24 Mar Physical Therapy and Shoulder Dysfunction

Shoulder Dysfunction

The shoulder is a complex area of bone and muscle in the body.  When a patient has complaints of pain, it is hard for physicians to diagnose because of a number of structures in a small area.  The human shoulder has more range of movement than any other joint in the body; up and down, left to right, to your back, and across your chest.  However, the struggle of the joints in the shoulder lie in providing the range of motion with stability.  Soft tissues are the part to provide that stability, but, as a result, they are susceptible to injury and degeneration.  

Shoulder pain is a very common issue for people because it is the result of overuse and strain, which it is very vulnerable to.  Many people don’t even realize that they are experiencing it because, in a lot of cases, it is a gradual slight irritation over time that causes the pain to become worse and worse.  Shoulder pain can be caused by lifting objects, throwing, strain from stretching or reaching for something, falling, and many other movements or stretches including even bad posture.  Most shoulder pain falls into two categories: Shoulder Impingement Syndrome or rotator cuff issues.  Shoulder Impingement affects athletes more than any other person.  It is sometimes called “swimmer’s shoulder” or “thrower’s shoulder” for this reason.  It is caused when tendons connected to the rotator cuff pass through this skinny bony area called the subacromial space.  With overused shoulders, it starts to create pinching and over time inflammation and strain.       

Fortunately, for as many causes of pain, there are solutions.  Physical therapy is a natural and clinically proven way to ease the pain of the shoulder.  There are no side effects to seeing a physical therapist for pain like there are for taking muscle relaxers or pain killers.  Lake Country Physical Therapy and Sportscare, PC has been serving the Canandaigua community for 28 years and is well versed in the field of easing shoulder pain for both athletes and non-athletes.  Zoe Fackelman, owner and physical therapist of Lake Country, has a holistic approach to easing pain and provides hands-on therapy for pain management and movement.