Shoulder impingement syndrome is a condition that will affect the rotator cuff. This condition causes shoulder pain that may travel down the arm. The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that providing stability for movement by aligning the shoulder in its socket. This is what allows you to raise, lower and turn your arm in many different directions, offering you a variety of ranges and motion.

Shoulder impingement syndrome will most likely happen to people who do activities that regularly require overhead arm movement. These activities include but are not limited to swimming, tennis, golf, throwing a ball or those who have careers that require repetitive overhead lifting.

What causes shoulder impingement syndrome?

Shoulder impingement syndrome is caused by repetitive movement of your arm over your head which causes the rotator cuff to come into contact with the outer end of your shoulder blade near where the collarbone attaches, called the acromion. When you repeat this motion it causes tendonitis which means the rotator cuff has become swollen and inflamed from the repetitive rubbing. The rotator cuff will begin to swell making it more likely to become pinched or trapped under the acromion. This can also cause the bursa to become inflamed in the shoulder area. The bursa is a sac filled with fluid that is in place to provide cushion between bones and tissues such as ligaments, tendons, muscles and even the skin.

What are symptoms caused by shoulder impingement syndrome?

The most obvious symptom of shoulder impingement syndrome is shoulder pain while raising your arms above your head. It usually starts out only hurting while your arms are overhead then as it worsens it continues to ache even when your arms are at your side. You might also notice that the pain will flare up when you are sleeping because of pressure on the shoulder. Over time your arm will become weak and have very little range of motion. With repetitive motion tiny tears in the rotator cuff will progress to larger tears in the tendon that could even result in the tendon pulling off the bone.

How can chiropractic care help with shoulder impingement syndrome?

By visiting your chiropractor you will see that there are many treatment options available to you without the use of drugs or surgery. After a thorough evaluation, diagnostic imaging may be ordered to locate the exact location of the shoulder impingement. Treatment usually begins with exercises to strengthen and coordinate the muscles that maintain normal shoulder joint position. Often the chiropractor will adjust the spine and offer soft tissue massage to relax tight stressed tissue. Strengthening and stretching exercises should be performed at home in between your chiropractic visits.

Spinal adjustments and soft tissue therapy are beneficial because some shoulder muscles attach to the spine. By treating this area you will see benefits that will help relieve your pain and help heal the impingement without the use of drugs or surgery.