100 in Grand Rapids, Michigan today.
December 4, 2018
Four common shoulder pain is treated in Point Roberts, Washington
Your shoulder is an important joint that you may not think much about until it’s been hurt or injured. The joint is responsible for keeping your arm attached to the rest of your body and for movements of the arm. When one of the bones or connective tissues in this joint is damaged by an injury or physical condition, it can be difficult to use your shoulder and the rest of your arm.

Experiencing some form of shoulder pain during your life is common. Normal activities, such as sitting carrying heavy objects or sitting hunched over can cause your shoulders to be sore. However, severe or chronic pain that is accompanied by other symptoms, like numbness or immobility, should be treated by a healthcare professional.

Common types of shoulder pain that physical therapists treat

Severe shoulder pain may be the sign of a serious condition. Many of these conditions can grow worse over time and lead to greater problems like permanent disability.

Physical therapists can help you strengthen and stretch the muscles, tendons and ligaments to help reduce shoulder pain and promote healing for many conditions, including some of the following most common ones:
- Tendinitis — Repetitive motion can cause tendinitis in the shoulder. This is a painful condition that affects the tendons and can limit your mobility.
- Bursitis — Bursitis is a condition in which the sacs of fluid that cushion your joints (bursae) become irritated or inflamed. Bursitis is very painful and can cause swelling and limited mobility.
- Dislocation — If the connective tissues in your shoulder are strained or sprained too much, your shoulder joint can pop out of the socket. When this happens, you will feel a lot of pain and may not be able to move your arm, which may feel like it’s hanging loosely.
- Arthritis — Arthritis is a degenerative disease that affects joints, like your shoulders, and can cause pain and loss of mobility.
- Fracture — The bones in your shoulder can partially or completely break if subjected to blunt force or weakened by osteoporosis. Complete fractures may require surgery for treatment. In these cases, physical therapy can still help by helping you prepare for surgery and recovering afterward.
Schedule an appointment for shoulder pain in Point Roberts, Washington

The physical therapists at Whatcom Physical Therapy can help treat many conditions and injuries that affect your shoulders. If you would like help reducing shoulder pain and restoring your range of motion, please contact us today to schedule an appointment.

Our Point Roberts location:

2030 Benson Road

Pt. Roberts, Washington 98281

Whatcom Physical Therapy serves residents of northwestern Washington from three different locations. Please visit our locations page if you would like to check out one of our other clinics.
December 3, 2018
How To Relieve Shoulder Pain
Do you have aching shoulders? Do you know that the problem could be a result of rotator cuff damage? That’s right, your shoulder pain that comes along with certain motions or that you notice during sleep could be a result of rotator cuff issues.

What Does The Rotator Cuff Do?

Like most parts of the body, we don’t think about our rotator cuff until there is a problem. However, your rotator cuff issue can have a great effect on your shoulder pain. In fact, you use your rotator cuff many times a day to do even basic activities, such as throwing a baseball, lifting objects over your head or even brushing your hair and teeth. The rotator cuff’s role is made up of muscles that surround your shoulder joint, which guide your shoulder as it moves. Therefore, when your rotator cuff becomes damaged, this can result in poor range of motion in the shoulder and inflammation and pain.

How Does a Rotator Cuff Become Weakened or Injured?

Usually, an injured rotator cuff is a result of you moving your shoulder in a forceful or repetitive movement. The injury itself is pretty common, especially when you get older. However, an injured rotator cuff can occur in anyone, no matter his or her age. It is more commonly seen in older individuals, though. In fact, studies show that 30% of individuals under the age of 70 and 70% of those over the age of 80 have experienced a rotator cuff tear.

How to Relieve Shoulder Pain For Good:

Thankfully, there is hope for you and your shoulder pain. This recovery comes with strengthening the shoulder and practicing proper motion. You can successfully strengthen your shoulder joint by utilizing anti-inflammatory treatments, such as ice applications, cortisone injections and medications, along with physical therapy. Your goal isn’t treating the rotator cuff itself, but instead, healing the muscles and tendons, which is accomplished by the methods just mentioned.

