Have you been chasing shoulder pain relief for months but the pain doesn’t seem to go away? In fact, it’s only getting worse? Well it can surely be because the shoulder is a highly mobile joint. It’s no wonder it can be so prone to injury. Technically, because it is actually made up of 4 smaller joints and 3 linked bone groups, it’s more accurate to refer to it as the shoulder complex. The shoulder joint is a ball and socket joint which allows for the greatest mobility in the whole body! Because of this movement, it also requires co-ordination of a number of muscles [Rotator cuff] to produce effective movement.

Causes of Shoulder pain:

  • During sports and gym training

  • Repetitive movements such as manual labour

  • Poor posture while sitting and exercising.

All of the above may cause an imbalance in the muscles surrounding your shoulder and lead to conditions such as:

  • Swelling of the tendon – tendonitis

  • Pinching of the tendon –Impingement syndrome, Bursitis

  • Chronic pain – arthritis

  • Trauma – Dislocation, cartilage injury, bursitis and the list goes on!

Top tips for shoulder pain relief:

  • Get it checked by a Physiotherapist as soon as the injury occurs

  • Stop doing all overhead exercises or activities that are aggravating pain.

  • Get physiotherapy treatment while refraining from activities causing pain

  • Stop exercising with pain. Remember pain is not normal.

An early and accurate diagnosis is important for the recovery of this type of pain, as well as appropriate treatment.