It’s time to recover from that aching shoulder. Learn the 5 reasons to seek physical therapy for shoulder pain…
Are you experiencing shoulder pain that’s making it difficult for you to perform upper body movements? If this is you, you should consult a healthcare professional to discover its root cause.
Shoulder pain can be experienced because of conditions like bursitis, frozen shoulder, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Injuries such as dislocation, fracture, and rotator cuff tears can also cause discomfort.
Apart from that, shoulder pain can also stem from poor posture and other underlying factors such as a problem with your gallbladder.
Therefore, it’s necessary that you seek accurate treatment based on the primary cause of your problem.
Shoulder pain affects millions of people worldwide, and it remains a significant reason behind missed work days. Most people with shoulder pain try home remedies first, and then consult a doctor if they don’t feel any difference in the reduction of pain.
Each of your shoulders is made up of three bones which include the shoulder blade (scapula), collar bone (clavicle), and arm bone (humerus). If you damage any of these bones or the muscle tissue around them, then you will experience pain and discomfort.
Shoulder pain can range from mild to severe based on the severity of the injury or level of inflammation. Which means if you have injured yourself severely, you will experience immense pain and discomfort and might not be able to move.
How Physical Therapy Is Beneficial For Shoulder Pain
Addresses The Root Cause
Physical therapy is not just about reducing your pain temporarily; it’s a holistic approach to healthcare. Your physical therapist will focus on strengthening your body naturally, rather than only concentrating on reducing your pain.
They will identify the primary source of your pain to heal your injury (or illness) effectively. If you have gone to a doctor before consulting a physical therapist, they will check to make sure you have the right prescription before they design a treatment plan for you.
However, if you consult a physical therapist directly will result in finding the actual cause of your pain.
They will conduct a physical examination to get detailed information about your shoulder health and range of motion. They will also try to identify any previous damage that may have been done.
Pain Relief
Physical therapists will use unique pain relief techniques to subside your shoulder pain – having you perform therapeutic exercises to keep your shoulder joint active.
You will learn a wide range of stretching and rehabilitation exercises to minimize the pain. Plus, they will teach you the right sitting and sleeping techniques to prevent your pain from worsening
Increases Range Of Motion
Shoulder mobility and strength will help to be restored with all the new stretches you will be learning.
Your physical therapist will pull all kinds of stretching out of their arsenal to get your shoulder back to what it once was: active, passive, static, and dynamic stretches can all be used.
Restoring Strength
According to Ellis Physical Therapy, “For building strength, your physical therapist will probably involve some form of resistance training, such as free weights, long rubber bands, or even cycles that you pedal with your hands.”
Improve Muscle & Bone Health
The kind of exercises that your physical therapist asks you to perform are not only essential for healing the injury and reducing the pain, but they are also helpful in strengthening your muscles and bone health.
Strong bones and muscles are highly crucial for living an active life and can make recovering from your next injury easier and faster.
Prevent Future Injuries
Physical therapy helps prevent future shoulder injuries in two vital ways:
Firstly, it helps in strengthening your overall fitness – especially flexibility. People with good flexibility are less vulnerable to injury.
Secondly, you will become educated on how to reduce and lessen injury. For example, athletes might learn proper running, stretching, and cool down techniques to prevent an assortment of issues.
