Shoulder & 
Upper Back Pain

Many different factors go into cause of pain in the upper back, shoulder, shoulder blade, or arm. 

Direct Joint Injury- 

The shoulder joint consists of the glenohumeral joint (proper shoulder joint), subscapular joint, acromioclavicular joint and sternoclavicular joint. This joint is also impacted by the rib orientation which will allow the shoulder blade to glide smoothly. These can be directly impacted, produce arthritis, or become inflamed. All of these limit movement and cause pain. 

Nerve Pain- 

Damage to the nerves can cause pain, such as neck pain, shoulder pain, arm and hand pain. Symptoms of this can result in numbness, ‘dead arm’, throbbing, night pain, aches, and a pins and needles feeling are all often signs of nerve injury.
There are a number of different injuries that involve nerve pain: trapped nerves, spondylosis, thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS), rib pain, neuralgia, disc injuries (neck) and nerve root injury.

Muscle Injury- 

 The upper body consists of large powerful muscles such as the trapezius that move the whole shoulder joint and others such as the muscles of the rotator cuff that guides the motion of the main mover. These muscles help stabilize the shoulder joint and provide changes to the angle of movement. Because of this,  there are many points within the muscle structure where injury can occur. 

Adhesive Capsulitis "Frozen Shoulder"-

The shoulder joint is held in place by a ligamentous capsule. This allows movement in certain directions while also preventing movement that could result in injury to the joint. 

Frozen shoulder occurs when adhesions and hypertonicity build up within this capsule. This reduces the ability of your shoulder joint to move and causes sudden and severe pain upon movement. (often occurring at night)

Trapped Nerve- 

Injury or irritation to the nerves in your upper back, shoulders, or neck could cause numbness and weakness in the shoulder muscles. This could also cause sharp shoulder pain. 

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With our team of chiropractors, physical therapists, and massage therapists, we will evaluate your symptoms, determine which provider will be best able to assist you in easing your pain and create a comprehensive care plan to bring you back to optimum health! 

Don't let pain and discomfort impact your quality of life. Schedule an evaluation with us so we can bring you back to your best self!