This article has been authored by Dr. Ramesh NR, who is Senior Consultant at Department of Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation, at Jaypee Hospital Noida. To know more about Dr. Ramesh or book an appointment, please call 0120 – 412 2222
Shoulder pain has become a common ailment and atleast 3 out of 10 people complain of uneasiness and pain. Lifestyle, lack of activity and pre-existing ailments add to the discomfort. Though our shoulder is an extremely flexible joint, it is susceptible to injury and trauma.
Possible reasons for shoulder pain
Accurate diagnosis for the cause of pain is important to formulate the course of treatment. It is best to seek advice and decide the nature of physiotherapy required.
- Shoulder pain could be due to injury to ligaments or tendons that surround the shoulder joint. Any injury to shoulder can cause inflammation of the bursae or tendons which results in rotator cuff dysfunction. It also restricts mobility of the shoulder ball and socket joint.
- Another common cause of shoulder pain is frozen shoulder condition which affects sportsman, diabetic patients or people who carry heavy bags on shoulder.
- Shoulder pain could be a symptom of arthritis or cervical spondylosis.
A physical examination is conducted to understand the reason and intensity of damage if any. Most of the time rest, medication & physiotherapy is considered to treat shoulder pain. It is important to understand the role of physical therapy in treatment.
Role of physiotherapy in treatment
Physiotherapists would usually begin with assessment and chalking out a program to treat pain and restricted mobility, with hands-on techniques and also strengthening and stretching modalities. They combine modes of therapy to create a sequential programme that allows the shoulder to tolerate movement & pressure and also soothe the muscles to reduce pain.
Cold & Hot treatment:
Cold packs help bring down the inflammation after which the hot packs soothe the muscles and ease the pain. It also improves the blood flow.
Strengthening exercises
Work to reinforce the weak muscles and help you gradually return to regular activities. Shoulder rehabilitation which is a part of strengthening, focuses on flexibility and strength. A person needs adequate range of shoulder motion to be able to carry out normal activities and that too without pain.The rotator cuff muscles need special attention and a lot depends on the skills of the physiotherapist.
Soft tissue mobilization (STM)
Hands-on mobilization techniques are used on the muscles, ligaments and tendons with an objective to restore the joint function. Injury of the soft tissues occurs when the muscles are tense. STM aims at relaxing these muscles to treat the injury and increase flexibility. This should not be confused with massage because STM requires accurate assessment and evaluation of the tissues and treatment is directed to create a therapeutic effect on the nerves, joints, lymph and blood vessels.
Physiotherapy gives positive results in reducing shoulder pain and the results can be experienced after first few sessions. The therapist might also suggest certain exercise to be done at home.
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