Shoulder Pain in Olympia WA

The sun is shining and the weather is getting warmer which means it is the perfect time to go outside and become more active. But first you have to shake off the rust from those cold months when you've stayed inside binge watching your favorite television show. Going out and being more active all of a sudden can cause aches and pains in different locations that you didn't even know existed.

If you suffer from shoulder pain in Olympia WA, contact our team at Evergreen Family Chiropractic today to see how we can help!

Quick anatomy of the shoulder

The shoulder is made up of the scapula (shoulder blade), the clavicle (that thick bone next to your neck), and the humerus bone (the bone in the upper part of your arm). These three bones are held together by a few ligaments and tendons from surrounding muscles. There is a thick cushion where the bones come together, that helps to protect the joint during movement. All these structures work together to make sure that the shoulder is able to move in all directions while carrying heavy loads. It is not hard to disrupt the harmony of these structures and cause injury.

When your shoulder hurts, the pain location can tell a lot about what structure is injured. If the pain is in the front of the shoulder, it could be a strained bicep tendon. If the pain feels like it's deep in the joint, it could be that cushion. If the pain feels like it's coming from under the shoulder blade, it could be one of the few muscles that attach to the shoulder blade.

A very common pain patients complain about at Kudick chiropractic is a pain that feels like it's coming from under the shoulder blade. This could have multiple causes but there is one muscle that is very commonly responsible for pain under the shoulder blade, the subscapularis muscle. This muscle is a flat muscle that is on the lining of the shoulder blade between the blade and the ribs. It is responsible for rotating the arm. When you're doing a lot of reaching and pulling and twisting, this muscle can flare up, but it is often times forgotten and therefore ignored.

Reduce Risk of Shoulder Pain in Olympia WA

Before doing any activity we at Evergreen Family Chiropractic recommend that you make sure your shoulders are stretched and loosened up properly. One of the first things to disappear when you are staying indoors, is proper posture. This causes your muscles to tighten up and reduces their ability to stabilize the joint. Just moving your arms in controlled circles around your body and in all directions can significantly help loosen up the joint and the muscles which will significantly reduce the risk of injury to the area.

Shoulder injuries could go away on their own with rest or they may require rehabilitation that includes strengthening and stabilizing exercises as well as adjustments to the joint to ensure proper functionality. At Evergreen Family Chiropractic we have the training and tools needed to help determine the cause of your shoulder pain and we can help you regain functionality in the joint and help to relieve your pain.