Healthy shoulders work with you to complete many of your day-to-day activities. Self-care, housework, lifting, reaching, driving—even giving a hug—all require shoulder mobility. When your shoulders start working against you, causing pain and limited or loss of function, everyday tasks can become daunting.
It’s a common misconception that physical therapy for shoulder pain is only needed after a surgery. Shoulder pain can occur at any stage of life for many reasons. Just as patients recovering from shoulder surgery can benefit from physical therapy, so can those with chronic shoulder pain due to injuries or health conditions. Whatever the cause, Professional’s physical therapists are dedicated to helping you find relief and improvement through physical therapy treatment. Don’t let your shoulder pain limit your life any longer!
All About Your Shoulder
You probably don’t think about your shoulders very often. Maybe not even at all, until they start to hurt. Whether you’re aware of it or not, your shoulder accomplishes many physical feats each day, which means it has many opportunities for pain-causing conditions to occur. The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in the body. This “ball-and-socket joint” is made up of three bones: your upper arm bone (the humerus), your shoulder blade (the scapula), and your collarbone (the clavicle). The head (also called a “ball”) of your upper arm bone fits into the glenoid, a rounded socket in your shoulder blade.
These bones are joined together by muscles, ligaments and tendons that support and stabilize the shoulder, allowing the arm to function. All these moving parts, so to speak, make the shoulder the most mobile joint in your body with the greatest range of motion. Unfortunately, it is also the least stable joint. This means it is more susceptible to injuries, degeneration, and other conditions that can cause shoulder pain. Our physical therapists are specialists and experts in evaluating, treating, and managing patients with an array of shoulder pain problems.
When Should I Seek Physical Therapy for My Shoulder Pain?
If you are experiencing shoulder pain, when can you benefit from physical therapy? The answer: Any time! The main goal of physical therapy is to improve your daily quality of life by providing care that helps decrease your pain and increase your strength and mobility. Whether shoulder pain is keeping you from performing simple daily tasks or playing at the top of your game, physical therapy is an effective way to treat a variety of shoulder conditions. Professional’s physical therapists work with you to assess and address your specific needs to create a personalized treatment plan for your shoulder pain.
Shoulder pain can show up in a variety of ways and it can be tricky to identify when it is time to seek medical attention. A good rule of thumb is to seek attention as soon as the pain is noticeable, especially if it starts to interfere with your everyday activities. Figuring out the source of your shoulder pain is the first step to treating it. Tools that can be used to diagnose shoulder pain and refer you to PT include a clinical exam, MRI, X-Ray or Orthopedic Specialist.
Professional’s physical therapists will discuss your concerns with you, examine the physical limitations caused by your shoulder pain, and create a plan to address your pain.
Taking into consideration the extent of your shoulder pain and your medical history, physical therapy may be a very effective non-surgical means of treatment. If you suffer from issues like shoulder impingement, mild to moderate osteoarthritis, or small rotator cuff tears, physical therapy can help better your quality of life and, in some cases, it can delay or even prevent future surgical intervention. A skilled physical therapist trained on shoulder pain and injury treatment and pain relief management can help prescribe the right treatment program for your back pain.
Some of the shoulder pain treatment options used by Professional’s expert PTs include:
Rest, Physical Therapy, Medications, Surgery
Ultrasound, Electrical Stimulation
Education on posture and ergonomics
Activity/sport modification
Common Shoulder Pain Conditions
These are some of the most common injuries, diagnoses, and conditions affecting the shoulder. They are unique in both their causes, and the methods we use to help manage them.
Click on the conditions below to see detailed information about how physical therapists at Professional treat these frequent causes of shoulder pain:
Shoulder pain, AC joint sprain, shoulder bursitis, dislocation/subluxation
Tendonitis, cervical radiculopathy
Do you have pain in your shoulder?
Our physical therapists will customize a shoulder pain treatment plan just for you. We will work in an effective way to get you back on your feet, focused on your wellness before, during and after therapy.
