DO YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE SHOULDER PAIN SYMPTOMS?
- Sharp pull or pain in the middle of upper arm on sudden movements, like a flash of lightening
- Difficulty raising your arm sideways or forwards or carrying objects
- Putting the arm behind your back
- Pain in mid-range of shoulder movement
- Pain in shoulderlasting for more than a few days
- Swelling or significant bruising around the shoulder or arm
- Shoulder painthat occurs at night or at rest, also disrupting normal sleep patterns
Frozen shoulder and Rotator Cuff tendinits are common conditions treated by Physiotherapists in Singapore. Our team of highly qualified and experienced Singapore physiotherapists can assess your shoulder and use specialised methods of physiotherapy treatment to reduce the pain and improve shoulder movement.
COMMON SHOULDER PROBLEMS
- Frozen shoulder– It is characterized by pain with significant loss of its range of motion in all directions progressively worsening over a period of time. The capsule around the shoulder joint becomes thickened and inflamed almost causing the shoulder joint to be stuck causing severe stiffness and shoulder pain. It’s common in diabetics and females over 50.
- Acromial spur– Deposits of calcium may appear in the tendon which may cause swelling and tension in the tendon. This can cause a sharp pain.
- Rotator cuff tendonitis, ThePainful Arc Syndrome or Supraspinatus Impingement: Rotator cuff muscles have tendons to attach to the arm bone, but these tendons travel between bones of the shoulder joint and therefore commonly get pinched or injured and then inflamed, especially the Supraspinatus tendon is one of the most injured.
- Arthritis – Rheumatoid arthritiscommonly affects the shoulder joint and also the neck
- Shoulder and collar bone fracture
- Shoulder instabilityor Weakness- occurs when the shoulder joint capsule or ligament and muscles that surround the shoulder joint do not maintain the ball within its socket. It may cause the joint to be loose and slip out of its position on movement and capsule pain and instability
COMMON CAUSES OF SHOULDER PAIN
- Rotator Cuff Tendon inflammation
- Biceps Tendon inflammation
- Fall onto an outstretched arm or directly onto the shoulder
- Fracture or shoulder labral tear
- Repetitive use and wear and tear
- Bursitis- The sac of fluid that cushions the tendon can also be damaged
- Exercises with overhead weight lifts done with wrong techniques
- Shoulder dislocation or subluxation
- Poor posture
- Poor Breathing patterns
PHYSIOTHERAPY TREATMENT FOR SHOULDER PAIN
It is important in the early stages to prevent the condition from becoming more complex with rapid loss of muscle strength and stability around the shoulder blade and shoulder. If prolonged it may lead to Frozen shoulder, Neck Pain, headaches.
Physiotherapy for shoulder depends entirely on the cause of the problem. Hence, it is important to understand the cause of your symptoms before starting a treatment program which may include:
- Shoulder Joint Mobilisationand Muscle Releases
- Radial Shock Wave therapy
- Electrotherapy including Short –Wave Diathermy and Laser therapy
- Shoulder blades/ Rotator Cuff Stabilisation exercise
- Specific physiotherapymobility and strengthening exercises for shoulder pain
- Trunk and neck mobilisation
- Posture correction and advise on techniques of movement in sports to prevent stress on the shoulder tendons to reduce the risk of future injury and improve efficiency of movement.
- Shoulder taping