Shoulder and arm pain is one of the most reasons to seek treatment from a chiropractor. You place an incredible demand on your shoulders and arms in activities and sports as well as just everyday life. If you’re suffering from an acute shoulder or arm injury, or pain that has been bothersome for a while and is progressively gotten worse, chiropractic care for shoulder and arm pain is a good conservative treatment to start with. Our chiropractors are movement-based practitioners and have the skills to make an accurate diagnosis and get you back to feeling better.

Causes of Shoulder and Arm Pain

The shoulder joint has the most range of motion of any of our large joints, and because of this, there are a number of structures that can become damaged and painful. The rotator cuff, shoulder labrum, ligaments of the shoulder, bursa, and surrounding muscles and tissues have the potential to cause shoulder pain. Our chiropractors have extensive experience determining which structures are damaged or producing pain and getting you on a treatment and rehab program to address themm.

Equally as distressing, damage or dysfunctional movement to structures in the arm like the elbow, wrist, and hand can cause a lot of discomfort. This is especially frustrating because you use your arms in nearly everything you do. Chiropractors may not immediately come to mind when you’re considering treatment for pain in the arm, but know that doctors of chiropractic are effective in treating pain and injuries in these areas as well.

Shoulder and Arm Related Conditions that Chiropractors Treat

If you’re already pretty sure what’s causing your shoulder or arm pain, check the list below and see if it’s something we treat frequently. Chiropractic care is a great strategy to address your shoulder or arm complaint. If you’re not exactly sure what’s causing it, know that we’ll figure it out during our exam and give you an honest opinion on your best course of treatment.

  • Rotator cuff tendonitis, degeneration, and tears
  • Shoulder labrum tears and SLAP tears (painful clicking and popping in the shoulder)
  • Shoulder and elbow bursitis
  • Radiating or shooting pain into the arms (cervical radiculopathy)
  • Thoracic outlet syndrome (arm numbness and tingling at night)
  • Chronic shoulder and trapezius tightness and tension
  • Shoulder impingement
  • Frozen Shoulder
  • AC joint and SC joint sprains and strains
  • Clavicle pain
  • Elbow pain and range of motion limitations
  • Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
  • Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
  • Shoulder and arm weakness (nerve impingements)
  • Wrist clicking and locking
  • Poor grip strength
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis

While this is not a complete list, it covers a lot of the conditions that cause shoulder and arm pain and respond well to chiropractic treatments. If you have a shoulder or arm condition or diagnosis that is not listed, feel free to call our Cary chiropractic office and ask one of our chiropractic physicians if they can help.