Chiropractic Care for Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain can make simple movements—reaching overhead, lifting groceries, putting on a jacket, working at a computer, or sleeping comfortably—surprisingly difficult. For athletes and active adults, shoulder problems can also interfere with weightlifting, swimming, golf, tennis, throwing, and other activities you enjoy.
At Total Health Chiropractic in Coralville, IA, Dr. Dillon Hammes, Dr. Andrew Donnelly, and our team evaluate shoulder pain to help determine what may be contributing to your symptoms. Because shoulder discomfort can involve the joint itself as well as surrounding muscles, tendons, and even the neck and upper back, treatment begins with identifying the likely source of your pain. Depending on your condition, a conservative treatment plan may include chiropractic care, rehabilitation, SoftWave Therapy, or a combination of approaches designed to improve movement and help you return to your normal activities.
What Causes Shoulder Pain?
The shoulder is designed for an impressive range of motion, but that mobility also means many different structures must work together properly. Muscles, tendons, ligaments, joints, and surrounding tissues all contribute to healthy shoulder movement. When one or more of these structures becomes irritated, injured, overworked, or restricted, pain and limited mobility can result.
Common causes of shoulder pain include sports injuries, repetitive overhead activity, rotator cuff problems, tendon irritation, muscle strains, joint restrictions, poor movement mechanics, and injuries caused by falls or accidents. Shoulder symptoms may also develop gradually from repetitive activities at work or during exercise.
Sometimes the problem is not isolated to the shoulder. Restricted movement or other problems involving the neck, upper back, shoulder blade, and surrounding muscles can affect how the shoulder moves. This is why determining what is contributing to your symptoms is an important first step.
What Does a Shoulder Injury Feel Like?
Shoulder problems do not always feel the same. You might experience a dull ache after activity, a sharp pain when reaching overhead, stiffness when moving your arm, or discomfort that makes it difficult to sleep on the affected side.
Common shoulder pain symptoms may include:
- Pain when raising or lowering your arm
- Difficulty reaching overhead or behind your back
- Shoulder stiffness or reduced range of motion
- Pain when lifting or carrying objects
- Weakness in the shoulder or arm
- Tenderness around the shoulder
- Pain during sports or exercise
- Discomfort when lying on the affected shoulder
- Clicking or popping accompanied by discomfort
- Pain extending into the upper arm
If shoulder pain is persistent, keeps returning, or is limiting your normal activities, an evaluation can help determine what may be causing the problem and which treatment options may be appropriate.
Sports Injuries and Shoulder Pain
Shoulder injuries are especially common among athletes and active individuals because many sports require repetitive, forceful, or overhead movements. Baseball, softball, swimming, tennis, pickleball, volleyball, golf, weightlifting, and other activities can place significant demands on the shoulder.
Some sports injuries occur suddenly, while others develop gradually from repetitive stress. Continuing to train through shoulder pain can also cause athletes to change their movement patterns, potentially placing additional stress on surrounding muscles and joints.
At Total Health Chiropractic, our approach to sports injury treatment in Coralville goes beyond simply asking where it hurts. We evaluate movement and function to identify factors that may be contributing to the problem. Treatment may incorporate chiropractic care, rehabilitation, SoftWave Therapy, and other conservative approaches when appropriate, with the goal of helping you recover and safely return to activity.
Chiropractic Care for Shoulder Pain
Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain? For many musculoskeletal shoulder problems, chiropractic care may be one part of an effective conservative treatment plan.
Your shoulder does not function independently from the rest of your body. Movement of the shoulder involves coordination among the shoulder joint, shoulder blade, upper back, neck, and surrounding muscles. Restrictions or altered mechanics in one area can affect movement elsewhere.
Chiropractic care may focus on improving joint mobility, addressing restrictions involving the spine and extremities, and helping restore more comfortable movement. Your treatment will depend on your examination findings and the underlying cause of your symptoms rather than using the same approach for every person with shoulder pain.
SoftWave Therapy for Shoulder Pain and Soft Tissue Injuries
For certain shoulder problems involving irritated or injured soft tissues, SoftWave Therapy may be recommended as part of your treatment plan at Total Health Chiropractic.
SoftWave Therapy uses acoustic waves delivered to targeted areas of the body. The treatment is designed to stimulate biological responses associated with tissue repair, increase local blood flow, and support the body’s natural healing processes. Because many shoulder problems involve muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues, SoftWave can be particularly relevant for certain sports injuries, overuse problems, and persistent musculoskeletal conditions.
