Category: Shoulder Pain

When should I seek treatment if the top of my shoulder hurts?
A little shoulder pain usually isn’t something to be worried about. You could have a sore shoulder after working hard in your yard or from reaching just a bit too high in your cabinet. A sore shoulder usually goes away after a little rest and home treatment. However, if you have pain at the top of your shoulder that lingers or feels worse than usual, you may need to seek treatment.

When you should seek treatment for pain at the top of your shoulder

The top of your shoulder is where there are many muscles, tendons and ligaments that act as the rotator cuff, which supports your shoulder and powers most of its motions. When you have pain in this region, it can be difficult to use your entire arm for many of your daily activities, such as getting dressed or taking a shower.

Again, some soreness in this area is to be expected throughout life, but there are also conditions and injuries that affect this area that require professional treatment. You may need to visit a health care professional for an examination and treatment if:
- You are having breathing difficulties and chest pain — Sudden shoulder pain accompanied by breathing difficulties and chest pain can be the sign of a heart attack. Seek immediate medical assistance if you have these symptoms.
- You have been in a traumatic incident — A fall or an impact to your body can injure the shoulder.
- You have swelling, redness and tenderness around your shoulder — These are usually the signs of a condition that requires professional treatment.
- Your pain isn’t responding to home treatment — If you’ve had pain and it hasn’t gone away after a few days of rest or home treatment, you may need to visit a professional for help.
Treating pain at the top of your shoulder

Many people with top of the shoulder pain visit physical therapists for treatment. Physical therapists, like those at Peak Performance, specialize in treatments that help reduce and prevent shoulder pain using methods like:
- Therapeutic exercises and stretches
- Joint mobilization
- Soft tissue mobilization
- Posture guidance
- Patient education
- Relaxation techniques and more
Visit Peak Performance Sports & Physical Therapy for shoulder pain treatment

Are you suffering from shoulder pain that limits the use of your entire arm? Our physical therapists at Peak Performance are here to help you manage your pain and improve your quality of life. Contact our team today for more information about shoulder pain or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 2, 2020
Five symptoms of a pinched nerve in the shoulder that mean you need treatment
Dealing with shoulder pain can be tough for anyone. People use their shoulders to do so many tasks during a normal day. They help you lift your coffee mug in the morning. They let you raise your arm to wave goodbye as your kids get on the school bus. Shoulder pain can make these normal movements agonizing.

You aren’t the only person dealing with pain in your shoulder. Medical research reveals that up to 70% of people experience shoulder pain at some time in their lives. Finding out what’s causing your pain is vital to treating it effectively, and a pinched nerve in your shoulder could be the reason for your pain and other symptoms.

These five symptoms mean you may have a pinched shoulder nerve

Certain pinched shoulder nerve symptoms could be signs that you have a serious medical issue. Commonly, issues like spinal disc problems or bone spurs can cause pinched nerves that affect the shoulder. There are five symptoms of a pinched shoulder nerve in particular that should cause you to seek help from your doctor. These five symptoms are:
1. Pain in one shoulder only — Each nerve only sends and receives signals related to a specific part of the body. This means that pinched nerves tend to send pain signals to only one shoulder.
1. Sharp, shocking pains — Issues like injured muscle, tendons and ligaments tend to cause an aching type of pain. Pinched nerves tend to cause pain that feels sharp. It can also feel like a shocking or burning sensation.
1. Pain worsens when turning the head — Certain head movements might increase pressure on the pinched nerve. In turn, the increased pressure can increase your pain.
1. Abnormal sensations — Shoulder nerves that have been pinched can cause a “pins-and-needles” sensation in the affected shoulder. This issue can also lead to sensations of weakness or numbness.
1. Symptoms extending beyond the shoulder — Any of the symptoms of a pinched shoulder nerve could appear in other connected body parts. This means that you might experience pain or abnormal sensations in the arm or hand on the same side as the affected shoulder.
Find treatment for the symptoms of a pinched shoulder nerve at Whatcom Physical Therapy

Now that you know the symptoms of a pinched shoulder nerve, you might wonder where you can find treatment for them. Whatcom Physical Therapy has specialists who can help. Our team offers free screenings designed to pinpoint the source of your shoulder symptoms. We also have lots of experience building individualized treatment plans for numerous shoulder issues.

Are things keeping you at home? No problem. Whatcom Physical Therapy is currently offering virtual care sessions as well as in-clinic appointments. Virtual sessions are performed over a secure online video connection, and they allow you to get the therapy you need without leaving your home.

