What Is Shoulder Impingement and How Can Chiropractic Care Help (Bonus Video Included)
You may not realize just how much you use your shoulders on a daily basis. At the same time, if you have experienced a shoulder injury, you most certainly notice it, maybe even on a daily basis. A shoulder injury can make it hard for you to exercise, remove objects from a high cabinet, drive a car, and carry out your daily activities. One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is shoulder impingement. Fortunately, a trained chiropractor can help you manage this condition effectively, not only treating your symptoms but also preventing them from coming back. Learn more about how a chiropractor can help you treat shoulder impingement!
What Is Shoulder Impingement?
In order for your shoulders to work properly, all of the moving parts have to work together. This includes your clavicle, chromium, subacromial bursa, and humerus. Typically, shoulder impingement is the result of an overuse injury.
Shoulder impingement takes place when the outer edge of your shoulder blade, known as the acromion, rubs against your rotator cuff. The impingement takes place when your rotator cuff is pinched between the acromion and the rest of your shoulder. This can lead to pain, irritation, stalling, and inflammation.
In addition, bone spurs may also tighten the space around your rotator cuff. This can cause it to rub against the acromion, leading to more discomfort.
Who Is at Risk of Getting Shoulder Impingement?
Because shoulder impingement is usually an overuse injury, those who use their shoulder on a regular basis are more at risk of developing shoulder impingement. Sports that involve a lot of overhand rotation place athletes at an increased risk of developing shoulder impingement.
Some of the most common sports that lead to shoulder impingement include:
- Tennis
- Swimming
- Baseball
- Volleyball
If you have been diagnosed with shoulder impingement, you may feel like you need to take prescription medications or undergo a surgical procedure to fix the issue. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
Chiropractic & Exercises for Treating Shoulder Impingement
Your first step is to seek out a local chiropractor. Chiropractic provides a natural, safe and effective way to overcome your symptoms associated with shoulder impingement to put you on a road to full recovery. In addition, your chiropractor can guide you throw the following set of exercises that have a 98% success rate. Here’s a quick rundown on how to do them:
Start by hanging from a bar with both hands for a maximum of thirty seconds for a few minutes per day. Rest for one minute between episodes of hanging.
Once you can raise your arm 90 degrees without pain, it is time to do shoulder lifts with light weights. Keep your arms straight and raise them to the side until they are over your head. Once you can do this without pain, lift the weights forward. Finally, lift them backward.
If you are able to do this without pain, you have successfully treated shoulder impingement. On the other hand, you also need to prevent this issue from coming back in the future. You need to strengthen the muscles that pull the upper arm away from the shoulder, creating more space within your shoulder to prevent impingement. You need to target the infraspinatus to do this. That is where this helpful video, which reviews all of these exercises, can come in handy!
Take Care of Your Shoulder and Treat Impingement Issues
If you are suffering from shoulder impingement, you understand the severe impact is going to have on your quality of life. Fortunately, there are ways to effectively treat shoulder impingement and prevent it from coming back. If you are looking for help treating shoulder impingement, consider reaching out to our trained chiropractor for assistance. Even though you may feel like you need to take prescription medications or undergo a surgical procedure, there may be alternatives that can help you treat shoulder impingement in a way that minimizes complications and side effects. So give us a call. We’re here to help!