SoftWave Therapy is non-invasive and does not require injections or surgery. It may be incorporated alongside chiropractic care, rehabilitation, and therapeutic exercise when appropriate. An evaluation is necessary to determine whether SoftWave is a good option for your specific shoulder condition.
Rotator Cuff and Overuse-Related Shoulder Pain
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that helps stabilize the shoulder and allows you to lift and rotate your arm. These tissues can become irritated or injured from repetitive overhead activity, sports, physical work, or age-related changes.
Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain may make it uncomfortable to lift your arm, reach overhead, reach behind your body, or sleep on the affected side. Athletes may notice pain during throwing, serving, swimming, lifting, or other repetitive shoulder movements.
Not every rotator cuff problem requires the same treatment. Your examination can help determine the severity of your symptoms and whether conservative care—including rehabilitation, chiropractic treatment, or SoftWave Therapy—is appropriate or whether additional evaluation is needed.
Shoulder Pain From the Neck and Upper Back
Not all pain felt around the shoulder originates in the shoulder joint itself. Problems involving the cervical spine, upper back, muscles, or nerves can sometimes produce discomfort around the shoulder or shoulder blade.
For example, an irritated nerve in the neck may cause symptoms that travel into the shoulder and arm. Patients may experience pain along with tingling, numbness, burning, or weakness. Restricted movement in the upper back can also affect shoulder mechanics and contribute to discomfort during certain activities.
This is another reason an appropriate examination matters. Treating the shoulder alone may not address the problem if your symptoms are actually related to the neck, upper back, or a combination of areas.
Rehabilitation for Shoulder Injuries
Restoring normal shoulder function often requires more than simply waiting for pain to improve. Following an injury, you may experience weakness, reduced range of motion, or changes in how you use the shoulder.
Rehabilitation can help address these limitations through appropriate mobility, strengthening, and functional exercises. For sports injuries, rehabilitation may also focus on movements related to the activities you want to return to.
At Total Health Chiropractic, rehabilitation can be combined with other conservative treatments when appropriate. The goal is to help you regain comfortable movement and function while addressing factors that may contribute to recurring shoulder problems.
Shoulder Pain Treatment Near Iowa City
If shoulder pain is interfering with work, exercise, sports, sleep, or everyday activities, you do not have to simply wait and hope it goes away.
Total Health Chiropractic is located at 2201 E. Grantview Dr., Suite 202 in Coralville, Iowa, conveniently serving patients from Coralville, Iowa City, North Liberty, Tiffin, Solon, and surrounding Johnson County communities.
Whether your shoulder pain developed from a sports injury, repetitive activity, an accident, or gradually over time, our team can evaluate your symptoms and help determine an appropriate course of care. Depending on your condition, treatment may include chiropractic care, rehabilitation, SoftWave Therapy, or other conservative approaches available at our Coralville office.
Call Total Health Chiropractic at (319) 338-7025 or schedule an appointment online to have your shoulder pain evaluated.
Shoulder Pain FAQ
Chiropractic care may help certain types of musculoskeletal shoulder pain, particularly when joint restrictions, movement problems, or surrounding areas such as the neck and upper back are contributing to your symptoms. An examination can help determine the likely source of your shoulder pain and whether chiropractic treatment is appropriate.
SoftWave Therapy may be appropriate for certain shoulder conditions involving muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. It uses acoustic waves to stimulate biological processes associated with tissue repair and healing. Total Health Chiropractic offers SoftWave Therapy in Coralville, and an evaluation can help determine whether it should be incorporated into your shoulder pain treatment plan.
Yes. Shoulder pain can develop gradually from repetitive movements and overuse rather than one obvious injury. Swimming, throwing, tennis, pickleball, golf, weightlifting, and other activities can repeatedly stress shoulder muscles and tendons. If pain continues or affects your performance, consider having the shoulder evaluated.
Consider scheduling an evaluation when shoulder pain persists, repeatedly returns, limits your range of motion, interferes with sleep or everyday activities, or prevents you from participating comfortably in sports or exercise. Prompt medical attention may be appropriate following a significant injury, visible deformity, inability to move the arm, sudden severe weakness, or other concerning symptoms.