Specifics On How You Can Improve Your Shoulder Pain: What Can You Do?

The following are some easy-to-follow tips to improve your shoulder pain:
- Ice and rest your shoulder frequently. Ideally, you will want to ice for around 10 minutes, directly on the joint. Don’t worry if this causes the middle of your arm to ache. This is common.
- Hug a pillow while you sleep, tucking the pillow deep in your underarm. This works by keeping your shoulder joint properly spaced.
- Stand against a wall and squeeze your shoulder blades back and together. Be sure you don’t shrug your shoulders. This exercise will help retrain your shoulder to maintain proper posture.
- Avoid heavy lifting. Heavy lifting can include repetitive reaching over your head, even if the object you are placing overhead is light. Also, avoid carrying groceries on your injured shoulder.
What Happens if These Tactics Don’t Make The Pain go Away?

If your pain doesn’t go away in 3-4 days of making these changes, you should seek help from a physical therapist. The purpose of physical therapy is to improve the function of the muscles surrounding your shoulder. This helps the mobility of the joint. Physical therapy specifically targets the small, but significant muscles in the shoulder that are often neglected. When you strengthen these muscles through physical therapy, you can better compensate for the damaged tendons.

About Our Physical Therapy:

Our physical therapists perform their therapy in a soothing, gentle manner. We will educate you on the proper way to perform various exercises and techniques. The work of our wonderful therapists will greatly accelerate the relief of your shoulder pain by restoring proper shoulder motion sooner. Thankfully, many patients with rotator cuff tears will not require surgical treatment. In most cases, physical therapy will be enough to remedy your shoulder issue. Call Rehab Access today to learn more about our programs and how they can help relieve your pain.
September 20, 2017
Understanding Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Our shoulders are designed like a ball and socket, but very different from the deep sockets that hold our hips. In fact, many compare shoulder sockets to a golf ball sitting on a tee. Because these sockets are so shallow, our shoulders rely heavily on the surrounding shoulder blade and rotator cuff muscles to maintain the balance between mobility and stability.

The term rotator cuff refers to the muscles and tendons that connect the upper arm bone (i.e. humerus) to your shoulder blade (i.e. scapula) and collarbone (i.e. clavicle). The rotator cuff helps raise and rotate the arm while also keeping the upper arm bone tightly in the collarbone bone socket. Between the upper part of the shoulder blade (i.e acromion) and the rotator cuff tendons is a lubricated sac of tissue called bursa. Bursae are actually located all over the body where tissues must rub against each other. In this case, the bursa protects the acromion and the rotator cuff from grinding against each other.

Why do I have problems with Shoulder Pain?

Usually, there is enough room between the acromion and the rotator cuff so that the tendons slide easily underneath the acromion as the arm is raised. But each time you raise your arm, there is a bit of rubbing or pinching on the tendons and the bursa. This rubbing or pinching action is called impingement. Usually this doesn’t lead to any prolonged pain. But having poor posture, continuously working with the arms raised overhead, repeated throwing activities, or other repetitive actions of the shoulder can cause the impingement to become a problem. As a result, nearly 60 to 70 percent of us will deal with shoulder impingement pain at some point. Typically, it happens in our 40s or 50s.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome occurs when the space in the shoulder joints narrows (either because of structural issues or posture/movement related issues) and the rotator cuff tendons or bursa become intermittently trapped and compressed during shoulder movements, resulting in pain, inflammation and reduced mobility. When the rotator cuff tendons become inflamed the condition is called rotator cuff tendonitis. If the bursa becomes inflamed, shoulder bursitis will develop. Both these conditions can co-exist or be present independently. Both can result in pain, irritation, and reduced mobility.