Ready to start getting our help with your shoulder pain? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule your initial appointment.
June 2, 2020
What are the symptoms of a pinched nerve in the shoulder?
Never heard of radiculopathy? That’s not very surprising since this term is used by medical professionals. To the average person, radiculopathy is known as a pinched nerve.

Pinched nerves can often occur in the neck, and they often cause issues in the shoulder. Cervical radiculopathy (CR) isn’t as common as lumbar radiculopathy. However, research shows that CR occurs annually in about 85 in every 10,000 Americans. A pinched neck or shoulder nerve can lead to several recognizable symptoms.

Common symptoms of a pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder

You probably won’t be surprised to learn that pinched neck and shoulder nerves often cause pain. After all, it’s estimated that up to 70% of people have shoulder pain in their lifetime. Neck pain is even more common with about 80% of people experiencing it every year. However, neck and shoulder pain aren’t the only signs of a pinched neck or shoulder nerve.

In fact, a pinched neck or shoulder nerve can also lead to:
- Pain that radiates from the neck to the shoulder or down the arm
- Numbness or loss of sensation in the fingers or hand on the affected side
- Muscle weakness in the affected shoulder
- Muscle weakness in the arm and hand on the affected side
- A pins-and-needles sensation or tingling in the affected shoulder, arm or hand
- Increased pain when moving the neck or shoulder in certain ways
SSOR can help you learn if your symptoms are caused by a pinched neck or shoulder nerve

Not sure that your symptoms are being caused by a pinched neck or shoulder nerve? Our physical therapists at SSOR can help. We offer complimentary screenings designed to reveal the source of your symptoms. Our team can also build you an individualized therapy plan intended to reduce them.

Can’t leave home to get a doctor’s referral? You don’t have to. SSOR doesn’t require a referral for any of our services. Additionally, we offer services like virtual care and at-home therapy that can help you get the therapy you need without leaving your home.

Take the next step to start getting our help with your neck or shoulder issues. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
June 2, 2020
Why do I keep waking up with sore shoulders?
Having a sore shoulder is bad enough, but waking up with one is a downright difficult way to start the day. Think of all the motions your shoulder is responsible for: driving, doing dishes, holding the dog’s leash, etc. Your morning activities are suffering before you’re even out the door for the day.

If you’ve been waking up with sore shoulders consistently, you may need to consider your sleeping position. While there are several medical conditions that can cause chronic pain and stiffness in the shoulders, the most common cause if your pain is just in the morning is simply poor sleeping posture and/or an unsupportive mattress.

Sleeping in the wrong position can cause nerve compression in your shoulder blade or joint, which can lead to stiffness and pain in the morning. Next time you experience this, see if some simple shoulder stretches help to reduce your pain. If so, a new mattress or different sleeping position may be your answer. However, if you do not find lasting relief from stretches, you may need to schedule an appointment for physical therapy to determine the cause of your pain.

Medical conditions that cause shoulder pain

If your shoulder pain is chronic and lasts throughout the day — not just the morning — then you may want to check with your doctor about the following conditions:
- Frozen shoulder
- Pinched nerve
- Rotator cuff tear
- Shoulder arthritis
- Bicep tendon tear
Fortunately, these conditions can typically be treated with a series of physical therapy appointments designed to reduce stress on the damaged shoulder joint. By targeting the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint, physical therapy can help to reduce nerve pain and improve mobility — even in the mornings.

At SOL Physical Therapy + Performance, we offer shoulder pain treatment designed to help you find relief from chronic stiffness and immobility. Contact our team today to learn more.
May 5, 2020
I fell on my shoulder and it hurts to raise my arm: What do I do?
The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in your body. It can move up, down, forward and backward, but all this mobility comes with a price: instability. In turn, the instability of the shoulder joint makes it a prime candidate for an injury.

Researchers estimate that shoulder pain is very common with up to 70% of people experiencing it in their lifetime. Falling on your shoulder is one way to develop shoulder pain, and injuries to the rotator cuff and other shoulder structures can make lifting your arm painful after a fall. Dealing with your injuries and pain will typically involve three basic steps.

