Physical Therapy and Your Shoulder

By Deborah Holmes, PT

Complete Physical Therapy

. http://www.phystherapy.com/

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Physical Therapy and Your Shoulder

Many shoulder problems are caused by the breakdown of soft tissues in the shoulder region. Using the shoulder too much can cause the soft tissue to break down faster as people get older. Doing manual labor and playing sports may cause shoulder problems. Sometimes, the tendons in the shoulder become inflamed or irritated due to heavy lifting, repetitive arm movements, or a fall. This is can result in tendinitis, bursitis, tendon tear or a dislocation.

Rotator Cuff Tear

Sometimes there is a small or larger tear in the tendons, which is called a rotator cuff tear. A physical therapist can help manage the symptoms of acute or chronic rotator cuff tears, as well as improve how your shoulder works. For large rotator cuff tears that can't be fully repaired, physical therapists can teach special strategies to improve shoulder movement.

Once a full-thickness rotator cuff tear develops, you may need surgery to restore use of the shoulder or decrease painful symptoms. Physical therapy is an important part of the recovery process. The repaired rotator cuff is vulnerable to re-injury following shoulder surgery, so it's important to work with a physical therapist to safely regain full use of the injured arm.

After the surgical repair, you will need to wear a sling to keep your shoulder and arm protected as the repair heals. Once you are able to remove the sling for exercise, the physical therapist will begin your exercise program.

Shoulder Dislocation

A joint dislocation is a separation of two bones where they meet at a joint. Joints may dislocate when a sudden impact causes the bones in the joint to shift out of place. Because the shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body and has such a wide range of motion, it is more likely to dislocate than any other joint in the body. Dislocations are among the most common traumatic injuries affecting the shoulder.

A shoulder dislocation most often occurs during contact sports, but everyday accidents such as falls can also cause the joint to dislocate. Athletes, non-athletes, children, and adults can all dislocate their shoulders. A dislocated shoulder usually requires the assistance of a health care professional to guide the joint back into place. After the joint is realigned, physical therapists direct the rehabilitation of your shoulder as you recover, and can help you prevent re injury.

The goal of physical therapy to the shoulder is to develop a rehabilitation plan of care to restore the mobility, strength, and function of the shoulder. The plan of care begins with decreasing pain with pain-relieving modalities and initiating gentle mobilization as well as strengthening exercises. The therapist does a functional assessment to determine how the shoulder is impacting your life and keeps this in mind during the progressive rehabilitation process.