Shoulder pain (tendinopathy)

The shoulder is a complex joint where tendons normally slide freely between the top of the humerus (arm) and the acromion  (tip of the shoulder). One of the shoulder muscles that pass through this gap is supraspinatus.

Everyday our muscles, tendons and ligaments are constantly being stretched and eventually can become slightly damaged. As a result, this damaging stimulates the body's healing response and heals the damaged structure. This all happens without us realising because the pain suffered is so minimal. The term "tendinopathy" implies that the tendon has suffered many episodes of tiny trauma and the body's healing mechanism has failed to kick in. As a result pain occurs.

 

Common sympotoms for shoulder tendinopathy

- Pain with movement (arm raising sideways)
- Pain with overhead activity i.e. badminton
- Pain with shoulder muscle contraction
- Tenderness to touch

Treatment

Treatment of supraspinatus tendinopathy usually involves strengthening of the tendon, deep tissue massage, advanced mobilisation techniques and correction of any underlying factors that may have led to the condition. Many patients only seek advice when the pain becomes too much which means the rehabilitation will likely take longer as more damage will have been done. Supraspinatus tendinopathy is a classic example of the sooner it's treated the better. There is always a reason why tendinopathies occur and the key is finding out that reason. Treating just the symptoms or just resting from activity will most probably result in further episodes of pain.

To receive the best treatment for your discomfort arrange an appointment today or if you have any questions please feel free to email