Putting an End to Shoulder Pain

Do you have chronic shoulder pain? Your pain may stem from years of playing tennis or golf or using a hammer or other tool on the job. You’ve overused your arm and shoulder to the point where wear-and-tear on the joint has become arthritis, a rotator cuff tear, or other shoulder injury. On the other hand, perhaps you’ve had an accident like a fall.  

Whatever the reason for shoulder pain, Mohamed Hablas, board-certified DPT with Outreach Manual Physical Therapy in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, in New York City, helps relieve your pain with various physical therapy modalities. You don’t have to live with chronic pain that prevents you from doing all the things you want to do. 

Dr. Hablas recommends using the following treatments to guide your shoulder joint back to health.

Massage and cold laser therapy 

When you first come to physical therapy, you’re in pain. Your shoulder isn’t working as it should. Perhaps you can’t lift your arm higher than shoulder level. Maybe it’s hard to lift your arm to brush your teeth. 

During your first appointment, Dr. Hablas may use gentle massage and cold laser therapy to calm your symptoms. You probably haven’t been moving your shoulder because of the pain. 

Massage and cold laser therapy bring fresh blood flow to your shoulder joint and relaxes tight muscles. Your blood contains life-giving oxygen and other essential nutrients that your muscles, ligaments, and tendons need. Gentle massage and cold laser therapy can help relieve pain and swelling and increase your range of motion to perform daily tasks. 

Gentle stretching exercises 

Your muscles and ligaments may have contracted and become very tight from your shoulder injury. Your physical therapist shows you how to do gentle stretches that help loosen and lengthen those tight muscles and ligaments, helping you regain motion in your shoulder.

Manual therapy 

Your physical therapist may use manual therapy to help loosen your shoulder joint. Manual therapy means your therapist uses their hands to move your shoulder gently. Your therapist can stretch your shoulder ligaments in ways you’re not able to do yourself. 

Shoulder joint mobilization 

If you have trouble moving your shoulder because of shoulder impingement or a frozen shoulder, your therapist performs shoulder joint mobilization. They also use this technique after rotator cuff repair surgery. 

Your therapist applies gentle force and moves your shoulder blade, or scapula, in several directions, such as back and forth or in a circle. Your condition dictates the level of mobilization that your therapist uses. This technique helps improve your range of motion and eases pain. 

Strengthening exercises 

After your initial inflammation subsides, Dr. Hablas shows you how to perform exercises to strengthen the muscles and other soft tissue surrounding your shoulder joint. You’ve been in pain, so you haven’t used your shoulder muscles fully for weeks or months. They’ve become very weak.  

Strong muscles help support your joints and prevent dislocations. These exercises help you regain normal strength in your shoulder to regain quality of life. 

At home, warm up your shoulder and loosen your muscles before you do strengthening exercises by taking a warm shower or bath. Practice prevention so you don’t harm your healing soft tissue. 

These physical therapy interventions can help your shoulder heal and enable you to be independent again. Call Outreach Manual Physical Therapy today or book an appointment online to relieve your shoulder pain.