You Need To Consider Doing This If Your Shoulder Impingement Is Not Improving With Chiropractic Care
Shoulder impingement is a painful condition that occurs when the tendons of the rotator cuff become compressed between the bones of the shoulder, leading to pain and limited range of motion. Whether caused by repetitive overhead motions, injury, or degeneration, shoulder impingement can affect your ability to lift your arm, reach overhead, or even perform everyday activities like dressing or reaching for objects.
The emotional toll of shoulder impingement can be just as significant as the physical pain. The inability to move your shoulder freely and the constant discomfort can leave you feeling frustrated, anxious, and restricted in your daily life. If chiropractic care has not provided lasting relief from your shoulder impingement, it may be time to consider exploring other treatment options that address the root cause and offer long-term relief.
Chiropractic Care: A Common Approach to Treating Shoulder Impingement
Chiropractic care is often used to treat shoulder impingement by focusing on spinal alignment, joint mobility, and reducing muscle tension. Chiropractors may use spinal adjustments and shoulder joint manipulation to alleviate pressure on the rotator cuff tendons, improve range of motion, and reduce inflammation in the shoulder area. The goal is to restore balance and function to the shoulder joint and surrounding muscles.
However, chiropractic care may not always provide long-lasting relief for everyone. Many individuals find that regular treatments are required to maintain relief, and the cost of ongoing chiropractic sessions can add up. While chiropractic care may provide temporary comfort, it might not always address the underlying cause of the shoulder impingement, meaning the pain may return once the treatment effects wear off.
Why Getting a Clear Diagnosis Is Crucial
Shoulder impingement can be caused by a variety of underlying factors. Here are five common causes of shoulder impingement:
- Rotator Cuff Tendonitis – Inflammation of the tendons in the rotator cuff can lead to pain, especially with overhead movements.
- Bursitis – Inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac that cushions the shoulder joint, can cause swelling and discomfort.
- Bone Spurs – Bony growths that form on the bones of the shoulder can narrow the space where the tendons pass, leading to impingement.
- Postural Issues – Poor posture or muscle imbalances can change the alignment of the shoulder joint, contributing to impingement.
- Rotator Cuff Tears – Tears in the rotator cuff tendons can cause instability and inflammation, leading to impingement of the tendons between the bones.
In addition to these common causes, there are two less common but potentially serious causes of shoulder pain:
- Fractures – A break in the bones of the shoulder can affect the rotator cuff tendons, leading to impingement.
- Instability – Repeated dislocations or instability of the shoulder joint can lead to injury and impingement of the rotator cuff tendons.
The Need for Imaging to Get a Precise Diagnosis
It’s important to understand that shoulder impingement cannot always be fully diagnosed through symptoms or physical examination alone. Imaging techniques such as X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds are necessary to assess the condition of the rotator cuff tendons, muscles, and bones. These diagnostic tools provide healthcare providers with a clearer view of the injury, allowing them to create an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.
The Pain Relief Clinic: Your Partner in Finding a Clear Diagnosis
At The Pain Relief Clinic, we understand how shoulder impingement can affect your ability to move and perform basic tasks. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in offering non-invasive diagnostic services to uncover the root cause of your pain. If you’ve been struggling with shoulder impingement and haven’t found lasting relief, we can arrange for affordable scans, typically within one working day. Medisave can often be used to help cover the cost of these scans, making them more accessible for you.
We also assist with insurance claims, including accident insurance, travel insurance, and company insurance, ensuring that you can access the care you need without additional financial strain.
Once we have a clear diagnosis, we can provide targeted treatments, solutions, and non-invasive technology to help alleviate your shoulder impingement and restore your mobility.
Ready to take control of your shoulder pain? Send us a message today to arrange an appointment and begin your journey toward lasting relief from shoulder impingement.
What To Expect When I Visit The Pain Relief Clinic
A typical visit will involve our doctor first understanding your medical history, concerns and previous experience with other pain treatments.
For patients who have consulted many people but have yet to receive a clear diagnosis, selecting an affordable imaging scan might be recommended to confirm the cause of your pain..
Some patients have already done scans with other doctors for their pain condition but are still not clearly told what they suffer from.
Dr Terence Tan is happy to offer you a second opinion and recommend how best to manage your condition.
We also see patients who already have a confirmed diagnosis from specialist pain doctors, but are "stuck” because treatment options offered are not practical or acceptable.
We can help by discussing options that you might have potentially never been told of.
A common experience is when a patient has already consulted a specialist doctor for pain management and is told to consider orthopaedic surgery which they find too aggressive.
Or they may have seen doctors for their pain and were prescribed painkillers with potential side effects which made them feel uncomfortable.
Many of our patients have also first tried complementary treatments or acupuncture with traditional Chinese pain doctors.
They look for a second opinion after finding any relief experienced from other treatments to be temporary or requiring repetitive treatments, which add up to time and cost.
Especially in such situations, we emphasize using non-invasive medical technology you likely have not been told about .
This can make a big difference to your results.