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One of the most misdiagnosed complaints we see. If treatment aimed at the shoulder has not worked, there is usually a reason.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body, and that mobility comes at the cost of stability. It depends on a group of muscles and tendons, the rotator cuff, to hold everything in position while it moves. When any part of that system is irritated, the shoulder complains.
Here is the part people are rarely told. The nerves that supply your shoulder and arm exit from your neck. A restriction in the lower cervical spine can produce pain that is felt entirely in the shoulder, with nothing wrong at the shoulder itself. That is why we examine both.
Rotator cuff strain or tendinitis, impingement where tendons get pinched during overhead movement, and AC joint irritation at the top of the shoulder. Frozen shoulder, where the capsule tightens and range of motion is progressively lost. Injuries from falls, sports, and car accidents, where the seatbelt loads one shoulder hard.
And referred pain from the neck, which is common enough that we always check for it.
We evaluate the shoulder itself and the cervical spine that supplies it, because treating the wrong one is the usual reason shoulder pain persists.
Treatment can include adjustments to the shoulder and surrounding joints, adjustments to the neck and upper back where indicated, soft tissue work through the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles, and cold laser or ultrasound to address inflammation. Where stiffness is the main problem, your doctor will talk through how to keep the shoulder moving between visits, and written home exercise instructions are available on request.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Eveline Onkels, DC and Dr. Michael Onkels, DC, Onkels Chiropractic, Bountiful, Utah. This page is for general information and is not a substitute for an examination.
Yes. We treat the shoulder joint directly and also evaluate the neck and upper back, since the nerves supplying the shoulder originate in the cervical spine and referred pain is common.
Because the nerves that supply your shoulder exit from your neck. A restriction in the lower cervical spine can produce pain felt entirely in the shoulder. If that is the source, treating only the shoulder will not resolve it.
We treat rotator cuff strain and tendinitis conservatively with soft tissue work, adjustment, and therapy to reduce inflammation. A full tear may require surgical evaluation, and we will tell you directly if that is what your examination suggests.
That pattern often points to impingement or a frozen shoulder, both of which we evaluate. Loss of range of motion tends to respond better the earlier it is addressed, so do not wait it out.
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