Platinum Author
Because the shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, shoulder pain can be a very common condition. If you have shoulder pain, you should not ignore it, because like any other condition, the quicker it is managed, the better the results.
When a heath care professional starts treatment for a shoulder injury, it is vital that they gather sufficient information. This information should consist of the cause of the injury, exam findings, and ultimately, the diagnosis. These are the measures by which the treatment plan is based. Naturally, formulation of a treatment regimen must depend on the cause of the shoulder problem. The most common causes are frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tears, referred pain from the neck, or degenerative disorders such as arthritis and avascular necrosis, labral tears, calcific tendinitis, joint laxity, age, and tendon rupture.
Because the causes listed above have different levels of severity, we will focus on the more basic ways of treating shoulder pain. Here are some forms of treatment that can be used for general shoulder conditions.
Rest. This is the hallmark of all treatments. All conditions should undergo a period of rest, especially if the area is swollen and extremely painful. However, careful consideration should be made when it comes to the number of days of rest. For the shoulder, two or three days of rest and immobilization is appropriate, as too much rest may lead to a more debilitating condition, which is known as frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis.
Physical Therapy. The principles of physical therapy incorporate application of hot and cold in the acute, subacute, and chronic stages of healing. This then precedes range of motion exercises. Exercises are initially passive and then progress to resistive to increase muscle integrity and strength. Physical therapy has been shown to help alleviate the pain when it is prescribed together with medical treatment.
Medications. Most simple pain killers can be obtained over-the-counter. The most common of these being aspirin and non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Acetaminophen such as Tylenol, and Ibuprofen such as Motrin and Advil, are some common medication that can be used to treat this pain. These medications usually only have short term pain relief and should be prescribed along with other treatments.
Alternative Therapies. These are conservative treatments that use various hands-on techniques to aid in shoulder mobility and elimination of pain.
Massage--Massage is very beneficial when dealing with shoulder problems. Massage helps to relieve the muscle spasms surrounding the shoulder, which can increase circulation and facilitate healing.
Acupuncture--Acupuncture is a technique which utilizes needles inserted to the different areas of the body where there is pain or discomfort. There has been evidence proving acupuncture to be an effective complementary therapy.
Chiropractic-- Recognized as being the third largest area of medicine, chiropractic treatment deals with pain relief through specialized spinal manipulations that target the musculoskeletal and the nervous system. The chiropractor evaluates not only shoulder pain, but an individual's overall health, including formulation of diet and exercises based on a person's lifestyle.
Even though shoulder pain can be problematic, there are many conservative things that you can do before resorting to surgery. Giving these things a try can allow you to get relief, without having to resort to drastic measures.
About this Author
Resource For This Article
Would you like to learn more about back pain and other topics like it? Get helpful tips, articles, and exercises by joining our "members-only" area =>
http://lexfamilychiro.com/custom_content/c_43467_website_membership.html
Looking forward to seeing you and getting you out of pain,
Dr. Heath Gallentine Lexington Family Chiropractic 131 Prosperous Place #15 Lexington, KY 40509 859-264-1140
You Don't Have To Live With The Pain!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Heath_Gallentine
