SHOULDER PAIN

The shoulder joint is often referred to as the shoulder complex because there are a number of muscles surrounding this joint and facilitating the various movements the shoulder makes.

Given the musculature around the shoulder, the cause of shoulder pain between one person and another may differ.

In this article, we shall discuss 3 major muscles that may cause such pain, how it would present and the physiotherapy treatment.

These muscles are:

• Deltoid
• Supraspinatus
• Pectoralis muscles

1. Deltoid Muscle

This is a large muscle located on the outer part of the shoulder and is responsible for moving the shoulder away from the body. This movement is referred to as abduction.

It helps lift the arm front, side, and backward; Thus if you experience pain with any of these movements, the deltoid muscle is most often the culprit.

Deltoid pain can affect anyone who does repetitive overhead activities e.g. swimmers. It also is active with carrying objects such as suitcases or reaching up for objects.

1. Pectoralis Muscles

The pectoralis muscles are a pair of muscles; Pectoralis major and minor located on the chest. I know you are wondering what muscles have to do with shoulder pain - here comes the explanation.

These muscles attach on the bone on your arm, known as the humerus thus contributing to movement of the shoulder. These muscles help pull your arm across the front of your body.

Shoulder pain caused by tension or injury to the pectoralis muscles would start in the front of the shoulder and can extend down the inside of the arm, elbow and forearm.

Tension on these muscles is common with weight training, swimming and poor posture such as sitting with rounded shoulders.

1. Supraspinatus Muscle

The supraspinatus muscle is located on the back of the shoulder and is part of a group of muscles known as rotator cuff muscles. Its main role is to stabilize the shoulder during abduction (Moving the arm away from the body).

Pain is felt in the arm and behind the shoulder while moving the arm upwards, like waving at someone. The pain may also be felt at the top and front of the shoulder.

Any overhead activity would typically worsen shoulder pain caused by the supraspinatus muscle.

Physiotherapy Diagnosis

A physiotherapist will be able to diagnose the root cause of your pain with a thorough assessment based on:

• The location of your pain e.g at the front or the back of your shoulder.
• Movements that provoke or worsen the shoulder pain.
• Activities that led to the onset of the pain.
• Shoulder movements that are impaired because of the pain.
• Nature of the pain e.g dull, sharp, intermittent or constant.

Physiotherapy Interventions

• Heat and electrostimulation of affected muscles to relieve pain and improve circulation.
• Muscle release to relieve tension or strain on the muscle.
• Stretches and exercises to target the culprit muscles.
• Activity modification to prevent recurrence.