How your Richmond chiropractor can help with shoulder pain

Your shoulder is a very complex area of your body with joints, tendons and muscles all designed to provide a wide range of motion. But the complexity of your shoulder can lead to injury and irritation causing pain. Shoulder pain is common, especially if you play baseball. You don’t want to be sidelined this season by annoying shoulder pain when help is just a phone call away. Dr. Scott Shaw, your chiropractor at Shaw Chiropractic Center, in Richmond, Virginia, wants you to know all about shoulder pain.

Shoulder pain can be sports related, but it can also be the result of an accident or trauma, bursitis, tendonitis, muscle spasm or a pinched nerve. Shoulder pain can also be a signal of bone degeneration and arthritis. Whatever the reason for your shoulder pain there are some home remedies Dr. Shaw wants you to try such as:

• Icing your shoulder
• Applying moist heat to your shoulder
• Stretching exercises
• Over-the-counter pain and anti-inflammatory medications

If your pain is severe, and none of the home remedies give you relief, it’s time to visit your chiropractor, Dr. Shaw. He will try to control your pain and inflammation first. Some of the treatments he may use include electrical muscle stimulation, ultrasound technology and targeted heat and ice therapy.

As your pain and inflammation get under control, Dr. Shaw will try massage and gentle adjustments to improve the range of motion in your shoulder. The goal is to try and relax the muscles and tendons so you can move freely. Massage also helps to break up any scar tissue which might be restricting movement.

Once your shoulder can move more freely and you feel minimal pain, Dr. Shaw will help you with some exercises to strengthen your rotator cuff and muscles in your shoulder. He may need from six to eight weeks to get your shoulder back to moving freely and painlessly.

So don’t let your shoulder pain keep you from doing activities you enjoy. Ignoring shoulder pain may turn it into a more serious problem. If you have shoulder pain, don’t try to handle it alone. Call Dr. Shaw, your chiropractor at Shaw Chiropractic Center in Richmond, Virginia. He can help you and your shoulder, so call today!