Painful shoulder conditions that limit movement are common. We assess the shoulder, neck and upper spine to find the cause.
Painful shoulder conditions that limit movement are very common, and are caused by injuries affecting the shoulder joint, muscles, tendons, ligaments and cartilage. You can perform more movements with the arm than with any other part of the body, which is part of why the shoulder is so prone to injury.
Since the nerves that supply the shoulder and arm originate from the neck and upper spine, conditions such as vertebral dysfunction commonly contribute to shoulder pain.
Conditions we may be able to help with
- Frozen shoulder
- Chronic shoulder pain and stiffness
- Shoulder muscle spasm and tension
- Arthritis of the shoulder
- Rotator cuff disorders
- Impingement syndrome
- AC joint injury
Assessment and treatment
To determine the cause of your pain, we conduct a full physical, orthopaedic and neurological examination of the shoulder, cervical and thoracic spine. You may be asked to perform range-of-motion and muscle-strength tests. Where the pain is felt, both at rest and during movement, provides important clues about its cause. It may also be necessary to undergo specialised diagnostic tests such as X-ray, ultrasound or MRI.
Regardless of the cause, treatment of the shoulder requires an experienced practitioner who can test the movements and structures of the shoulder and reach an accurate diagnosis. The initial objective for all shoulder injuries is to relieve pain and inflammation.