Three basic steps for an arm that hurts when raised after you fell on your shoulder

Falls are an accident that happens a lot, especially among older people, and it’s estimated that more than 25% of older people fall every year. However, less than half of these fall victims report their accident. No matter how old you are, there are three basic steps you should take if you fell on your shoulder and it now hurts to raise your arm:
1. Go to the doctor — The first step you should take when you fall and hurt your shoulder is to go see your doctor. By doing so, you can find out what type of injury you have. Your doctor can also help you learn how serious your injury is, and they’ll be able to help you figure out what other treatment steps you’ll need to take as well.
1. Rest — Resting your shoulder is another important treatment step. This gives your body to start healing your shoulder injury naturally. It’s especially important that you avoid playing sports that involve shoulder movements. You might also need to avoid work-related movements that involve your shoulder. Check with your doctor or physical therapist to ensure you’re resting your shoulder enough.
1. Attend physical therapy — Another treatment step you should take for shoulder pain is to see a physical therapist. These specialists can help you reduce your pain and other symptoms. They’ll also work with you to restore the normal range of motion in your shoulder. One medical study reports that about 60% of patients who had physical therapy for rotator cuff tears had significant improvements in shoulder function.
Border Therapy Services can help reduce how much it hurts to raise your arm after falling on your shoulder

Have you recently fallen on your shoulder and are now feeling pain when raising your arm? Our physical therapists at Border Therapy Services are primed to help you. We offer free screenings that are designed to pinpoint the source of your shoulder pain. Our team also excels at building personalized treatment plans for many types of shoulder injuries and issues.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule your initial appointment.
April 5, 2020
Two stretches for shoulder blade pain to try
Shoulder pain is a very common issue; it’s estimated that up to 70% of people will experience shoulder pain in their lifetime. Often, this type of pain can be caused by an injury to the rotator cuff. It can come from osteoarthritis in your shoulder as well. However, tense muscles could be the issue if you’re feeling pain between your shoulder blades.

Physical therapists have many techniques at their disposal for reducing muscle tension. One effective option for decreasing pain between the shoulder blades is therapeutic stretches, and there are two stretches in particular that you might want to try for this type of shoulder pain.

1. Cross-body stretch

Reaching across the body is a movement that involves the rhomboids and trapezius muscles, and both of these muscles can be the site of shoulder pain. One therapeutic exercise your therapist might prescribe to stretch these muscles and reduce pain between the shoulder blades is the cross-body stretch.

How to do the cross-body stretch
- Stand up straight or sit up straight on the edge of a stable chair.
- Slowly stretch your right arm across your chest until you can grab it with your left hand.
- Hold this position for five to 10 seconds. You should feel a stretch between your shoulders. To deepen the stretch, you can use your left hand to pull the right arm closer to your chest.
- Release the stretch and return to the starting position.
- Repeat these steps to stretch the opposite shoulder.
- Go on repeating the steps until you’ve stretched both shoulders three times.
2. Rounded-shoulders stretch

Movements that cause you to reach your arms in front of you use the muscles between your shoulder blades. They can also be used to stretch the muscles to decrease pain between the shoulder blades. An exercise your therapist might recommend that uses such a movement is the rounded-shoulders stretch.

How to do the rounded-shoulders stretch
- Stand or sit on the edge of a stable chair with good posture.
- Slowly raise both arms in front of you until they’re about shoulder height.
- Clasp your hands with your palms facing away from you.
- Let your head drop toward your chest.
- Reach forward with your arms until your shoulders are rounded and you feel a stretch between them. Concentrate on pulling your shoulder blades away from each other.
- Hold this stretch for five to 10 seconds.
- Return to the starting position, and rest for about 10 seconds.
- Repeat these steps until you’ve completed them three times.
Stretches aren’t the only treatment option Panther Physical Therapy can offer for your shoulder blade pain

You don’t have to rely on stretches alone to treat your shoulder blade pain. At Panther Physical Therapy, our team of therapy specialists are ready to help you in many ways. For instance, we offer free screenings that can help jump-start your therapy process. Our team can also create a treatment plan for shoulder pain that’s personalized to your needs.

Are you ready to start getting our help with your shoulder pain? Contact us today for more information or to schedule your free screening.
March 8, 2020
Two effective shoulder stretches for reducing pain
Have you ever woken up in the morning with pain and tightness in your shoulders? This is a common occurrence for many people. In fact, it’s estimated that up to 70% of people will experience shoulder pain in their lifetime.

