Shoulder pain is very common and can have several different causes that our chiropractors at Chiro & Sports Med can examine, diagnose, and treat. All arm movements are dependent on a good, normal rhythmic movement between the shoulder blades, spine, clavicle, and shoulder. If shoulder mechanics do not work, this will give the wrong strain in the neck, back, shoulders, and arms. Common features for the most common shoulder injuries are acute injury or unnecessary strain over time.

Structure

Your shoulder is a ball and socket joint, with a rim of cartilage that goes around the socket to make it deeper and more stable. Surrounding the joint is your joint capsule, a fibrous material, with thicker parts of the capsule forming ligaments.

Many muscles and the tendons from these muscles run around and over your joint. The rotator cuff muscle has the most effect on your joint stability. The ‘cuff’ has four muscles that work together to help keep your shoulder centered in the socket.  The shoulder girdle (includes muscles, bones, and joints) has two important joints, the shoulder joint and the joint between the shoulder blade and chest wall. Each of these joints has muscles which help to move them. The position and support muscle of the shoulder blades play a particularly important role in all arm movements. The muscles and joints of the shoulder allow it to move through a remarkable range of motion. Thus, making it one of the most mobile joints in the human body.

Pain in the shoulders can also come from wear and calcification, narrow channels of nerve, muscles and blood vessels, as well as shoulder capsule,  may harden, also called frozen shoulder. All these issues must be thoroughly examined by a chiropractor for the proper treatment can be implemented.

To delve into the complaints related to the shoulder, check the menu on the right.