Shoulder Bursitis and Impingement
Shoulder Bursitis and Subacromial Impingement are of the 2 most common causes of shoulder pain. If you’re reading this blog with interest you probably already know a bit about these injuries and have possibly even had some treatment. A quick Google search will describe these injuries well so I’ll leave you to that if you haven’t already. In this article we are going to take a broader view to some of the contributing factors which you may not have considered.
When treating shoulder bursitis and subacromial impingement anything that has the potential of altering the normal biomechanics of the shoulder must be considered. This means assessing the entire body, the first step being to assess your POSTURE.
When it comes to the shoulder the two biggest postural problems we see contributing to shoulder injury are
1) Forward head posture
2) Rounded mid-backs
These postural distortions, aside from being problems in their own right with regards to spinal health predispose to shoulder bursitis and impingement by changing;
1) The position of the shoulder in the socket, pushing it forward and altering the axis of rotation.
2) The position of the scapula (shoulder blade) on the rib cage.
3) Muscle control and patterning.
Each problem makes the other worse creating a snowball effect which over time makes the cycle harder and harder to break.
In managing shoulder bursitis and impingement each aspect of the injury needs to be addressed for a long term result and to avoid any future relapses. In our practice that means a combining
Chiropractic adjustments and soft tissue work to improve mobility and alignment
Exercise based rehabilitation to correct muscle patterning and strengthen
Ancillary procedures like ultrasound, cold laser and shockwave therapy to target any intrinsic soft tissue damage.
The mix of therapies must be adjusted according to the degree and type of tissue injury as well as how acute or chronic the injury is. If you are having trouble with a shoulder injury, give us a call on 9929 0515, we’d love to help get you back on track.
By Andrew Richards (Chiropractor)