Physical therapy is an effective option for your shoulder pain. Therapists can help you find ways to stretch out tense shoulder muscles, and they can also help you target muscles in the chest and upper back that are causing stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint. There are a number of therapeutic exercises that therapists can use on your shoulders. Here are two stretches that can be particularly effective for shoulder pain:
1. Across the chest stretch
The rotator cuff and other shoulder muscles help your shoulder move in many ways, but such movements become harder to do when your muscles are stiff and painful. Your symptoms could be from poor sitting posture or from sitting at your desk for too long. They might also be caused by a muscle strain you got while playing sports. One stretch that therapists might recommend to treat your shoulder pain is the across the chest stretch.

How to do the across the chest stretch
- Sit up straight in a stable chair, or stand up in an area that has room for your arms to move.
- Move your right arm so that it’s across your chest.
- Use your left hand to pull the arm inward toward your chest until you feel a stretch in the shoulder. If your pain increases, stop doing the stretch immediately and contact your therapist.
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds.
- Return to the starting position; repeat the steps to stretch your left shoulder.
- Continue to repeat the steps for this stretch until you’ve stretched each shoulder two to three times.
1. Chest expansion
Tight chest muscles can also cause stiffness and pain in your shoulders. They can pull the shoulders forward as well, and this can leave you with forward-slumped posture. Such a posture can easily lead to more pain in your shoulders, and it can even cause issues in your neck and back. To deal with tight chest and shoulder muscles, your therapist might prescribe a shoulder pain stretch called the chest expansion.

How to do the chest expansion stretch
- Stand up in an area with plenty of room behind you. This will ensure you have the space to lift your arms up behind your back.
- Grasp a bath towel behind your butt. Your hands should be palms down and slightly more than shoulder width apart; the towel should be tight.
- Broaden your chest and pull your shoulder blades inward.
- At the same time, lift your arms as far as you can behind you.
- Hold the stretch for 20 to 30 seconds.
- Repeat these steps two to three times in total with a short rest break between each repetition.
Stretches are just one way Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you treat shoulder pain

Are you looking for stretches and other physical therapy methods that can treat your shoulder pain? Our Excel Sports & Physical Therapy team can offer the assistance you need. We can help you begin your therapy process with one of our free screenings. This service is designed to reveal the root cause of your shoulder pain and the symptoms you’re having. With this information, our team can build you a personalized treatment plan, which may include therapy methods like:
- Therapeutic exercises
- Joint mobilization
- Aquatic therapy
- ASTYM^® therapy
- Kinesio Taping^®
- Electrical stimulation
Take the next step to start getting our help with your shoulder pain. Contact our team today for more information or to schedule a free screening.
March 1, 2020
Three types of rotator cuff rehab exercises
Since we rely on our elbows to do so much, elbow injuries are very common. In particular, injuries very often occur in the rotator cuff, which is a collection of muscles and connective tissue that joins the arm to the shoulder. This important part of the body needs to be strong enough to endure the stress that the shoulder is placed under while being flexible enough to perform the intricate array of actions required by the arm.

When rotator cuff injuries, including strains, sprains and tears, occur, physical therapy is one of the most effective forms of treatment, with research to back it up. By using therapeutic exercises to provide rehabilitation to the rotator cuff, physical therapists can help promote healing, improve mobility and reduce the chances of reinjury.

What types of exercises help with rotator cuff rehab?

When you first meet with a physical therapist for the treatment of a rotator cuff injury, you will typically start with a full evaluation to assess the sources of your symptoms. With this information, you can work together to develop a treatment plan that includes the following types of rehab exercises:
1. Strengthening — An important part of rotator cuff injury rehab is strengthening the muscles and connective tissue to make the area more resistant to the stress it endures on a daily basis.
2. Range of motion — By using active and passive stretches, a therapist can help increase flexibility to allow patients to perform the basic activities required of the arm.
3. Stability — With mechanical training, patients can learn movements that better stabilize the shoulder and put less strain on the rotator cuff.
In addition to therapeutic exercises, rotator cuff rehab programs will also typically consist of manual therapy designed to loosen connective tissue and increase blood flow.

Rotator cuff rehab exercises with an experienced therapist

Are you looking for lasting relief from a rotator cuff injury? The experienced and compassionate team at Rehab Access can provide one-on-one therapy that can help you find relief and achieve your treatment goals. Everyone has a slightly different road to recovery, which is why we’re committed to matching you with the right therapist for your needs and provide you with highly individualized care. To learn more about our locations, staff and treatment options, contact us today. We’ll be happy to help you schedule your initial appointment.
February 5, 2020
Shoulder stretches for pain — working with a physical therapist
Shoulder pain can strike for so many reasons — repetitive motion injury, sports-related injury and conditions related to the aging process. In some cases, the pain can go away in a very short period of time or it could be the result of an incurable condition that requires long-term management. In addition to a wide range of treatments, including medication, rest and cold compression, shoulder stretches for pain can be highly effective for helping to keep the pain at bay.

