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Shoulder Pain & Injuries

Millions of Americans participate regularly in casual and competitive sports and activities such as biking, hiking, swimming, walking, lifting, gardening and painting. And millions more can injure or strain their shoulders with repetitive-motion and work-related activities. No matter what type of shoulder injury you have, we have the training and experience to help you get back to your sports, work and daily activities much sooner and more safely than you may think.

One common cause of shoulder pain is soreness in the rotator cuff tendon (the part that aids in circular motion of the arm). Another common cause is soreness from the subacromial bursa, a fluid sac under the highest part of the shoulder. Activities such as lifting, painting or participating in a sport that requires you to lift your arms can cause pain. You may not even recall a specific injury that led to your pain, because pain can also result from the cumulative effects of repetitive motions.

The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles that surround the arm bone (humerus). They keep the shoulder steady as the arm moves. The supraspinatus muscle rests on top of the shoulder. Its tendon stretch under the bone to the outside of the shoulder (acromion). This tendon is most often injured because of its position between bones. The tendon can become sore and swollen and pinched between bones. The fluid sac that cushions this tendon can become damaged, as well.

Impingement is the term used to describe the pain resulting from compression of the rotator cuff tendons and the subacromial bursa. Shoulder impingement is common. You may feel soreness after doing work with your arms stretched overhead. When these symptoms persist and interfere with your normal daily activity, you may be diagnosed with impingement syndrome. Chronic impingement can lead to bursitis, rotator cuff tendinitis and rupture of rotator cuff tendons.

Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, is a condition characterized by stiffness and pain in your shoulder joint. In the frozen stage of the disorder, your shoulder's range of motion is dramatically reduced and you cannot move your arm.

The head of the upper arm bone is usually much longer than the socket; a soft fibrous tissue called the labrum surrounds the socket to help stabilize the shoulder joint. This rim deepens the socket so the head of the humerus fits better. It is also an attachment site for several ligaments. The labrum may tear when over-stressed, and labral tears are another common shoulder injury and source of pain.

Also common are sprains and strains. These can occur just anywhere in the shoulder structure and cause. pain.

Whether you have a painful muscle sprain or a more serious shoulder problem, the expert physical therapists at Orland Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine can help. We have the training and experience with manual, hands-on techniques to help many common and not-so-common shoulder conditions. We can help you get rid of your shoulder pain and past your injury.

Together, we offer comprehensive, intensive hands-on therapy, biomechanical evaluation and muscle strengthening/conditioning to help prevent future injuries. And we help people who have had shoulder surgery to rehabilitate and return to function.

To learn more about how we can help shoulder injuries and related musculoskelatal conditions, please call Orland at 530-865-8457.


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