Is It Really Your Shoulder?

That pain you feel at your shoulders may not be coming from your shoulder at all but instead the neck. 

You’re sleeping in an awkward position and wake up with shoulder pain that doesn’t seem to go away. Ouch! A quick web search may have you think that the shoulder pain is coming from your rotator cuff, a group of bones, muscles and tendons that allow you to freely move your arm. However, does that mean the cause of the pain is from these shoulder muscles or could it be from somewhere else?

More often than not the pain generator in the shoulder after certain prolonged postures or movements in the neck is coming from the cervical spine, specifically the discs of the cervical spine. Cervical disc dysfunction (bulge or herniation) can irritate the surrounding nerve roots which cause nerve pain down the shoulders. This pain will refer down the same path as the rotator cuff muscles leading many to believe the issue is coming from somewhere in the shoulder.

Image via NeuroActiveFitness.com

Still, the question begging to be asked is how do we determine if the pain is coming from our neck or our shoulder? One of the most effective diagnostic tools is also one of the most common therapies utilized here at Indy Muscle & Joint Clinic! Mechanical Diagnostic Therapy, also known as the Mckenzie Method, is a system of assessment that uses movement to determine if symptoms get better or worse. In other words, if you have sharp, shooting pain down your shoulders and certain neck movements decrease the pain, the shoulder is not the issue!

Research shows that a majority of those with radicular symptoms from the neck demonstrate a decrease in symptoms with repeated movements. This is powerful because costly imaging like an MRI may not be needed if the person responds to movements. In addition, if a certain movement reduces symptoms the patient knows exactly what to do to manage their pain! If you or someone you know has nerve-like pain down the shoulder, forearm, and wrists send them this blog and encourage them to schedule an appointment with us! We can determine if the cause of your aches and pains are truly coming from the shoulder or potentially the neck. We love getting people back to their regular lifestyle and living pain-free!

Dr. Alec Domjan, DC

Research: 

Donelson R. Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy for Radiculopathy. Phys Med Rehabil Clin Nth Am, 22.75-89, 2011. 

Harms-Ringdahl K. On assessment of shoulder exercise and load-elicited pain in the cervical spine. Biomechanical analysis of load-EMG-methodological studies of pain provoked by extreme. Position. Scand J Rehabil Med, 14:1-40, 1985.