How to fix a shoulder impingement with physical therapy

If you are experiencing pain in your shoulder that becomes worse when you lift your arm, there is a good chance you might be suffering from a shoulder impingement. This occurs when the tendons in your shoulder rub against bones or other tendons. Your pain may be severe enough that it may be difficult to enjoy your normal activities.

It is important to seek out relief from shoulder impingement pain before your condition becomes worse. If left untreated for a long period, a shoulder impingement can cause your tendons to tear. Physical therapy can help fix your shoulder impingement before this happens.

What causes a shoulder impingement?

There are several reasons why you may develop a shoulder impingement. Some of the most common are:

• Playing sports – Sports such as swimming or tennis that require a lot of overhead motion may cause a shoulder impingement to occur. For this reason, shoulder impingements are often referred to as “swimmer’s shoulder.”

• Manual jobs – If you work jobs that require a lot of bending, lifting and carrying heavy loads, you may be at greater risk of developing a shoulder impingement. Repetitive motions such as painting could also contribute to your risk.

• Previous injuries – If you’ve experienced a shoulder injury in the past, such as a dislocation, it could also contribute to a greater risk of shoulder impingement.

How can physical therapy help fix a shoulder impingement?

Physical therapy uses gentle exercises to rebuild strength and range of motion. Your physical therapy sessions will likely focus on the muscles in your shoulder, arm, and chest, which can help to improve the mobility and mechanics of your shoulder, and help prevent the injury from occurring again.

At Advent Physical Therapy, our trained physical therapy staff are ready to help you work on addressing your shoulder impingement using a number of tried and proven methods. These can include:

• Therapeutic exercise to improve mobility and strength at the shoulder in order to reduce pain.

• Joint mobilization therapy to reduce pain and restore flexibility.

• Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) to reduce tension and relieve pain.

A free screening at any one of our West Michigan clinics will help us determine the source of your shoulder pain and construct a physical therapy plan that is best suited to your needs.

Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.