However, due to the wide range of individual shoulder conditions that can occur — from a rotator cuff tear to arthritis — it is highly recommended not to self-treat with therapeutic exercises, such as stretching. By working with a qualified physical therapist, he or she can determine the targeted stretches that will be most effective for your particular condition and show you how to perform them safely.

To help you better understand the benefits of working with a professional physical therapist for shoulder pain relief, we’re happy to share this brief overview. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to learn more.

How do shoulder stretches for pain help?

After performing an evaluation of your shoulder, a physical therapist can recommend a treatment, which typically includes both active and passive stretches. Active stretches are those performed by the patient with instruction from the therapist and passive stretches are those performed on the patient by the therapist.

These shoulder stretches are designed to relieve pain in the following ways:
- Mobilize muscles and connective tissue
- Increase blood flow to the area
- Release nerves that have become trapped by inflamed tissue
- Promote stability in the shoulder
These shoulder stretches can be combined with other treatments, including strengthening exercises and manual therapy to create a comprehensive treatment program designed to relieve shoulder pain.

Work with our professional therapists for shoulder pain relief

At SOL Physical Therapy, you can receive the one-on-one shoulder pain treatment you deserve with one of our friendly and experienced clinicians. We’ll work with you closely to identify the sources of your pain and create a highly individualized plan that is right for you.

To learn more and schedule your initial appointment, contact us today.
January 5, 2020
Four tips to help prevent golf-related shoulder pain
Golf is often viewed as a game where there isn’t much activity, but people who have actually played this sport would disagree strongly. There’s a lot of walking involved, and swinging a club uses muscles in your legs, trunk, shoulders and arms.

All this movement can lead to many types of pain. One common type of pain people experience during and after a round of golf is shoulder pain. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prevent this type of pain.

Shoulder pain from golf can be prevented using these tips

The shoulder is a complex structure. Each shoulder has a group of four muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff, which holds the upper arm bone in the shoulder socket. Your shoulder also contains structures like the labrum, several bursae and the scapula muscles. Any of these structures can be irritated or injured while you’re playing golf, but there are four tips that can help you stop golfing from causing pain in your shoulder:
1. Don’t carry your golf bag — Golf bags contain golf clubs, tees, balls and various other articles necessary to your game. All of this equipment makes it pretty heavy, though. Carrying a heavy golf bag on your shoulder can easily lead to shoulder pain, but you can avoid this by using a bag cart or golf cart during your games.
1. Use proper equipment — Are you using clubs you inherited from someone? Has it been a while since you invested in new clubs? Using golf clubs that aren’t right for you can increase your risk of developing a painful shoulder injury, but getting a set of clubs that are the proper weight and length for you can help reduce the risk of such injuries.
1. Use good technique while swinging — Swinging a golf club puts a lot of strain on your shoulders, arms, wrists and back. Players who use poor swing techniques increase this strain, but they can reduce it by improving their technique, which helps reduce the risk of shoulder injuries and pain.
1. Stretch and strengthen your shoulders — It’s important to do exercises outside of the course to help improve strength, flexibility and endurance in your shoulder muscles. By making such improvements, you reduce the likelihood of developing golf-related shoulder pain.
Physical therapy can also help prevent shoulder-based golf injuries

Physical therapists can perform assessments to reveal factors that increase your risk of a shoulder injury while playing golf. They can then build you an individualized prevention plan to help correct these factors. Using this plan can help you improve shoulder mobility, strengthen shoulder structures and increase shoulder stability.

Find out how Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help you prevent golf-related shoulder pain

Concerned about your risk of developing shoulder pain from playing golf? Excel Sports & Physical Therapy can help. We’ll assess your shoulder with a free screening. Then, our team will create a personalized prevention plan to fit your needs with therapy techniques, such as:
- Therapeutic exercises
- ASTYM^®therapy
- Joint mobilization
- Kinesiology taping
Contact our team today for more information about how we can help you prevent shoulder pain or to schedule an initial appointment.
January 3, 2020
Two causes of post-car accident arm pain in Ferndale, WA
Although Ferndale, Washington, isn’t a hotbed of car accidents, it’s still possible to injure yourself in one. In fact, the Washington Traffic Safety Commission reports that there were more than 120 car accident-related injuries in Whatcom County from 2015 to 2017. If you’ve been in a car accident in Ferndale recently, you could be dealing with arm pain. There are many issues that can cause arm pain after a car accident, but there are two that are more common than others.

