Activ Therapy
  • Activ Therapy
    • About Us
    • The Activ Therapy Difference
    • Core Values
    • New patients
    • FAQs >
      • Our Guarantee
    • Enquire about cost and availability
    • Tell us about your problem
    • Conditions >
      • Shoulder Pain
      • Back Pain
      • Neck Pain
      • Headache and migraine
      • Knee Pain
      • Ankle Sprain
      • Get fit
      • Plantar Fasciitis
      • Anterior Hip Pain
      • Sleep Hygiene
      • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
    • Careers
  • Services
    • Physiotherapy
    • Chiropractic
    • Massage Therapy
    • Exercise Physiology
    • Hydrotherapy
    • For Employers and Workers
    • Sports Physiotherapy
    • Dry Needling
    • Active Release Techniques
    • Activ 4 Life Exercise Classes
    • Health and Wellness Product Range
    • Physiotherapy and Chiropractic Exercise Library
  • Locations
    • Casula >
      • Casula Team Members
      • Casula Photos
      • Casula Physiotherapy
      • Casula Massage Therapy
    • Chipping Norton >
      • Chipping Norton Team Members
      • Chipping Norton Photos
    • Clemton Park >
      • Clemton Park Team Members
      • Clemton Park Photos
      • Clemton Park Physiotherapy >
        • Earlwood Physiotherapy
        • Roselands Physiotherapy
        • Kingsgrove Physiotherapy
        • Campsie Physiotherapy
      • Clemton Park Chiropractic
      • Clemton Park Massage Therapy
      • Clemton Park Exercise Physiology
      • Clemton Park Boot Camp
      • Clemton Park Pilates >
        • Is Pilates for you?
      • Pilates and boot camp free trial
    • Dural >
      • Dural Team Members
      • Dural Photos
    • Eagle Vale >
      • Eagle Vale Team Members
      • Eagle Vale Photos
    • Hoxton Park Road >
      • Hoxton Park Road Team Members
      • Hoxton Park Road Photos
    • Liverpool >
      • Liverpool Team Members
      • Liverpool Photos
      • Liverpool Physiotherapy.
      • Liverpool Chiropractic.
    • Macquarie Fields >
      • Macquarie Fields Team Members
      • Macquarie Fields Photos
    • Moorebank >
      • Moorebank Team Members
      • Moorebank Photos
    • Narellan >
      • Narellan Team Members
      • Narellan Photos
    • Picton >
      • Picton Team Members
      • Picton Photos
    • Prestons >
      • Prestons Team Members
      • Prestons Photos
    • Sans Souci >
      • Sans Souci Team Members
      • Sans Souci Photos
      • Sans Souci Podiatry
  • Book Online
  • Blog

Why isn't my shoulder getting better?

12/19/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
I have had a number of patients come in this week with shoulder pain and presenting with a bunch of different diagnoses that they received from scans, other professionals or their doctors.  They were told that their condition was a tendinosis, a burisits, arthritis, impingement or maybe something more broad like a "rotator cuff problem".
All of these patients came in developing these problems gradually without any specific incident that set it off.  They were told that the causes stemmed from repetitive work,  bad posture, weak muscles or the classic "wear and tear".   As a result the treatments were the fairly standard.  Ultrasound and massage the painful area then do some theraband exercises.
Picture
We tackle these problems a little differently.  If there is no specific trauma or incident that indicates major structural damage and if our tests rule out some of the things that people require surgery for (like a significant labral injury) then we ask the question.  What can and cant you do?  Then we work to improve this.  We take this approach rather than trying to treat a "bursitis" or a "tendinosis".

There are certain things that a shoulder to be able to do and the shoulder should perform this in a certain way.

Two of the simple tests we use that bring on pain for many are the hand behind back and hand behind neck tests (or variations of the Apleys scratch test).  Most of us have likely tried this movement through our lives.  It's done by reaching one hand down back and behind the back and the opposite hand up and behind the neck.  Most of us have found that we can touch hands in one direction and not the other.
Although most of us arent as flexible in one direction compared to the opposite there are some signs that can tell us there may be an issue.
  • A big difference between one side and the other.
  • Reproduction of the pain that you came to the therapist to treat
  • Difficulty getting to the scapula (shoulder blade) from either direction
  • Abnormal movement of the scapula (shoulder blade) 
  • Abnormal compensation with the neck or spine.

