Common Causes of Shoulder Pain and Noninvasive Treatments That Help

Do you have acute or ongoing shoulder pain? Injuries of the shoulder are common, whether caused by trauma or repetitive use. Fortunately, there are noninvasive treatments that help you get back to living your life.

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Does shoulder pain make it difficult for you to do the things you love most or even get through daily tasks? By turning to noninvasive treatments for shoulder pain, you can avoid surgery and return to enjoying life with less pain and discomfort.

At The Spine and Sports Center at The Galleria in Houston, Sugar Land, and the Willowbrook/Cy-Fair area of Texas, Dr. Benoy Benny treats all types of shoulder pain using noninvasive therapies to boost your body’s natural healing abilities.

Common causes of shoulder pain

Shoulder pain can be sudden and acute, caused by an injury related to a fall or accident, or chronic and ongoing, caused by aging or repetitive use. Common causes of shoulder pain include:

Osteoarthritis

As you age, the cartilage that protects your bones from rubbing against each other in a joint wears away. The resulting osteoarthritis causes bones to grind together and cause pain when you move.

Rotator cuff injury

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons inside the shoulder. If the tendons that attach muscle to bone inside your shoulder joint are stretched or torn, you can feel pain as well as weakness when you try to raise your arm.

Bursitis

The fluid-filled sac inside your shoulder joint can get inflamed due to injury. This causes bursitis, leading to tenderness, swelling, and pain that can make it hard to comb your hair or get dressed.

Frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder is the common name for adhesive capsulitis. It causes thickening of tissues on your shoulder, leading to lack of mobility and limited range of motion, accompanied by pain and swelling.  

Shoulder impingement syndrome:

When you raise your arm above your shoulder or try to bring your shoulder to your side you can often feel pain. That is the number one cause of shoulder pain called impingement. The reason for that is that the top of the arm is hitting against a bone called the acromion and getting “impinged” or stuck. That leads to bursitis (inflammation) and eventually if not taken care of can lead to a rotator cuff tear. This is something that we can test for at the Spine and Sports Center and treat and prevent that progression. 

Noninvasive treatments for shoulder pain

Dr. Benny can examine you and diagnose the cause of your shoulder pain. Then he can put together a customized treatment plan to relieve your pain and help your shoulder joint heal as much as possible. 

RICE

The first line of defense for a joint injury is rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE). Dr. Benny may recommend a brace to help immobilize your shoulder.

Physical therapy

Gentle stretching and low-impact strength exercises can be part of your physical therapy protocol to restore range of movement and decrease pain. 

Cortisone or steroid injections

Low-dose steroid injections can significantly relieve pain and swelling caused by joint conditions. Ask Dr. Benny if this option could be right for your shoulder pain. 

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative medicine, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, can help kickstart your body’s healing processes and relieve pain while encouraging healing in damaged tissues. 

Ready to be free from shoulder pain? Contact your nearest location for an appointment or book a consultation online today.