Shoulder Pain Types- The Most Common 

80% of all shoulder pain falls into three types. In this blog we will discuss what those types are and what it means to you.

Let’s talk about what you might hear when you go to your family doctor or an orthopedic specialist for your shoulder pain. Whether they order an expensive MRI or other imaging test or not, you most likely will walk out with one of three diagnoses.

I made a quick video describing the 3 Most Common Types of Shoulder pain and you can watch it here 

Diagnosis # 1: Impingement Syndrome- pain along front and top of the shoulder.  This is in a space called the subacromial space where the rotator cuff and bursa live.  When the space in this area decreases, there is a pinching of the shoulder structures and micro-tears and inflammation can be the result.  By far, this is the most common diagnosis for gradual-onset shoulder pain.

Diagnosis # 2: Rotator Cuff Tears- If one of the rotator cuff muscles does becomes torn there will be pain and inflammation.  This tear could be a partial tear, or a full-thickness tear.

Diagnosis # 3: Labral Tears- The shoulder socket has a cartilage ring around it called the labrum. If this structure gets torn it can impede shoulder motion and cause pain, clicking, and popping.

From my experience and education as a physical therapist, all of these shoulder issues are originating from a musculoskeletal dysfunction elsewhere in the body -  somewhere other than the shoulder. That is why traditional treatments like medications, injections or surgery focused on the shoulder simply don’t work.

As physical therapists, we also know that once we address the root dysfunction, we allow the shoulder to heal naturally and the pain goes away.

At Superior Physical Therapy, we specialize in helping people find out the exact CAUSE of their shoulder pain.  So before seeking out medications, injections, or surgery, we urge you to give us a call. We can help you heal, give you the tools you need to stay healthy and stay out of the doctor’s office or hospital!

To schedule an appointment with one of our shoulder pain specialists call us at 231.944.6541.

Or attend our Free Shoulder Pain Workshop on September 17^th. Call 231-941-6541 or visit https://www.thesuperiortherapy.com/shoulderpainrelief to sign up.

Next time we will talk about what the root causes of shoulder pain are and what we can do to fix them. If you missed the first video in this series, check out the link in the description.