Non-Surgical Shoulder Treatment Options for Discomfort

When you’re dealing with shoulder pain, it becomes very apparent how much we use our arms and shoulders in daily life. Suddenly, simple tasks–like brushing your hair or grabbing something off a high shelf–start to feel insurmountable. Fortunately, the Strive Fitness and Therapy team of physiotherapists can help you find the best non-surgical shoulder treatment program for your needs!

The first step in treating shoulder pain is understanding its causes. While acute injuries like fractures or dislocations can certainly cause shoulder pain, the culprit isn’t always so obvious.

Often, shoulder discomfort stems from an overuse injury affecting your rotator cuff–a group of muscles and tendons that wrap and support the shoulder joint. While acute injuries can damage the rotator cuff, many cases of shoulder pain develop because of repetitive motions that put stress on the tissues.

Other conditions can also cause shoulder pain: Arthritis, characterized by cartilage degeneration within the shoulder joint, can lead to activity-related pain and stiffness. Frozen shoulder is another common cause, occurring when the shoulder capsule thickens and tightens, restricting movement and causing severe pain.

The good news is that non-surgical shoulder treatment options can help manage or even resolve pain for many of these conditions. Our physiotherapists will work closely with you to determine the cause of your pain and then develop the best program for your needs.

We explore some common treatment interventions below, but you can also call our Winnipeg, MB clinic for more personalized guidance.

Our Favorite Non-Surgical Approaches to Shoulder Pain

Once we understand the reason for your pain, we’ll pull from various proven physiotherapy interventions to help alleviate (and, in some cases, resolve) your symptoms without resorting to surgery. Here are some of our favorite techniques for addressing shoulder pain:

Manual Therapy

• Several hands-on techniques, including shoulder mobilization and massage-like soft tissue manipulation, can help improve shoulder mobility, reduce pain, and facilitate healing.

Pain-Relieving Modalities

• Several modalities, including ultrasound therapy or electrical stimulation, offer non- and minimally-invasive options for addressing acute pain.

Therapeutic Exercises

• Customized exercise programs form the basis of our treatments. Each one is designed to strengthen the rotator cuff and other muscles supporting the shoulder, improve shoulder joint mobility, and restore range of motion.

Postural Training

• Our physiotherapists will teach proper posture and body mechanics to prevent further injury and alleviate shoulder strain. We can also suggest ergonomic adjustments to help further reduce shoulder strain.

Activity Modification

• We show you how to modify your daily activities to avoid aggravating the shoulder as you recover and work through your program.

Think You Might Benefit from A Non-Surgical Shoulder Treatment Program?

While some severe shoulder injuries may require surgery to repair, most of the time, physiotherapy at Strive Fitness and Therapy can be all you need to find relief! We tailor our non-surgical shoulder treatment plans to suit your needs, condition, and recovery goals, and we’ll guide you through the program every step of the way.

Don’t let shoulder pain interfere with your life. Request an appointment today to get started.