Are you experiencing shoulder pain?

If so, you're not alone.

How Common Is Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain is one of the most common types of pain that people experience, affecting up to 25% of adults in the United States. While there are many possible causes of shoulder pain, chiropractic care is an effective treatment option.

What Is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic care is a type of alternative medicine that focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, especially the spine. These misalignments of the spine can commonly lead to dysfunction in the extremities, which can lead to shoulder pain. We as chiropractors study misalignments in the spine, or subluxations, and understand that they can cause pain and other health problems. We utilize a low impact technique to address these spinal misalignments, as well as any misalignments in the extremities. Our goal is to correct these misalignments in the spine and shoulder and restoring the body's natural healing ability.

Can Chiropractic Fix My Shoulder?

There is ample evidence that chiropractic care can be effective for treating shoulder pain. Studies have shown that chiropractic care can help to reduce pain, improve function, and increase range of motion in the shoulder. Chiropractic care may also be helpful in reducing inflammation and improving blood flow to the shoulder.

Common shoulder injuries seen are rotator cuff tears and shoulder impingement syndrome. Lets break those down further.

Rotator Cuff Tears

• 80% of reported shoulder pain is associated with the rotator cuff.

• 40% of people have an asymptomatic tear in their rotator cuff on MRI.

• The most common cause of a rotator cuff tear is degeneration. Degeneration is a direct indication of misalignment, and something chiropractic can help with.

The job of the rotator cuff is to stabilize the shoulder. If there is structural misalignment in the shoulder, the rotator cuff has to work double time to try and stabilize the joint. The rotator cuff can only keep up with the increased demand for so long before it begins to tear.

Getting your shoulder adjusted can help stabilize the shoulder, which allows the rotator cuff to decrease its muscle tone, which lowers the likelihood of a tear ever occurring.

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

• Commonly occurs in people who hold their arms overhead. (Think Weightlifting, CrossFit, Painting, Hair Stylists, ect.)

• Bad posture and poor scapular positioning can lead to this condition.

• Common cause of pain while sleeping.

Often times misalignments in the neck lead you to have poor posture. Generally we she rounded shoulders and forward head positioning or slouching. This rounding of the shoulders increases the distance that the tendons and ligaments of the shoulder have to stretch, and leads to a considerable amount of pain. The best way to fix shoulder impingement syndrome is to correct the neck first, then work on the shoulder. This is something we see and treat every day at our Johnston Iowa clinic.

Here are some of the benefits of chiropractic care for shoulder pain:

• Reduced pain. Chiropractic care can help to reduce pain in the shoulder. This is because chiropractic care can help to correct misalignments of the spine and shoulder which will reduce inflammation.

• Improved function. Chiropractic care can help to improve function in the shoulder. This is accomplished by aligning the shoulder and allowing it to move freely without restriction.

• Increased range of motion. Chiropractic care can help to increase range of motion in the shoulder. By correcting misalignments in the shoulder and spine, the body will begin to move more smoothly. The muscles will calm down and we will see more flexibility start to take place.

• Reduced inflammation. Chiropractic care can help to reduce inflammation in the shoulder. By removing the chronic reason for your shoulder pain, the body will stop producing inflammation in that area. Think of inflammation as a warning sign that something is wrong. If nothing is wrong, no warning is needed.

• Improved blood flow. Chiropractic care can help to improve blood flow to the shoulder. By aligning the shoulder and bringing back proper positioning, the vessels will not need to stretch to reach where they need to go. Better elasticity can also be seen in the vessels of the shoulder.

If you are experiencing shoulder pain, chiropractic care may be an effective treatment option for you. Contact our office today to see how we can help!