Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain, weakness and stiffness usually come from the rotator cuff, a pinched tendon (impingement), a frozen shoulder or an unstable joint, and many shoulder problems, including some rotator cuff tears, are treated without surgery. East Mountain Physical Therapy treats shoulders for patients in Cedar Crest, Edgewood, Tijeras and Moriarty.
Hands-on care for a shoulder that will not move right
Our therapists examine the neck, shoulder blade and joint together, because a shoulder that hurts often has help coming from elsewhere. Treatment mixes joint and soft-tissue mobilization with exercises for the rotator cuff and the muscles that steady the shoulder blade.
We schedule one patient per hour for each therapist, so you have your therapist's attention for the whole appointment.
The usual shoulder problems
Rotator cuff tendinopathy and tears
- Pain lifting the arm, weakness overhead
- A partial tear often responds to strengthening
- A large tear is one a surgeon may need to see
Impingement and bursitis
- A pinch or catch when you raise the arm
- Pain at the top and side of the shoulder
- Posture and the shoulder blade are part of the fix
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
- Stiffness that closes in on every direction
- Slow, so the right amount of stretch matters
- Night pain is common
Instability, dislocation and labral tears
- A shoulder that slips or feels loose
- Strength and control are the base of care
- Some tears need surgery
Night pain and trouble reaching overhead
Lying on the shoulder, or reaching overhead for a shelf or into the back seat, are the moments most people notice it. We find the movements that set it off and train around them. When pain comes from the neck, see neck pain; arm pain lower down is on elbow pain.
When surgery makes sense
A doctor decides that. When you do need it, therapy before surgery helps you start stronger, and after surgery it is how the shoulder gets its motion back: rehab after surgery. If you are active in sport, see sports injury rehab too.
Shoulder Pain care in the East Mountains
We see patients from Cedar Crest, Edgewood, Tijeras, Moriarty and the East Mountains.