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Shoulder, elbow and hand
Shoulder pain treatment in Shirley, MA
The short answer
Most shoulder pain comes from the rotator cuff and the muscles around the shoulder blade not doing their job, often after a jump in activity, years of desk posture, or an old injury. Frozen shoulder and arthritis are other common causes. A plan that restores motion and rebuilds strength helps most people reach overhead and sleep comfortably again.
On this page
What usually causes shoulder pain
The shoulder moves more than any other joint in the body, which is also why it gets irritated so easily.
- Rotator cuff irritation or tears
- Pain on the outside of the arm, worse when reaching up or out, and often at night.
- Impingement
- A pinch at the top of the shoulder when you lift your arm, usually from weak or tired shoulder muscles.
- Frozen shoulder
- A shoulder that slowly gets stiffer and more painful until it barely moves.
- Arthritis
- A deep, achy, stiff shoulder that grinds or clicks.
- Neck related pain
- Sometimes the shoulder hurts because of the neck. We check both.
When to get it checked
Get your shoulder looked at if it has been bothering you for more than a couple of weeks, if it wakes you up at night, or if you are losing motion. See a doctor right away after a fall with a lot of pain, if your arm looks out of place, or if shoulder pain comes with chest pain or shortness of breath.
What you can do at home right now
These are safe starting points for most people. They are not a replacement for a proper evaluation.
- Keep it moving
- Gentle, pain free motion like pendulum swings keeps the shoulder from getting stiff.
- Sleep smarter
- A pillow under the sore arm or hugging a pillow on your side can help you sleep.
- Back off overhead work for now
- Reduce heavy lifting and reaching overhead until the pain settles, then build back up.
How we treat shoulder pain at Whole Health Solutions
Your physical therapist is with you for the whole appointment, start to finish. We check the shoulder, shoulder blade and neck, find the real reason it hurts, and build your plan from there.
01
Relieve
Hands on care, dry needling or shockwave when they fit, and movement that calms the shoulder down.
02
Rebuild
Strength for the rotator cuff and shoulder blade so the joint is supported again.
03
Perform
Back to lifting, throwing, swimming and reaching the top shelf. Our personal trainers and athletic performance coaches can take it from there.
04
Thrive
Stay with the team that knows you. Check ins, training and a quick tune up whenever something new comes up, so this stays in the past.
Thrive is not a finish line. When life brings something new, the loop starts again with the same team.
How dry needling and shockwave therapy can help
For shoulder pain, your physical therapist may use dry needling and shockwave therapy to speed things up. They will tell you on your first visit if it is a good fit.
Dry needling
A very thin needle placed into a tight, guarded muscle helps it let go, so pain calms down and you can move and strengthen again. Always paired with hands on care and strength work.
Learn about dry needlingShockwave therapy
Sound waves delivered to a stubborn tendon or tissue help restart healing when it has stalled for months. Always paired with the strength work that keeps it from coming back.
Learn about shockwave therapyCommon exercises for shoulder pain
These are a few of the exercises our team often uses for shoulder pain. Tap one to watch.
Please read first. These are not right for everyone. If a move brings on sharp pain, numbness or tingling, stop and talk to one of our physical therapists before you keep going.
Learn from our team
Short, free videos from our clinicians on questions we hear about shoulder pain all the time.
Read more from our team
Blog posts and newsletter tips from our clinicians that go with shoulder pain.
Hear it from a client
Training around a sore shoulder instead of stopping.
Read what they said
Amy, "What's it like working with Courtney?" Courtney's awesome. Having a physical therapist that is your personal trainer is pretty incredible. There's been times over the last year and a half where I've had a hiccup of like my shoulder's bothering me or something else, and we are able to sort of take a step back and incorporate that into our workouts. Being able to push everywhere else while also taking the time to rehab my shoulder or my hip. Her knowledge base allows for that flexibility where I don't stay stuck. Like, "My shoulder hurts, so I can't train." It's, "Okay, well let's take it easy there, and here's the other shoulder mobility things you can do in order to keep progressing."
Shawn, "What first brought you to Whole Health?" Well, my first experience with Whole Health was actually I did a Benjamin Hill run down the road where I met Peter and Gary. But I came in to work with Peter to try to get past a stagnant level of working out. My workouts at work were consistent. I wasn't really deviating from anything, but I was looking for a change. And on top of all that, I came in with a shoulder injury, and I needed to work through that, and I was looking for help.
★★★★★
"I have had limited mobility in my neck and shoulder for years now. I'm already feeling so much better!"
Talk to a physical therapist
A free call to tell us what is going on and see if we are the right fit.
Common questions about shoulder pain
Can physical therapy help a rotator cuff tear?
Many rotator cuff tears, especially small tears or tears from wear and tear, do well with physical therapy. If surgery makes more sense, we help you get stronger before it and recover after it.
Why does my shoulder hurt more at night?
Lying on the sore side, or letting the arm drop across your body, puts pressure on an irritated shoulder. A pillow under or in front of the arm usually helps.
How long does frozen shoulder last?
Frozen shoulder can take months to fully settle. Physical therapy helps keep and regain motion and makes the process easier to live with.
Do I need a referral for shoulder pain?
No. You can book directly with us. Most of our clients do use their insurance for reimbursement of our physical therapy services. We go over everything in the discovery meeting.
This page is general information, not a diagnosis. Everyone is different, so the best next step is an evaluation with one of our physical therapists.
Visit us
Serving 22+ nearby towns and beyond
2 Shaker Road, Suite C200, Shirley, MA 01464. Monday to Thursday, 5:00 am to 8:00 pm, Friday, 5:00 am to 3:00 pm, and Saturday, 6:00 am to 1:00 pm.