Shoulder Pain Treatment in Oakland, CA

If your shoulder has been aching, catching, or weak for weeks or months, you don’t have to keep working around it. At Riverstone Chiropractic in Oakland’s Grand Lake neighborhood, we treat shoulder pain, impingement, and rotator cuff problems with hands-on soft tissue work, joint care, and rehab built around what’s actually going on in your shoulder. Book a free consultation or call (510) 465-2342.

Why do I still have shoulder pain?

It’s a common misconception that shoulder pain will just go away on its own. Primary care physicians still prescribe rest, ice, or NSAIDs for musculoskeletal issues, but unfortunately those things often don’t fix the underlying problem. They may cool the issue down or block the pain for a while, but once you stop taking your Advil the pain and aggravation of not being able to participate in your favorite activities comes right back. 

Does this sound like you?

• Your shoulder pain came on weeks or months ago but you’re still living with it because you thought it would sort itself out on its own?
• Your doctor prescribed six weeks of rest, but after taking that rest and missing out on doing the stuff you love to do, your shoulder is still bothering you just as much or even worse than before?
• You found some shoulder stretches on Youtube that looked like they would be helpful but you’re not sure if they are really making a difference and sometimes they even feel aggravating?
• You tried physical therapy at the suggestion of your MD but it was through a large institution and felt generic and very hands-off?
• Your friends, family members, or teammates have told you that shoulder pain is normal and that you just have to work through it?
• Maybe you even tried some massages at the local spa but even though it felt ahhhhh….relaxing, you feel like they didn’t really focus on your shoulder or know how to get to the root of your pain? 

Common shoulder pain symptoms

Shoulder pain shows up in different ways depending on what’s causing it. Common signs include:

• A deep ache in the shoulder or upper arm, especially at night or when lying on that side
• Pain when reaching overhead, behind your back, or across your body
• A pinching or catching feeling when you lift your arm
• Weakness or difficulty lifting objects
• Clicking, popping, or grinding in the joint
• Stiffness that limits how far you can move the arm
• Pain that travels from the shoulder into the upper arm or toward the neck and shoulder blade

Who gets shoulder pain?

We see shoulder problems in people who:

• Lift weights or do CrossFit, or climb
• Swim, play tennis or pickleball, or throw (baseball, softball, frisbee)
• Spend long days at a desk or on a laptop, often with rounded shoulders and a forward head position
• Do overhead work such as painting, construction, or gardening
• Have had a fall, collision, or whiplash-type injury
• Have been recovering from top surgery or have a history of chest binding

Shoulder pain can also come from the neck. If your pain is mostly in the neck or travels down the arm, see our neck pain page. If your shoulder has become very stiff and hard to move in all directions, read about frozen shoulder.

Causes of shoulder pain:

Muscle adhesions: Any of the muscles that cross the joints of the shoulder (or connect via fascial connections to other muscles that do cross the joints) can become overworked and develop adhesions.  This can be any of the muscles of the rotator cuff (supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis), trapezius, rhomboids, pec major, pec minor, biceps, lats, and many others.

Capsule adhesions: Deep within the ball and socket joint of the shoulder is a layer of tissue that holds the head of the humerus in place, and this is called the shoulder capsule.  Just like muscles in the area, the shoulder capsule may also develop adhesions due to overuse.

Shoulder dislocation: The humerus slides anterior and inferior in relation to the scapula, causing severe pain.  This is usually due to a trauma such as a fall or a collision.

Shoulder subluxation: This term technically means “less than a dislocation”.  It’s a small misalignment or fixation that can occur with either a fall or through chronic poor posture or repetitive activities.

Bursitis: There are several fluid-filled protective sacs in the shoulder area that serve as pillows to cushion the shoulder.  With repetitive motion or trauma, any one of these bursa may become inflamed or injured.

Shoulder impingement: The space between the shoulder and the arm basically gets smaller.  This can happen due to chronic posture habits, repetitive strain, or injury.

Rotator cuff tear: An injury to any of the rotator cuff muscles mentioned previously that causes a tear to the muscle fibers.

A/C ligament tear: An injury to the acromioclavicular ligament that connects your collarbone to your shoulder blade.  Often known as a shoulder separation.  This may be caused by a fall on an outstretched arm.

How we find the cause of your shoulder pain

The same symptom can have very different causes, so treatment starts with a careful exam. At your first visit we ask about your history, activities, and what you’ve already tried. We then look at your shoulder range of motion, strength, posture, and the way your shoulder blade moves, and we use hands-on tests to pinpoint which muscles or joints are involved. We also check your neck and upper back, since they often contribute. If your history or findings suggest something that needs imaging or a medical referral, such as a significant tear or a dislocation, we’ll tell you.

Shoulder pain treatment with Active Release Techniques:

In order to formulate a treatment plan, your chiropractor must first diagnose your pain correctly.

For each cause of shoulder pain, there is a unique treatment approach.  For the most common causes of adhesion in the shoulder muscles and/or shoulder capsule, Active Release Techniques is the most frequently prescribed treatment because it actually reduces the adhesions and allows the shoulder’s biomechanics to function properly.