At SA Wellness Centre in Adelaide, our experienced chiropractors will first identify what’s causing your shoulder pain, before developing a personalised treatment plan to address the issue.

Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint, so if you are experiencing shoulder pain, you are not alone! In order to identify what’s causing the pain, timely assessment is important – especially if a specialist referral is required.

At SA Wellness Centre, we typically start by conducting a thorough consultation regarding previous injuries or other factors that could play a role in your shoulder pain, followed by an in-depth examination to best ascertain the origin of your pain. From here, we can develop a personalised treatment plan to manage the pain and address the issue.

Common reasons why people require chiropractic treatment for shoulder pain in Adelaide include:

• Shoulder impingement. A common cause of shoulder pain where incorrect movement of the humerus (arm bone) squashes a tendon and/or bursa in the shoulder. This is usually due to weakness in one or more of the rotator cuff muscles, or other muscles that move the shoulder/arm. It can lead to inflammation and further injury.
• Muscle or tendon strain. This commonly involves a tear to the rotator cuff muscles and/or tendons, but can affect other muscles and tendons around the shoulder too. This can be an acute injury such as while playing sports, or it can be from repetitive movements.
• Tendonitis. This can be due to an acute or overuse injury, which causes inflammation of the tendon (the tissue that connects your muscles to the bone).
• Ligament or joint sprain. The joint capsule and ligaments around the shoulder are also susceptible to injury, usually due to falls or other trauma.
• Bursitis. A bursa is a fluid-filled sac that protects and cushions your joints. It can become inflamed due to chronic overuse, incorrect movement of a joint, acute injury, arthritis, gout or other conditions.

Our Adelaide clinic also provides frozen shoulder chiropractic treatment and management

Another cause of shoulder pain is “frozen shoulder” (also known as adhesive capsulitis), which is a painful condition where movement in the shoulder becomes increasingly limited as the shoulder joint’s surrounding connective tissue thickens and stiffens over time.

The more inflamed the area gets, the more painful it becomes, and the less we are likely to move the shoulder. Of course, this only leads to further “freezing” as the tissue in the immobile shoulder joint thickens and stiffens even more. Eventually, the shoulder joint starts to loosen, and slowly returns to normal. This whole process usually takes one to three years.

Frozen shoulder is often helped by treatment techniques such as gentle stretching and mobilisation exercises. Other therapies may also decrease pain and stiffness, such as hydrodilatation (stretching the joint by injecting saline), anti-inflammatory medications, and numerous other options.

How to know if you would benefit from shoulder pain treatment from one of our professional Adelaide chiropractors or physiotherapists?

While shoulder pain is commonly caused by sports or overuse injuries, things like long hours at a desk, poor posture or an incorrect work desk setup can also lead to shoulder pain.

At SA Wellness Centre, we regularly work with patients experiencing shoulder pain. Diagnosing the root cause of the problem allows us to provide a tailored treatment plan at our state-of-the-art Adelaide clinic.

The initial consultation is an opportunity for us to gain a clear understanding of your condition, which includes taking a history to identify current symptoms and/or injury, past trauma and other potential contributing factors.

From here, we conduct a physical examination of your shoulder, using various orthopaedic tests to determine the cause and extent of your condition, and the best approach to addressing the issue. X-rays and/or ultrasound imaging may be required for further information, and a referral will be arranged accordingly.

We adopt the same results-driven process towards assisting patients with neck pain, upper back pain, herniated discs, scoliosis and other musculoskeletal conditions.

Speak to a friendly member of our professional team today

To visit our laidback Adelaide clinic, you can schedule an appointment online or contact us directly for more information before booking.

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