No joint in the body has the range of motion that this joint does. Muscles of the shoulder arise from many other areas of the body; neck, upper and lower back, pelvis, chest/rib cage and forearm. Thus the shoulder is greatly effected by poor mechanics of other surrounding areas like the neck and upper back.
Accurate diagnosis is paramount to effective treatment. Imaging will often show rotator cuff tears, particularly as you get older and this is too often blamed as the culprit of shoulder complaints. A study by Minagawa et al (2013) showed that symptomatic rotator cuff tears accounted for only 35% of all rotator cuff tears found.
Common shoulder complaints that present at our Sports & Spinal Albury Wodonga are:
- Rotator cuff strains and tears
- Acromioclavicular (AC) joint sprain
- Shoulder Impingement
- Subacromial / Subdeltoid Bursitis
- Tendonitis / Tendinopathy
- Frozen shoulder / Adhesive Capsulitis
- Postural Tension
- Shoulder instability
- Degeneration / Osteoarthritis
- Pinched nerve in the lower neck / cervicals
- Referred pain from the lower neck or upper back
Osteopaths are trained to look at the body holistically and thus looking at all these other contributing areas is something that comes naturally to us. Treatment will aim to improve the function of not only the shoulder joint but also addressing the other areas that may be increasing the strain on the shoulder. We believe that treating the problem AND its underlying cause is the best way to restore healthy joint function.
What to expect in your consult?
Your initial consultation will involve a comprehensive assessment where we ascertain your relevant past history, including previous injuries and medical history, followed by a physical exam to determine not only the diagnosis but also find the root cause of your problem. This will be discussed with you and a treatment plan will be formulated to accommodate your needs.
The treatment itself will vary from individual to individual, but will often include a combination of hands on therapies, dry needling, taping, advice, exercise prescription as well as other options.
FAQ's
Osteopaths are covered by most Private Health insurance schemes. To be sure you are covered please consult your insurance policy. We have HICAPs facilities available for those with Private Health so you can automatically claim your treatment and only have to pay the gap.
No referral is necessary to come to our clinic.
Osteopaths like to be thorough and hence our consults tend to take half an hour on average.
It is advised that you arrive between 5 and 10 minutes prior to your initial consult as you are required to fill out a new patient and informed consent forms before treatment can commence.
Conditions we help with:
Here's some helpful info from our blog:
GLA:D Exercise & Education Program
