Shoulder Pain

In addition to causing discomfort, musculoskeletal issues like shoulder pain can seriously affect daily life. It is among the most often reported physical pain in the world. Our team at InnovateMed Medical Group located in Orange, California, can help you manage your pain naturally by offering comprehensive pain management services.

Because of its extensive motion, the shoulder is often subjected to pain and injury. Though most shoulder problems are relatively short-lived, the pain sometimes indicates a more complex issue. Here’s a guide to what might be wrong and whether it’s a cause for concern.  

Shoulder pain

Shoulder pain can present itself in a mild or severe form of uncomfortable sensations in your shoulder joint. This pain can radiate around your neck and biceps or the upper part of your back, which eventually restricts your ability to move freely and causes a great deal of discomfort. 

What are the various causes of shoulder pain?

1. Frozen shoulder that involves pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint
2. Some of the rotator cuff injuries include:

• Bursitis
• Tendonitis
• Rotator cuff tear

The leading causes of rotator cuff tears include: 

• Injury
• Degeneration (with age)
• Overuse of the rotator cuff
• Sports injuries

Other Conditions: 

• Cervical radiculopathy (which occurs due to irritation or damage to the nerve)

What are the symptoms of shoulder pain?

• Pain in shoulder
• Neck and shoulder pain
• Radiating pain in arm and shoulder
• Stiffness 
• Pain with mobility

How can shoulder pain be diagnosed?

The cause of exact shoulder pain can be challenging to identify as symptoms of all problems cause similar signs.

For further examination, several imaging tests are available including:

• Reviewing medical history and symptoms
• Physical examination to assess joint tenderness, swelling, and pain level 
• Kinetisense, an Artificial Intelligence tool to assess range of motion
• Imaging tests such as X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds to visualize joint damage or inflammation
• Blood tests to identify markers of inflammation or specific antibodies in the case of autoimmune arthritis

What are the services provided by ONC?

•  Joint injections, trigger point injections, prolotherapy etc to the affected area
• OMT (osteopathic manipulative treatment) to help with tendonitis; involves soft-tissue stretching (fascial release), localized isometric contraction-relaxation (muscle energy), positional or facilitative relaxation (counterstrain and balanced ligamentous tension), and gentle techniques to balance motion in the skull (cranial osteopathy)

• Physical Rehab focusing on stretching and strengthening the shoulder to help recover and improve the range of motion