Shoulder pain is often caused by a problem with the muscles, joints or tendons within the shoulder complex itself, or referred from (due to) the neck, upper back or ribs.
In clinic I often find that the shoulder complex (the shoulder joint and the shoulder blade) don't move in the correct pattern, resulting in additional muscles being used and additional strains on the tissues around the shoulder complex. This incorrect movement pattern can be the result of a prior injury, or more often due to postural compensations – so I often end up treating other areas of the body to ensure the underlying cause is addressed.
Common Issues
Rotator Cuff Injury (injury to the main muscles around the shoulder joint); Subacromial Impingement (where tissues are squashed under the collar bone area); Tendonitis/Tendinosis (issue with the muscle tendons especially the bicep muscle – often causing severe pain at night); Osteoarthritis (OA); and muscle strain and tightness (especially the trapezius muscle which sits on top of the shoulder to the neck – often causing neck pain).
Frozen Shoulder
This is when you can no longer move your arm at the shoulder joint, either actively (using your own muscles), or passively (someone else moving your arm). I am a trained Neil Asher Technique (NAT) shoulder specialist. NAT is an evidence-based, non-invasive (non-surgical) approach for treating frozen shoulder.