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Shoulder pain is a common ailment, affecting 18% to 26% of individuals, although it's not always convenient. The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any of our joints, so it's no surprise that shoulder discomfort and injuries are prevalent and extremely uncomfortable.
Physical therapy is often a helpful, non-surgical treatment for shoulder pain, whether rotator cuff tears or other muscular ailments cause it. Your doctor may refer you to a physical therapist to manage your shoulder pain. They will analyze your injuries and determine the best course of treatment. By the way, you may try to find a physical therapist on your own by googling “shoulder physical therapy near me”.
Depending on the nature of your injury, your physical therapist may most likely prescribe one or more of the following types of shoulder therapy:
1. Ice therapy
For acute injuries, the RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) protocol recommends cooling the affected areas. It reduces inflammation and swelling, which helps to relieve pain.
2. Heat therapy
In contrast to cold therapy, which is used within the initial few hours following injury, heat therapy is most effective after 72 hours. It relieves pain and allows muscles to relax, similar to ice therapy.
3. Hands-on therapy
As the name implies, hands-on therapy necessitates the physical therapist's assistance in relaxing the damaged shoulder. The physical therapist utilizes their hands to apply direction-specific pressure to the tissue, allowing it to restore some of its natural mobility.
4. Stretching
Stretching is a popular kind of therapy for shoulder discomfort since it gradually pushes your muscles further and further until you restore range of motion. Depending on the injury, the physical therapist would most likely use a variety of stretches that target different regions of the shoulder, as well as the neck and spine.
5. Strengthening
Strengthening is just another word for exercise, since the physical therapist may recommend that you do particular strengthening exercises to relieve pain at the injury site while simultaneously strengthening other muscles, such as your core. The goal is to leave you stronger than before the injury to avoid a recurrence.
6. Joint mobilization
Joint mobilization is another type of therapy that requires the assistance of a physical therapist. Its goal is to enhance the mobility of the damaged shoulder by stretching the joint capsule. Because it involves a detailed understanding of anatomy, it can only be performed by a qualified, professional physical therapist.
7. Ultrasound
A therapeutic ultrasound, which should not be confused with a diagnostic ultrasound, is a method of physical treatment for shoulder pain that involves deep heating of the muscles, tendons, and other soft tissue. The heat increases circulation in the tissue, which helps to relieve pain and repair the injury. Therapeutic ultrasounds also serve to increase muscle suppleness, particularly in cases of frozen shoulder, allowing the muscles to stretch more easily and thereby increasing the range of motion.
8. Electrical stimulation
Stimulating the nerves is one method for strengthening the damaged shoulder muscles. It is sometimes used to contract muscles or relieve inflammation, but it can also be used to deliver medications.
9. Athletic taping
Your physical therapist may decide to utilize athletic tape as part of your shoulder physical therapy in addition to other methods of treatment, such as exercises.
10. Kinesiology taping
While athletic tape is designed to limit mobility, kinesiology taping encourages safe and secure movement while enhancing circulation. Depending on the type of shoulder injury you have, the physical therapist may employ one of these taping techniques or none.
11. Activity modification
To prevent the possibility of your shoulder injury recurring, your physical therapist will teach you how to alter your daily activities so that your shoulders are correctly supported. For example, if you have a frozen shoulder, your physical therapist may advise you to avoid extended rest.
12. Workplace ergonomics
In this day and age, it is nearly hard for some people to avoid sitting at their computer desk for up to eight hours per day. Your physical therapist will most likely discuss ergonomics with you; the goal is to identify strategies to guarantee that your body receives the necessary support. This might be anything from completing particular exercises at your desk to purchasing a new office chair.
13. Home exercise program
The shoulder physical therapy exercises you perform with your physical therapist will most likely need to be continued to some level after your sessions are completed. The physical therapist will design a series of at-home exercises to help you maintain the progress you have made. They will practice the exercises with you during sessions so that you are confident in your ability to do them at home.
