One of my favorite parts of being a chiropractor is figuring out why something hurts, not just where it hurts.
Recently, I worked with a patient who came in with pain at the front of their shoulder. They assumed they’d strained something in the front of the joint because that’s exactly where it hurt. They had been googling “What is causing my shoulder pain” and “where is my shoulder pain coming from?”
But during the exam, we found something interesting.
Their shoulder was sitting slightly forward in the socket, putting extra stress on the tissues at the front of the joint. The surprising part? The biggest culprit wasn’t actually the front of the shoulder.
Their rotator cuff muscles were extremely tight, and they also had restricted movement in both their neck (cervical spine) and upper back (thoracic spine). Those restrictions changed how the shoulder moved, causing the front of the joint to take more of the load than it was designed to handle.
Treatment focused on improving the mechanics rather than simply chasing the painful spot. We used hands-on muscle work to release the rotator cuff, improved mobility in the neck and upper back, and added a few targeted strengthening exercises to help the shoulder stay centered as it moved.
Within a short time, their pain had decreased significantly, and everyday activities became much more comfortable.
This is a good reminder that pain isn’t always coming from the place where you feel it. The body is wonderfully interconnected, and sometimes solving the problem means looking a little farther upstream.
If you’ve been dealing with shoulder pain that doesn’t seem to be improving, or it keeps coming back, it may be worth taking a closer look at how the entire shoulder, neck, and upper back are working together.
As always, if you have questions about an ache or injury, feel free to ask. I’m always happy to point you in the right direction.
