More often than not, people assume that what they have is a shoulder injury just because their shoulder is paining. Though shoulder pain may be an indicator of a shoulder injury, it’s not always conclusive. You have to also look at other factors. Actually, unless the pain is intense, what you might be having is something different. For example, a condition like arthritis is known to cause shoulder pain. In this case, you can’t argue that you have a shoulder injury because you have arthritis and it’s paining all your joints.
So, what’s exactly a shoulder injury? To answer this, you need to first ask yourself the following:
- Is my shoulder too painful to move it?
- Is my shoulder feeling like it’s going to pop out of its socket?
- Is my shoulder looking deformed?
- Is my shoulder joint swollen?
- Am I unable to use my shoulder whatsoever?
If the answer to a majority of the above questions is YES, then what you are dealing with is definitely a shoulder injury and you need to see a chiropractor right away.
What Cause Shoulder Injuries?
A lot of times, shoulder injuries are caused by accidental falls and hits. You may be in the field playing and you accidentally fall on your shoulder. There are also some people who experience shoulder injuries when they are hit by a car. Though rare, there are others who suffer shoulder injuries for overdoing manual tasks like padding, painting, and mowing.
Because the shoulder joint is naturally flexible to a certain extreme, people tend to overuse it and this often results in an injury. Whatever the cause, a shoulder injury needs immediate treatment. Some cases are not so serious and thus can be treated at home using ice therapy, bandaging, and rest. However, serious cases need chiropractic treatment.
Chiropractic Treatment: What it’s All About
Chiropractic treatment is all about body manipulation. Starting with the spine; a chiropractor readjusts it to free it from misalignments. Normally, it’s the misalignments that block the functioning and effectiveness of your immune system. As a result, healing is delayed. By realigning your spine, your immune functions are restored and you are able to heal much faster.
The other thing that a Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic will manipulate is your injured shoulder. The manipulation is gentle and measured to ensure that your shoulder injury is not aggravated. On the contrary, shoulder adjustments bring about relief against pain and inflammation. It may also be necessary for the expert to adjust your neck, back, and arms if the injury has affected the parts.
Other ways that Dr. Dee may help treat shoulder injuries include:
- Posture advice – Dr. Dee may advise you on the correct posture for your shoulder to help hasten the healing process. This usually comes after shoulder adjustments. You’ll be advised on how to position your head correctly when resting in order not to put so much weight on your shoulders. Posture advice is generally a good aftercare tip when you are back at home recuperating.
- Shoulder exercises – Dr. Dee may also assume the responsibility of being your physiotherapist and fitness trainer. She will advise you on simple physical exercises you can do on your own at home. They are mostly characterized by shoulder stretches.
Common Types of Shoulder Injuries that a Chiropractor Can Treat
Dr. Dee is trained to handle different shoulder injuries. Here are the common ones:
- Shoulder dislocation – Have you ever heard of someone complaining of a pop out shoulder? This exactly what happens during a shoulder dislocation. It occurs when your shoulder is over pulled or over rotated. To show that it cannot handle the limit, your shoulder produces a pop sound. A shoulder dislocation is a very painful injury. The good news is that a chiropractor can help to restore the joint just by gentle body manipulation.
- Unstable shoulder – Any joint of your body that stretches beyond its limit is likely to be unstable. So, the shoulder joint is no exception. Shoulder instability is mostly associated with sports activities like baseball, cricket, and rugby. Such sports require you to stretch a lot and this may make your shoulder to suffer. The injury is characterized by pain and shoulder weakness. Luckily, a chiropractor can help fix the symptoms.
- Shoulder sprain – A shoulder sprain occurs when there’s a separation on your acromioclavicular (AC) joint. As a result, it’s often called a Shoulder Separation. The AC is the joint formed by your collar bone (clavicle) and the shoulder blade (scapula). The joint gets injured when you hit hard on the ground or when your shoulder is overstretched. It’s characterized by pain, swelling, and decreased mobility. A chiropractor is able to look at your AC and fix it through shoulder adjustments.
- Frozen shoulder – A frozen shoulder is simply extreme stiffness of the shoulder joint. A lot of times, it occurs when your shoulder joint is rendered immobile for long. In this case, tissue adhesions form which freeze the shoulder. The problem with a frozen shoulder is that it tends to restrict shoulder mobility. Thus, your shoulder is not able to move freely. It’s, in fact, a painful injury that a chiropractor can fix. The expert is able to manipulate your shoulder area to disintegrate the tissue adhesions that are making your shoulder stiff.
- Shoulder fracture – When you get hit by a car or when you fall hard, a bone may break. Such kind of injury is called a fracture. On your shoulder, fractures are common on your collar bone and at times on your arm bone. It’s generally a painful injury that’s characterized by bruising. A chiropractor is able to stop the pain and bruising.
Other Less Common Types of Injuries Treated By a Chiropractor
Some injuries are not common but are very serious to demand chiropractic treatment. They include:
- Rotator cuff tear – Your arm is held into place at your shoulder joint by the rotator cuff. The cuff can tear if it’s overused or when you fall hard.
- Shoulder strain – A shoulder strain refers to the loss of shoulder strength and flexibility. It occurs when your shoulder is overstretched.
- Shoulder impingement – If the rotator cuff tendons get pinched by one of the shoulder bones, the injury that result is called impingement.
Closing Thought:
Since shoulder injuries are so serious, it’s wise to seek chiropractic treatment immediately. Your injury will be examined by Dr. Dee at Healing Hands Chiropractic, located in Murfreesboro, TN, and a customized treatment will be decided to treat your shoulder injury.
