Shoulder Pain in Sioux Falls

An image of shoulder x-ray taken at a Sioux Falls Chiropractic office.

Shoulder pain is a common symptom that affects almost everyone at some point in their lifetime.  It is a common complaint of patients when they come into our Sioux Falls clinic for an appointment with a chiropractor.  When it comes to a patient that is reporting shoulder pain, it is important to find out where their pain truly is and where it is originating from. For some patients, when they say shoulder pain, they actually mean the neck or upper back.  As chiropractors we receive training in the anatomy and function of the spine, as well as the shoulder joint, and often are able to help patients that have shoulder pain.

Anatomy of the Shoulder

The shoulder joint is formed where the scapula (shoulder blade) meets the humerus (arm bone). The joint is supported by the collarbone meeting the shoulder blade.  Ligaments, muscles, cartilage, and tendons are some of the tissues that form and hold this joint together. The shoulder joint has a large range of motion to allow us to reach forward, backward, over our heads and outward.  Multiple muscles are used to create this movement and some of them are quite small with very large jobs to perform, making them prone to injury.

An image of shoulder x-ray taken at a Sioux Falls Chiropractic office.
An x-ray that shows a “separated shoulder” in which the collarbone elevated about the shoulder blade.

Causes of Shoulder Pain in Sioux Falls

When someone has shoulder pain it is important to perform an examination to determine what tissues are likely damaged and causing the shoulder pain.  Trauma, such as a fall could cause a broken bone, a torn labrum (cartilage), damaged ligaments or injured muscles.  If there was a direct trauma and it is a new injury, imaging such as x-rays, MRI or ultrasound may be required to determine if surgery is required.  If there isn’t a history of trauma it is likely a person may be struggling with a tendinitis that affects the muscles, or a degenerative condition like arthritis.   In some cases, shoulder pain can be referred from another body region such as the spine. A physical examination that tests the joint and muscles is performed to help determine the underlying cause of shoulder pain.

Chiropractic Care and Shoulder Pain in Sioux Falls

If it is decided that chiropractic care may be able to help a patient’s shoulder pain, we will adjust any joints that we find to be misaligned, or “subluxated.”   These adjustments may include both the shoulder joint and the spine.  After an adjustment, we may recommend at-home exercises to try to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder as well as lifestyle modifications to decrease stress on the shoulder.  While most of our patients do improve, this region may be slower to heal than other parts of the body due to the large range of motion and small muscles.  Whether your shoulder pain affects your ability to comb your hair, get dressed, or lift weights it may be helped by chiropractic care. If you are suffering from shoulder pain, please contact our office to schedule an appointment with one of our Sioux Falls chiropractors.

Adam Renelt, DC is the founder of Back in Balance Chiropractic. Dr. Adam grew up on a farm in South Dakota and received a Bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota in 2004. In 2007 he graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic with his Doctorate of Chiropractic degree and started his career in private practice. He lives in Sioux Falls with his wife and son.  In his free time he enjoys reading and being outdoors, mountain biking and hiking.

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