Should I see a chiropractor for my shoulder pain?

Should I see a chiropractor for my shoulder pain?

The answer is no if you have an MRI report like the one I just read for one of my patients. He had a rotator cuff tear, AC joint edema, fraying of the posterior labrum and active capsulitis. This was a surgical case for sure. However, the vast majority of shoulder pain and shoulder problems are non-surgical, and that is where chiropractors can come in and help.

The secret weapon that we have as chiropractors is that we can do chiropractic adjustments. So you might be thinking, what does chiropractic adjustments have to do with shoulder pain? I recently reviewed an article that was published in 2017 and was based on six other studies on chiropractic adjustments just focusing on the upper back, without touching somebody’s shoulder at all. Those chiropractic adjustments were able to improve shoulder pain significantly in all six studies.

The connection between the upper back adjustments and the shoulder is from the rhomboid muscle that connects into the shoulder blade, and then the trapezius muscle that connects into the top of the shoulder.

The other direct connection between the chiropractic adjustment to the spine and the shoulder pain is that all the nerves from the lower neck and the upper back run to the outer shoulder. So by receiving a chiropractic adjustment we are able to reduce nerve interference that may also be causing your pain or discomfort.

Hopefully this blog has helped you determine if you should see a chiropractor for your shoulder pain. If you or someone you know has shoulder pain and you want to know if chiropractic care might be the right fit please schedule an appointment online at https://chiro.kauffmanchiropractic.com/scheduling-options/