Shoulder pain is limiting. When you experience shoulder injury caused by repetitive use or sudden acute injury, it can cause pain even once the initial injury has healed. When this occurs, the shoulder tends to become stiff and difficult to move. Shoulder pain can range from a dull ache to intense shooting pains. This pain may also not be limited to the shoulder socket, but may be felt in the neck, head, and upper back. One form of chiropractic technique to treat soft tissue injuries, including shoulder pain, is Active Release Techniques (ART®). Active Release Therapy performed by a trained professional can reduce shoulder pain and increase mobility.
How Active Release Therapy Addresses Shoulder Pain
Shoulder Pain
Injuries to the rotator cuff (the shoulder) are typically caused by:
- Repetitive use. If you suffer from pain caused by repetitive use, you will likely need to change your habits to give your shoulder a rest. You may need to ice your shoulder to help reduce pain. Often, people will use steroid injections to help aid in repetitive-use shoulder pain, but repeated steroid use can weaken the tendon and lead to future injury. Injury caused by repetitive use tends to cause microtears that lead to a buildup of scar tissue.
- Sudden injury. If your shoulder pain is caused by a sudden injury, such as a shoulder sprain, you should ice the injury to decrease swelling and rest your shoulder to give it time to heal. You may need to use a sling to keep your shoulder immobilized. Many people will also use a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medication to help relieve pain, although these over-the-counter medications should not be used for more than 10 days in a row. These pain killers will not help to heal your shoulder injury, they will only suppress pain. Once this injury heals, there will likely be a buildup of scar tissue.
Scar Tissue And Shoulder Pain
Whether your shoulder pain is caused by repetitive motion or by sudden acute trauma, part of the damage may be caused by a buildup of scar tissue. Any soft tissue injury that has started healing can develop scar tissue that limits mobility and makes movement painful. This is why old injuries continue to cause problems even if they happened long ago. Because scar tissue is not as stretchy as normal tissue, it leads to a limited range of motion, weakens the muscles, and makes you more prone to future injury.
How Active Release Therapy Can Treat Shoulder Pain
Active Release Therapy is a technique that uses pressure and muscle movement to break up scar tissue and aid in healing. During an Active Release Therapy session, your chiropractor will apply controlled, targeted pressure with their hand or thumb while facilitating the movement of your arm and shoulder. This dynamic chiropractic technique alters the tissue structure to break up scar tissue adhesion, thus reducing pain and inflammation while increasing mobility. Once the scar tissue has been removed using Active Release Techniques, you may need to complete some chiropractor-recommended exercises to help build muscle strength and prevent future injury.
Address Shoulder Pain With Active Release Therapy
The chiropractic team at Performance Health And Wellness in Irvine, California is focused on complete health and well-being. Several of our members of staff are certified to administer Active Release Techniques to relieve your shoulder pain and we offer many chiropractic services that offer a variety of benefits to ensure you receive the treatment you need. At Performance Health And Wellness, your chiropractor will break up scar tissue to aid in your healing, reduce your pain, and increase your mobility. If you are suffering from shoulder pain, call Performance Health And Wellness at 1-949-476-1250 or fill out the online contact form to book a consultation.
FAQ
Each Active Release Therapy session will be tailored to a person’s needs and their pain level tolerances. Because ART® requires pressure on the damaged areas, it may cause some discomfort and mild pain, but your practitioner will make it as comfortable as possible and will communicate with you throughout the session to make sure you are not experiencing intense pain.
Consistently playing sports or performing tasks that require extensive shoulder movement can lead to a shoulder injury. For example, swimming, baseball, tennis, rowing, physical labor, and house cleaning can all cause shoulder pain.
No, only chiropractors who are trained and qualified in ART® can administer this technique.
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Performance Health & Wellness is a full-service Wellness Facility located in Irvine California. Our team of Chiropractors, Active Release Technique Practitioners, Movement Therapists, and Wellness Therapists will support you on your journey to energized movement and comprehensive health and wellness.
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