Shoulder Pain in Hawk Point, MO. If you live with shoulder pain, you know the limitations it can place on your life. It makes any basic task from brushing your teeth to making a breakaway layup frustrating and, sometimes, not even an option. But pain and limited shoulder movement does not have to be a part of your everyday life. At Axes Physical Therapy in Hawk Point, MO, our professional physical therapists specialize in personalized treatment plans, based on evidence, to get you back to optimal movement health. Allow us to turn your shoulder pain from a daily occurrence into a thing of the past. Make an appointment online or find our location nearest you.

The Anatomy of the Shoulder | Shoulder Pain in Hawk Point, MO

The shoulder is one of the the largest and most complex joints we have. In actuality, what we call the shoulder joint is made up of four different joints:

1. The glenohumeral (GH) joint is the joint where the humerus (upper arm bone) fits into a relatively small dish called the glenoid. Given the relatively shallow socket, it is the most mobile joint in the body.
2. The acromioclavicular (AC) joint connects the clavicle to the acromion, the part of the shoulder blade that is the highest part of the shoulder. A plane style synovial joint, it allows you to outstretch your arm.
3. The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is a plane-style synovial joint located where the clavicle meets the sternum at the base of the neck. As the only joint that connects the arm to the body, it it ensures your arm and body move in tandem.
4. The scapulothoracic (ST) “joint” is not a true anatomical joint as it does not have typical joint characteristics. It is made up of the scapula and its articulation with the ribcage.

In addition to those four joints, the shoulder consists of:

• the four muscles of the rotator cup that surround the head of the humerus, which power movement and stabilize the ball of the humerus within the shoulder socket
• the shoulder capsule, a a fluid-filled sac that surrounds and lubricates the shoulder
• the four shoulder ligaments which help connect bone to bone and help reinforce the capsule
• the tendons in the biceps and shoulder which connect muscle to bone
• the brachial plexus nerves that allow the brain to tell the shoulder and arm to move and the shoulder to tell the brain when it feels pain or other sensory information
• the blood vessels that supply nutritious blood to the shoulder

Being able to move your shoulder pain free depends on every part of the system functioning well. Blood must be allowed to reach the shoulder maintain healthy soft tissue and stimulate the body’s natural recovery processes. The muscles must have adequate strength and flexibility, the tendons connecting them to the bones must be strong, flexible, and free of rips or tears, the ligaments that attach our bones need to help support proper structure, and the nerves need to have a strong and secure connection to the brain. When any one of the parts of the shoulder is damaged, inflamed, or otherwise irritated, it often causes shoulder pain and movement problems. If you’re experiencing shoulder pain or any other symptoms of a shoulder injury, contact Axes’ physical therapists for a no-risk, no-obligation injury screening.

What’s Behind My Shoulder Pain?

Shoulder pain can be caused by numerous different circumstances, from sports injuries to a car accident, a work injury from overuse to old age. Below are the most common underlying conditions that lead to shoulder pain in Hawk Point, MO:

• Bursitis — The bursae are small, fluid-filled sacs that cushion bones, tendons, and muscles in and around your joints. Bursitis occurs when the bursae because inflamed after overuse, often occurs at the same time as inflammation of the rotator cuff, and can make basic activities like getting dressed tremendously difficult.
• Tendinitis — Tendinitis is typically caused by a tendon becoming irritated. There are two causes of tendinitis:
  • Acute: This can happen because of trauma, repeated throwing, or other overhead activities needed in some sports and fields of employment, such as throwing overhead or lifting boxes overhead.
  • Chronic: This can happen because of wear and tear or the body becoming weaker as we age.

  The condition causes pain and tenderness just outside the joint.

