When it comes to shoulder pain, some pain and symptoms can be from a cervical spine dysfunction, not from the shoulder joint dysfunction. A comprehensive physical assessment is performed to distinguish from pain deriving from spinal dysfunction and that derived from the shoulder joint dysfunction.
Therapeutically, chiropractic adjustment is utilized to clear up any cervical and thoracic spine dysfunction. This has an effect of restoring nerve impulses to the shoulder girdle muscles. Since shoulder “rests” on the thoracic cage, chiropractic adjustments to the thoracic spine is warranted as well. Myofascial work and acupressure is then applied to the zone between the shoulder blades and the shoulder muscles, and mobilization of the shoulder joint is then performed. Physical therapy procedures for a painful shoulder include all the modalities described previously, and once pain has subsided, kinesiotherapy is utilized to restore optimal function and movements of the shoulder joint complex.