Shoulder Pain Treatment in Sulphur Springs, TX

Your shoulder helps you reach, lift, throw, and get dressed, so when it hurts, you feel it all day and often at night. The good news is that most shoulder pain is not serious, and most of it gets better with the right plan.

Common causes

  • Rotator cuff pain. The most common cause. It aches on the outside of the upper arm when you reach overhead or lie on that side.

  • Frozen shoulder. The joint capsule gets tight and painful, and reaching behind your back becomes hard.

  • AC joint sprain. A fall onto the point of the shoulder can sprain the joint on top where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade.

  • Biceps tendon pain. An ache in the front of the shoulder with lifting or overhead work.

  • Labrum tears. A deep ache, catching, or a "dead arm" feeling, often in throwers.

  • Pain from the neck. Sometimes shoulder pain starts in the neck. Learn more in Can Your Neck Cause Shoulder Pain?.

What helps

Exercise for the rotator cuff and shoulder blade muscles is the foundation of care, and hands-on care seems to work best when it is added to exercise (Steuri et al., 2017). Adding adjustments of the upper back, neck, and shoulder girdle to usual medical care helped people recover faster (Bergman et al., 2004). Dry needling can help pain and daily function, mostly in the short term (Navarro-Santana et al., 2021). For frozen shoulder, adding joint mobilization to exercise helps motion come back more than exercise alone (Lee et al., 2023).

How we can help

A sore shoulder rarely has just one problem, so we never rely on one treatment. Think of hands-on care and needling as loosening a stuck lid, and exercise as building the grip that keeps it turning on its own. Your plan may include:

We always check your neck and upper back too. If you need imaging, we can write the order and refer you to a trusted imaging center.

Common questions

Do I need an MRI? Most people do not need one to start care. If your shoulder keeps catching, feels unstable, or is not improving, we can order one and refer you out.

Will I need surgery? Many shoulder problems, including many labrum tears and AC sprains, do well with a full rehab program first. If your exam points to surgery, we will refer you to a shoulder surgeon.

Should I rest my shoulder completely? Usually not. Total rest can make a sore shoulder stiffer. Gentle movement within comfort is better.

How should I sleep? Try your back or your other side, with a pillow hugged in front of you to support the sore arm.

When to seek emergency care

Most shoulder pain is not an emergency. Please seek emergency care if shoulder pain comes with chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, or jaw pain (especially on the left side), if you cannot lift your arm after a fall, if the joint is hot, red, and swollen or you have a fever, or if you have sudden weakness in your arm or hand.

Book a visit

If your shoulder is holding you back, we would be glad to help you reach, lift, and sleep comfortably again. Book Online or call 903-629-5126.

Pacheco Spine and Sport, 1067 Gilmer Street, Suite C, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482.

This page is for general education and is not a substitute for a personal medical exam.

Sources

Bergman, G. J., Winters, J. C., Groenier, K. H., Pool, J. J., Meyboom-de Jong, B., Postema, K., & van der Heijden, G. J. (2004). Manipulative therapy in addition to usual medical care for patients with shoulder dysfunction and pain: A randomized, controlled trial. Annals of Internal Medicine, 141(6), 432-439. https://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-141-6-200409210-00008

Lee, J. H., Jeon, H. G., & Yoon, Y. J. (2023). Effects of exercise intervention (with and without joint mobilization) in patients with adhesive capsulitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Healthcare, 11(10). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11101504

Navarro-Santana, M. J., Gómez-Chiguano, G. F., Cleland, J. A., Arias-Buría, J. L., Fernández-de-Las-Peñas, C., & Plaza-Manzano, G. (2021). Effects of trigger point dry needling for nontraumatic shoulder pain of musculoskeletal origin: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physical Therapy, 101(2). https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzaa216

Steuri, R., Sattelmayer, M., Elsig, S., Kolly, C., Tal, A., Taeymans, J., & Hilfiker, R. (2017). Effectiveness of conservative interventions including exercise, manual therapy and medical management in adults with shoulder impingement: A systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 51(18), 1340-1347. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2016-096515