• Rotator Cuff Tear — These can also be acute, like lifting an incredibly heavy object, or wear and tear. They begin with fraying and ultimately tear. People often live with partial thickness tears unknowingly. Full-thickness tears, which pull the tendon off the bone, do not heal by themselves. Symptoms include having difficulty raising your arm or lifting things you normally can, pain when sleeping, and a cracking feeling when performing certain movements.
• Shoulder Impingement — Impingement describes when your acromion (outer edge of your shoulder blade) pinches the rotator cuff and bursae. It often occurs in combination with an injury that causes inflammation in the rotator cuff. Shoulder impingement occurs the most in people who are physically active.
• Shoulder Instability — This happens when the ball of the upper arm bone is allowed to move out of the socket when the capsule or ligaments become stretched, torn, or detached, and also can be the result of injury or wear and tear. A dislocation can be partial, coming in and out of the socket, or complete when the bone completely comes out of the socket. It often is accompanied by injury to the supporting soft tissue of the shoulder. Long-term instability will result in shoulder pain and a sense of the shoulder “giving way.”
• Arthritis — While arthritis refers to a range of diagnoses, osteoarthritis is the condition that typically affects the shoulder. It is the result of the cartilage that acts as a shock absorber between your bones breaks down. It can be the result of tissue weakening as we become older, frequent injuries, and overuse. There is no cure for arthritis, but you can find effective pain management techniques with Hawk Point, MO physical and occupational therapists.
• Shoulder Fractures — The upper arm bone, collarbone, and scapula are the bones in the shoulder most susceptible to breaking. They usually happen as the result of falling from a height or forceful collisions such as a car accident. The shoulder pain is usually intense, along with considerable swelling and bruising.
• Axillary Nerve Injuries or Brachial Plexus Injuries — Nerve damage in the shoulder is the result of when nerves are compressed, when scar tissue interferes with their electric signals, or the nerves rupture. These injuries can cause shoulder pain, stingers, weakness, and loss of feeling in your upper extremities. They are usually the result of high-impact trauma but can also happen because of overuse.

At times, one injury leads to another, such as instability that leads to impingement. If you’re currently suffering from shoulder pain, one of our safe, free injury screenings in Hawk Point, MO may help determine the root of it. If you’ve sustained a severe injury or have severe shoulder pain, a physician in Hawk Point, MO may use a physical examination, an X-Ray, an MRI, a CT scan, arthrogram, and/or arthroscopy to discover the cause. For most injuries or conditions that cause shoulder pain, a customized treatment plan with licensed physical therapists that are experts in movement health in Hawk Point, MO can be a successful way to return to a pain-free daily life and the active lifestyle you deserve.

Treating Your Shoulder Pain in Hawk Point, MO

Your customized and evidence-backed physical therapy may include any one or a variety of different treatment plans:

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization to detect and treat any problems with your muscles, ligaments, or tendons
• Pre- and post-surgical rehabilitation, based on a plan with come up with alongside your surgeon, if your shoulder pain was caused by an injury that needed surgery to correct
• Kinesio Taping® to provide support for your shoulder and allow you to participate in sports or go back to work while you are still recovering
• Blood flow restriction training to improve strength while reducing overall stress on the shoulder
• Trigger point dry needling to target harder-to-reach irritated muscles, ligaments, and tendons to encourage the body’s natural healing processes
• Posture correction to ensure you are not inadvertently causing your shoulder pain or heal improperly
• Injury prevention so you do not lose your active lifestyle in the future
• Other safe, effective techniques to optimize your mobility

Missouri Law dictates that you need a prescription for physical therapy, so it’s necessary to speak to your Hawk Point, MO doctor to see if physical therapy is safe and an effective treatment option for your shoulder pain. Our licensed physical and occupational therapists work alongside your primary care physician to make sure your treatment plan is safe for your condition.

Other services we offer in Hawk Point, MO include:

• Physical Therapy Clinic
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Treatment
• Sciatica Treatment
• Sports Medicine
• Hand Pain Physical Therapy
• Foot & Ankle Pain Treatment
• Hip Pain Treatment
• Plantar Fasciitis Treatment
• Stroke Rehabilitation
• Hip Replacement Physical Therapy

Hawk Point, MO Shoulder Pain | Axes Physical Therapy

A well-functioning shoulder is essential to not only carrying out daily tasks with ease, but to doing the things we love. At Axes, we focus on positive outcomes for Hawk Point, MO residents by developing evidence-backed treatment plans catered to your injury, pain level, age, and how physically active you need to be. You do not have to delay in getting back to the things you love doing most and a pain-free life. Schedule an appointment online or reach out to our location nearest you.