If it is an issue we treat it to regain the movement.  Typically you should improve it within one to three sessions.  Then move on to the next problematic movement or action.  Through this process you can regain pain free function.  Whether or not the ultrasound may have the word "bursitis" on it.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Welcome the the Activ Therapy Blog.
    Find out about all things physiotherapy and chiropractic, covering health tips, self treatment advice, common conditions and latest updates in health.  Follow us on facebook to keep up to date with the latest.


    Author: Richard Kim

    rRichard has been a physiotherapist since 2003 working in public hospitals, workplace injury and gyms before establishing Activ Therapy.  He currently works with powerlifters, martial arts and crossfit athletes,

    View my profile on LinkedIn

    Categories

    All
    Common Injuries
    General
    Health Tips
    Sports Performance
    Treatment Techniques


    Archives

    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    July 2019
    December 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016

    Book Online
    Contact Us

    RSS Feed

Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

Call 9726 4491 to make a booking at your closest practice.


Find your closest Clinic


DURAL
EAGLE VALE
CASULA
CHIPPING NORTON
LIVERPOOL
NARELLAN

MACQUARIE FIELDS
SANS SOUCI
MOOREBANK
CLEMTON PARK
HOXTON PARK
PRESTONS

Activ Therapy
Australian Physiotherapy Association
Chiropractic Association of Australia
Chiropractic and Osteopathic College of Australasia
Australian Traditional Medicine Society
Sports Medicine Australia
Exercise and Sports Science Australia

Copyright © 2019                     I                      Shop 13, Chipping Norton Market Plaza, Chipping Norton                   I                   (02) 9726 4491                   I                   reception@activtherapy.com.au 
  • Activ Therapy
    • About Us
    • The Activ Therapy Difference
    • Core Values
    • New patients
    • FAQs >
      • Our Guarantee
    • Enquire about cost and availability
    • Tell us about your problem
    • Conditions >
      • Shoulder Pain
      • Back Pain
      • Neck Pain
      • Headache and migraine
      • Knee Pain
      • Ankle Sprain
      • Get fit
      • Plantar Fasciitis
      • Anterior Hip Pain
      • Sleep Hygiene
      • Motor Vehicle Accidents
    • National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)
    • Careers
  • Services
    • Physiotherapy
    • Chiropractic
    • Massage Therapy
    • Exercise Physiology
    • Hydrotherapy
    • For Employers and Workers
    • Sports Physiotherapy
    • Dry Needling
    • Active Release Techniques
    • Activ 4 Life Exercise Classes
    • Health and Wellness Product Range
    • Physiotherapy and Chiropractic Exercise Library
  • Locations
    • Casula >
      • Casula Team Members
      • Casula Photos
      • Casula Physiotherapy
      • Casula Massage Therapy
    • Chipping Norton >
      • Chipping Norton Team Members
      • Chipping Norton Photos
    • Clemton Park >
      • Clemton Park Team Members
      • Clemton Park Photos
      • Clemton Park Physiotherapy >
        • Earlwood Physiotherapy
        • Roselands Physiotherapy
        • Kingsgrove Physiotherapy
        • Campsie Physiotherapy
      • Clemton Park Chiropractic
      • Clemton Park Massage Therapy
      • Clemton Park Exercise Physiology
      • Clemton Park Boot Camp
      • Clemton Park Pilates >
        • Is Pilates for you?
      • Pilates and boot camp free trial
    • Dural >
      • Dural Team Members
      • Dural Photos
    • Eagle Vale >
      • Eagle Vale Team Members
      • Eagle Vale Photos
    • Hoxton Park Road >
      • Hoxton Park Road Team Members
      • Hoxton Park Road Photos
    • Liverpool >
      • Liverpool Team Members
      • Liverpool Photos
      • Liverpool Physiotherapy.
      • Liverpool Chiropractic.
    • Macquarie Fields >
      • Macquarie Fields Team Members
      • Macquarie Fields Photos
    • Moorebank >
      • Moorebank Team Members
      • Moorebank Photos
    • Narellan >
      • Narellan Team Members
      • Narellan Photos
    • Picton >
      • Picton Team Members
      • Picton Photos
    • Prestons >
      • Prestons Team Members
      • Prestons Photos
    • Sans Souci >
      • Sans Souci Team Members
      • Sans Souci Photos
      • Sans Souci Podiatry
  • Book Online
  • Blog