Over the past few months I have been seeing an increasing amount of patients with shoulder related pain who are complaining of very similar issues.
These things include :
“ I have pain laying on my shoulder at night”
“ My Shoulder pain warms up and becomes sore only after exercise”
“ It feels weak and painful”
“ Im finding it difficult reaching behind my back – in particular getting things out of the back seat in the car”
“ I find it painful only when I put the washing on the line or taking my shirt off “
If these things are familiar with your shoulder, here are things to keep in mind:
- DON’T PANIC – forget the imaging results! Research now suggests that findings on MRI and Ultrasound may just be normal for you age and function and may not be actually causing your pain. Consult your physio before over-analysing scan results!
- STRENGTHENING – rest most likely WILL NOT HELP! Your muscles and tendons will respond well to appropriate exercise. There is a good chance your shoulder is just not “fit” enough to tolerate certain movements – YOU can retrain this!!
- THE POWER OF KNOWLEDGE – the biggest RISK FACTOR for a poor outcome / surgery with shoulder pain is in fact a patients LACK of understanding of their shoulder condition. Understanding their pain and how to manage their pain guided from your Physiotherapist is KEY – NOT GOOGLE.
- Shoulder pain is MULTI DIMENSIONAL – meaning other risk factors in your life may be making your pain more susceptible to staying there for a long time. These can include; Stress / Inactivity / Obesity / Smoking
If your someone suffering from recurrent shoulder pain and your not sure where to go from here or what exercises may help… We can help you get back on track
Click here to book now or call 5578 7155.
by Tim Rigby, Associate Physiotherapist