1. Brachial plexus injury

One reason that you might feel arm pain after a car accident is you’ve injured the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that branch off the spinal cord at the base of your neck, and these nerves run through the shoulder and stretch all the way down the arm and into the hand.

There are several ways that the brachial plexus can be injured in a car accident. It could become pinched as a result of whiplash. Also, an unsecured object could hit you at the base of the neck, and this impact could pinch or damage the brachial plexus. Either of these incidents could cause you to experience several symptoms. One of these symptoms is pain, and the pain of this injury often feels like an electric shock or burning sensation running down the arm. Numbness and arm weakness can be caused by a brachial plexus injury as well. In extreme cases, you could completely lose the ability to move your arm or hand.

2. Muscle strain

Another issue that can cause post-car accident arm pain is a muscle strain. Often, this type of injury is caused by the impact of the accident. This impact can cause your arms to fly away from your body violently, and the violent movement can overstretch a muscle. A more serious strain can occur if the impact of the accident causes a partial tear in an arm muscle.

Pain in the arm isn’t the only symptom a muscle strain can cause. You might notice that part of your arm starts swelling or develops bruises after the injury happens. The range of motion of the injured muscle can be decreased, and a knot can form in the muscles at the site of the injury. This is caused by a buildup of scar tissue in the injured muscle, and these areas of scar tissue are called adhesions.

Whatcom Physical Therapy can help Ferndale, WA, residents treat post-car accident arm pain

Arm pain after a car accident is no match for the physical therapy specialists at Whatcom Physical Therapy in Ferndale. Our conveniently located clinic offers free screenings, and this service is great if you aren’t sure why your arm hurts. Once we find the source of your pain, our team can create a personalized therapy plan for you. Your plan will be designed to include multiple beneficial therapy techniques to help you, which might include:
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment to begin treating your car accident injuries.
December 7, 2019
Falling on the shoulder can cause these two injuries
The shoulder is an important structure, and this is especially true when it comes to movements people make every day. An example is that the shoulder allows you to raise your arm over your head and grab a glass off a high kitchen shelf. It’s also vital to movements like throwing. Falling on your shoulder is a common way to injure this joint, and injuries that falls can cause often lead to pain when raising your arm. Here are two fall-related shoulder injuries that can cause this and other troublesome symptoms:
1. Separated shoulder
One injury that falling on your shoulder can cause is a separated shoulder. This injury occurs when the fall stretches ligaments that hold your collarbone to your shoulder blade. When these ligaments are stretched, the ends of these two bones can pull away from each other, and this can lead to several problematic symptoms.

The most common symptom of this condition is that moving the shoulder to raise your arm can hurt. The pain of a separated shoulder also tends to increase when the affected shoulder is touched, and you might notice an abnormal bump or swelling on the top of your shoulder. This injury typically leads to bruising on the skin of the shoulder as well.
1. Brachial plexus neuropathy
Another shoulder fall injury that can make your arm hurt when you raise it is brachial plexus neuropathy. This condition is when the nerves in your upper shoulder are pinched or damaged. Commonly, brachial plexus neuropathy happens as a result of falling on the shoulder, but it can also happen because of any strong impact to the shoulder. For this reason, people who play high-impact sports like football, hockey and rugby are more likely to injure themselves in this way.

Pain when raising your arm won’t be the only symptom of brachial plexus neuropathy either. People with injury can also experience burning pains that shoot down the arm and into the hand. This injury tends to lead to difficulty moving the hand and fingers, and you might also feel numbness or tingling in the affected shoulder, arm or hand. In addition, if brachial plexus neuropathy isn’t promptly treated, it can cause arm and shoulder muscles to weaken. In turn, these weak muscles can lead to other movement and reflex issues.

Armor Physical Therapy can help you with fall-related shoulder injuries that cause your arm to hurt when raised

If you’ve recently fallen on your shoulder and your arm now hurts when you raise it, physical therapy can help. Residents of Holland, Michigan, can find effective shoulder injury therapy at Armor Physical Therapy. Our team offers free screenings to help you get started with your treatment, and we build personalized therapy plans for every patient we treat. Our personalized plans are designed to use multiple therapy techniques, and techniques that could be included in your plan are:
Are you ready to take the next step to start getting our help with your shoulder injury? Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.
November 4, 2019