Physical Therapy Solutions for Shoulder and Elbow Pain
Are you experiencing pain and weakness in your arm? Is it difficult to lift and hold things you use in your daily routine? Whether your pain results from an injury or repetitive stress, it’s often the result of underlying trauma or inflammation of the tendons, cartilage, or nerves in the arm. Your pain can be so severe that doing normal activities of daily living seems impossible. While the pain may feel serious, it’s entirely curable.
At Peak Performance Physical Therapy, our physical therapists will help you find solutions to your pain and get back to living the life you enjoy!
What is causing the pain?
Limited shoulder movement due to pain, stiffness, or weakness can affect a person’s ability to carry out daily activities (eating, dressing, personal hygiene) and work responsibilities. Factors such as heavy lifting, repetitive movements (especially in awkward positions), and vibrations influence the severity of symptoms and disability. The most common causes of shoulder pain and disability are:
- Rotator cuff disorders
- Joint disorders
- Arthritis and bone spurs
- Referred neck pain
- Bursitis and tendinitis
Overuse injuries often cause elbow pain. Many sports, hobbies, and jobs require repetitive movements leading to overuse. The leading causes of elbow pain and dysfunction are:
- Tennis and Golfer’s elbow (i.e., tendinitis)
- Ligament sprains
- Arthritis
- Broken and/or dislocated elbow
Physical therapy for shoulder and elbow pain
Physical therapy treatments for shoulder and elbow pain include manual therapy, joint mobilization manipulation, exercise instruction, education, and techniques like KT taping and joint splinting. These have all been proven to help alleviate pain and restore function.
Physical therapists assess your particular condition to identify the contributing factors and address all of them. Your therapist is skilled at hands-on intervention and exercise selection for the most comprehensive and appropriate intervention to help you resolve your pain and/or restore your function.
Find relief today:
Addressing the pain early on is the best way to prevent an issue from becoming more debilitating. Physical therapy is the ideal tool for providing you with an opportunity to understand what may be causing your pain and helping you mobilize and strengthen the surrounding muscles to alleviate the pain associated with your injury. Schedule an appointment today to learn exercises and techniques that can help you overcome the injury and restore proper strength and functionality to your shoulders and elbows.
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30916527/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29921250/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1283277/
https://bmcmusculoskeletdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12891-019-2902-8