By Zoe Auld Langley
The shoulder joint is a ball and socket structure with several ligaments and four major tendons known as the "rotator cuff" tendons to provide support and allow for a wide range of motion. As the most mobile joint in the body, it is particularly prone to stress and injury resulting in shoulder pain. A chiropractor offers a safe and natural approach to alleviating this issue which does not involve drugs or surgery.
The degree of pain felt usually depends on the underlying problem that is causing it. There may be swelling and inflammation of the joint itself, or in some cases the discomfort is actually being referred to the shoulder area from a misalignment in the cervical spine. In any case, the patient should not hesitate to consult the chiropractor.
The main objective of chiropractic care is to treat illness at its source, removing the issue causing pain instead of simply addressing the symptoms. The course of therapy the chiropractor deems most suitable for the patient is based on whatever is found to be the causative condition. Therefore, it is important that an accurate diagnosis be made in order for the patient to recover fully.
Chiropractic medicine is a holistic discipline that takes the patient's total health into consideration when devising the best course of treatment. The chiropractor will obtain a medical history from patients and will also ask them about their regular exercise habits, diet, and body mechanics. He or she will perform a physical examination to evaluate the range of motion, and may also order an MRI or CT scan if indicated.
When the causative condition has been identified, the practitioner will plan a course of therapy for the client. In many cases, chiropractic adjustments are part of the therapy. These consist of firm, abrupt, manual thrusts applied to a misaligned vertebra or joint to bring about realignment which will in turn reduce inflammation and swelling of the overlying soft tissues.
Stretches are another effective part of therapy which can be effective in promoting healing and the patient can easily do them at home each day. This set of prescribed movements works to strengthen damaged muscles, improve range of motion and blood flow to the area, and alleviate inflammation, it can also condition the joint in such a way to lessen the chances of the issue recurring. The practitioner may also recommend that the client make some changes to his or her regular posture, especially if sitting for extended periods.
The chiropractor may also use other treatments to help ease the patient's pain, such as traction, massage, and hot and cold therapy. These techniques can ease inflammation in the joint which can cause discomfort, and will often be implemented in conjunction with exercises and adjustments.
The chiropractic approach to healing shoulder pain presents a welcome change from the traditional treatments mainstream doctors normally employ, which includes injections, and the use of steroid compounds or NSAID medications that only temporarily reduce the discomfort but do not eliminate the source of the problem which in fact prolongs the issue.
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