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Insurances We Accept
Below is a condensed list of insurances we participate with throughout our network of physical therapy clinics. Find your particular provider below based on your area. For a complete listing of all insurance providers and individual plans by name: CLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL INSURANCE PAGE.
Amerihealth Caritas (effective date 4/27/2020 - NH)
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (NH)
Bardavon (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
BCBS Massachusetts (MA)
CeltiCare (MA)
Cigna/ASH (NH)
Commonwealth Care Alliance (MA)
Fallon Health (MA)
Harvard Pilgrim Health Care (MA, NH)
Health New England (MA)
Magna Care (MA, NH)
Magna Comp (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
Martin’s Point Health Care (NH)
Mass General Brigham Health (Formerly AllWays Health Partners)
Massachusetts Health (Medicaid – MA)
Medicaid (MA, NH)
Medicare (MA, NH)
Med Risk (Workers' Compensation – MA)
ML Healthcare (NF – MA, NH)
No Fault (Various Carriers)
Omni Healthcare (MVA Lien – MA, NH)
One Call (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
SPNET (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
Streamline (Workers' Compensation – MA, NH)
TRICARE (MA, NH)
Tufts Cigna (MA)
Tufts Health Plan (MA, NH)
Tufts Medicare Advantage (MA)
Tufts Public (Medicaid – MA)
UniCare (MA)
United Health Care (Optum – MA, NH)
WellSense Health (Formerly BMC – Boston Medical Center – MA)
Workers’ Compensation (Various Carriers)
Shoulder Pain Relief After an Injury
If your shoulder pain is caused by an injury, muscle activation, mobility, and strength-building exercises are essential to the recovery process. Our certified physical therapists can guide you through a treatment plan targeting the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your shoulder that have weakened after a period of immobility.
When surgery cannot be avoided, research shows that physical therapy is a vital part of your road to recovery—both before and after your procedure. Before a shoulder surgery, physical therapy allows you to strengthen your muscles, educate yourself on what to expect post-surgery, and develop a home exercise routine to prepare for the journey ahead. The stronger and more informed you are before surgery, the stronger and more assured you’ll be afterward. Post-surgery physical therapy may feel similar, with treatment targeted toward regaining strength, mobility, and flexibility to help you heal properly and recover most effectively.
treatment techniques.
Shoulder Pain Treatment Techniques
No matter the cause of your shoulder pain, Professional’s physical therapists will work with you to create and facilitate a safe and effective treatment plan. Below are just a few of the skills and techniques we deploy to treat shoulder pain or rehabilitate you after a shoulder injury or surgery:
Therapeutic Exercise
Occupational Manual Physical Therapy
Soft Tissue Mobilization (Massage)
Job or sport simulation/training
Functional lifting
Plyometrics
Committed to Providing Shoulder Pain Relief
When it comes to finding shoulder pain relief, we ensure that our treatment is comprehensive, manageable, and customized to fit your specific symptoms and concerns. We don’t just help you treat your shoulder pain one time and send you on your way. Our therapists make sure to completely educate you on the how and why of your shoulder pain and put you on a path to ongoing wellness and prevention of more serious conditions.
Your physical therapist will create a personalized continuing wellness and prevention plan that includes ongoing shoulder pain relief methods such as:
Maintenance of HEP/continue conditioning program independently
Regular communication with your provider (PT)
Customized home exercise program or gym program
Postural awareness, symptom recognition, and continued pain management
At Professional Physical Therapy, our mission is to improve the lives of every client as we help them get back to what moves them. We promise to remain committed to every patient. If you are suffering from shoulder pain, we want to help. Find the clinic nearest you to speak with a Professional Physical Therapist who specializes in shoulder pain today.
We provide treatments for shoulder pain and shoulder injuries from our clinics throughout New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. Fill out the form above, or contact a clinic near you to speak with a Professional Physical Therapist and shoulder pain specialist today.
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