Shoulder rehabilitation. The primary aim in treating shoulder conditions through conservative management (physical therapy) is to reduce pain and improve function of the shoulder.

The therapeutic exercise is commonly used in the treatment and management of a range of shoulder disorders, commonly advocating to address dysfunctions in mobility, posture, muscle activation, proprioception and strength.

The most prevalent causes for shoulder pain are rotator cuff tendinitis; which affects the tendons and muscles that help to move the shoulder joint.

If you have tendinitis, it means that your tendons are inflamed or irritated. Rotator cuff tendinitis is also called impingement syndrome.

This condition usually occurs over time. It can be the result of keeping your shoulder in one position for a while, sleeping on your shoulder every night, or participating in activities that require lifting your arm over your head.

Other causes of shoulder pain are shoulder impingement syndrome, calcific tendonitis, frozen shoulder, etc. In this context, physical medicine and rehabilitation plays a fundamental role.

The aim of physical therapy is to decrease the shoulder pain and to regain shoulder function, with the goal to reduce the degree of impingement, decreasing swelling and inflammation, and to minimize the risk of further injuries in the area.

For treating shoulder pain doctors can prescribe medicine , such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cortisone injections, stretching and strengthening exercises, manual therapy, and physical energies (cryotherapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT), laser therapy, ultrasounds, etc.) to reduce pain feeling and restore shoulder range of motion (ROM) and function.

As far as exercising goes, doctors recommend to follow detailed exercises and guidelines created especially for your disorder, level of pain and treatment goals.

If you want to learn more about our physical therapy programs please checkout our webpage