Shoulder Pain Relief

Shoulder Pain Statistics

Pain is a common symptom. Pain can have many causes, from trips and falls, to cancer, arthritis, and torn muscles or ligaments. Regardless of where the pain is coming from, it is safe to say that no one wants to experience it.

A 2006 survey from the National Institute of Health reports that approximately 9% of adults, 18 years and older, have experienced symptoms of pain, aching, or stiffness during the “past 30 days.” With those statistics, roughly 10% of all adults in America are complaining of shoulder pain every month!

Identifying and Treating the Cause of Shoulder Pain

With so many individuals experiencing shoulder pain, it is important to know what is causing it in each person. Based on the patients that we see in the office, even though the shoulder symptoms may be described the same, it does not mean that the cause, or the treatment is the same. Shoulder pain can result from a variety of causes.

Structural Shoulder Pain

The athletes (professional, collegiate, high school, and weekend warriors) that we see in the office frequently injure their shoulders through physical activity. Whether it is lifting weights inappropriately, “game time” traumatic injuries, or repetitive stress injuries,  athletes tend to have shoulder pain as a result of structural imbalance. Structural imbalance within the shoulder could include: misalignment of the shoulder, partial or complete ligament tears, partial or complete tendon tears, muscular imbalance, and arthritis. Athletes are not the only individuals that experience structural pain. We have had many individuals that injured their shoulder from picking up the baby, vacuuming the floor, trimming the trees and more. Doctors of Chiropractic have a long history of treating and supporting the structural portion of the body through gentle, non-invasive manual procedures.

Neurological Shoulder Pain

Nerves go through our body like circuit breakers go through your home. Neurological messages travel from the brain, down the spinal cord, and from spinal nerves. These spinal nerves form a base, or a trunk, and then branch out to many different directions. Nerve branches then send and receive messages to the muscles, joints, bones, organs, and other tissues of the body. Nerve injuries that can lead to pain (or weakness, loss of feeling, tingling, etc) are considered a peripheral neuropathy.  In addition to a rehabilitation program, low level light therapy (LLLT), has demonstrated favorable results with shoulder pain from a neurological origin.  The doctors at The Hayden Institute specialize in Quantum Neurology rehabilitation, a neurologically centered system that utilizes traditional and non-traditional neurological evaluation, in conjunction with LLLT. Strengthening the neurological communication pathways to the shoulder has been clinically proven to reduce shoulder pain, and increase range of motion.

Referred Shoulder Pain

Referred pain to the shoulder sounds like exactly what it is: pain originating from somewhere else, but felt in the shoulder area.  The image below is a common representation of referred pain with visceral (organ) imbalance. Conditions of the lungs, diaphragm, heart, spleen, stomach, thymus, liver, and gallbladder can sometimes refer pain to the shoulder region.

Patients that experience visceral conditions, with shoulder pain, are often co-managed with their primary treating doctor. In our office, we support these individuals through the previously mentioned procedures of chiropractic and Quantum Neurology rehabilitation, as well as offering specific nutritional and acupuncture programs. These nutrition and acupuncture protocols work to create balance through a variety of systems in order to achieve the desired result of pain relief with those that experience shoulder pain.

Treating Shoulder Pain

Since every individual presents with specific symptoms, and pain patterns unique to them, the best option is to take a systemic approach to evaluating the cause of the shoulder pain, prior to treating it. Doctors at The Hayden Institute are trained to evaluate the patient’s structural, neurological, nutritional, and acupuncture systems, and how they relate to shoulder pain. After a thorough history, comprehensive examination, and review of past medical records, the doctor will make the appropriate recommendations to help alleviate the shoulder pain.  In situations when it is in the best interest of the patient to seek medical care with another physician, the appropriate referral will be made.

Contact The Hayden Institute for Shoulder Pain Relief

The doctors at The Hayden Institute frequently help patients that experience symptoms of shoulder pain. With two locations to serve those in the Houston area, the Pearland office can be reached by calling 832-273-5442, and the Northwest (Cy-Fair) office can be reached at 832-704-9554. An email may be sent to our office on our Contact Us page.

Check out this great video of a patient that experienced shoulder pain and his results.