Physiotherapy for shoulder complaints

 Shoulders are very complicated joints. Complaints are often caused by a number of factors. The shoulders move in a so-called chain, with the collar bone, the shoulder blade, the cervical vertebrae and the ribs also being involved.

Nagging pain

Shoulder pain mostly occurs during the night or when lifting an arm. It may also extend to the neck or upper arm, and you may feel scintillations in your arm or hand.

Shoulder complaints (like neck complaints) may occur suddenly or gradually. You may experience them as a gradual ache, or even as a piercin pain.

Causes

Shoulder complaints may be caused by:

. a fall or a sudden movement

. long overuse

. a wrong posture

. working with your arms above your shoulders

. making repetitive movements over a long period of time

. pressure or stress, at home or in your job. This often results in a stiff, tense and painful feeling in the neck and shoulders.

A specific plan of treatment

Examples of problems with the shoulders are:

• impingement of weak tissue
• wear and tear
• balance disorders
• labrum lesions
• frozen shoulder.

You may have heightened muscle tension, shortened muscles or limitations in moving your shoulders without a clear diagnosis being possible. Because shoulder complaints are complex, it is important to find out which joints and structures are involved. Once it is clear what causes the complaints, we can develop a specific plan of treatment, together with you.

Many possibilities

We have a range of possibilities, so we can treat virtually all aspects of shoulder complaints. Examples are exercises, taping or manual therapy. We also help you rehabilitate after a fracture, a dislocation or an operation. Many patients are referred to us by shoulder specialists after an operation.