What are the Symptoms of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome?
- An arc of shoulder pain approximately when your arm is at shoulder height and/or when your arm is overhead.
- Shoulder pain that can extend from the top of the shoulder to the elbow.
- Pain when lying on the sore shoulder.
- Shoulder pain at rest as your condition deteriorates.
- Muscle weakness or pain when attempting to reach or lift.
- Pain when putting your hand behind your back or head.
- Pain reaching for the seat-belt.
What happens if it isn’t treated?

If shoulder impingement isn’t treated, the inflammation can become chronic. This causes significant pain and limits daily and recreational activity. If tendons are pinched over time, they can tear – either partially or completely. A complete tear of the rotator cuff requires surgery to repair it. That’s why it’s important to address shoulder pain before it reaches this point.

What are the best types of treatment for shoulder pain?

Physical therapy can be very successful in treating shoulder impingement syndrome. Studies have shown that hands-on treatment of shoulder joints, neck, and upper back, coupled with specific exercises, can relieve shoulder impingement pain quickly and restore normal function significantly. When properly assessed and treated by a physical therapist, the factors that contribute to shoulder pain can be addressed and surgery can be avoided.

SOL Physical Therapy’s advanced, hands-on approach to treatment focuses on stretching, reducing pain, and increasing the range of motion. At SOL, you will work with your physical therapist to devise a treatment plan that is specific to your condition and goals. Your individual treatment program may include:
- Pain Management. Your physical therapist will help you identify and avoid painful movements, as well as correct abnormal postures to reduce impingement compression. Therapeutic modalities, like iontophoresis and ultrasound may be applied. Ice may also be helpful to reduce pain.
- Manual Therapy. Your physical therapist may use manual techniques, such as gentle joint movements, soft-tissue mobilization, and shoulder stretches to get your shoulder moving properly, so that the tendons and bursa avoid impingement.
- Range-of-Motion Exercises. You will learn exercises and stretches to help your shoulder and shoulder blade move properly, so you can return to reaching and lifting without pain.
- Strengthening Exercises. Your physical therapist will determine which strengthening exercises are right for you, depending on your specific condition. Often with shoulder impingement syndrome, the head of the humerus tends to drift forward and upward due to the rotator-cuff muscles becoming weak. Strengthening the rotator-cuff and scapular muscles helps position the head of the humerus bone down and back to ease the impingement. You may also perform resistance training exercises to strengthen your weaker muscles. You will receive a home-exercise program to continue your strengthening long after you have completed your formal physical therapy.
- Patient Education. Learning proper posture is an important part of rehabilitation. For example, when your shoulders roll forward as you lean over a computer, the tendons in the front of the shoulder can become impinged. Your physical therapist will work with you to help improve your posture, and may suggest adjustments to your work station and work habits.
- Functional Training. As your symptoms improve, your physical therapist will teach you how to correctly perform a range of functions using proper shoulder mechanics, such as lifting an object onto a shelf or throwing a ball. This training will help you return to pain-free function on the job, at home, and when playing sports.
Resources

Khan Y, Nagy MT, Malal J, Waseem M. The painful shoulder: shoulder impingement syndrome.

Wilk KE, Hooks TR, Macrina LC. The modified sleeper stretch and modified cross-body stretch to increase shoulder internal rotation range of motion in the overhead throwing athlete.

De Mey K, Danneels LA, Cagnie B, Huyghe L, Seyns E, Cools AM. Conscious correction of scapular orientation in overhead athletes performing selected shoulder rehabilitation exercises: the effect on trapezius muscle activation measured by surface electromyography.

Struyf F, Nijs J, Baeyens JP, Mottram S, Meeusen R. Scapular positioning and movement in unimpaired shoulders, shoulder impingement syndrome, and glenohumeral instability.

Castagna A, Garofalo R, Cesari E, Markopoulos N, Borroni M, Conti M. Posterior superior internal impingement: an evidence-based review
May 20, 2016