Why does my shoulder and arm hurt?

It’s really frustrating when you can’t figure out where your pain is coming from. If you’ve seen your doctor and have been cleared for a serious problem, like a stroke, you may be looking for someone to help relieve your shoulder and arm pain. It’s important to find the source of your pain, and your physiotherapist at Break Free Physiotherapy and Wellness can help you find it.

Here are some areas your physiotherapist can assess:

1. Neck

2. Upper back

3. Shoulder
   
   

The Neck
Nerves are information highways that help your brain exchange information with skin and muscle. When a nerve is pinched in your neck, it can cause the following symptoms:

- Aching
- Burning
- Tingling
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness
- Muscle spasms
- Tight muscles
- Shooting pain

Your physiotherapist at Break Free will be able to do a series of tests to figure out if your neck is contributing to your shoulder and arm pain. It’s important to tell your physiotherapist if you feel any of the symptoms above so you can both work together to find the source of your pain.

This image depicts nerves travelling from the spine down the shoulder and arm.

The Upper Back
If you have a stiff upper back, it can affect the position of your neck and contribute to a pinched nerve in your neck. If the neck is not a contributor to your shoulder pain, the position of your upper back might affect the way you move your shoulder. Your physiotherapist can check the range of motion in your back to see if it may be causing your shoulder and arm pain.

The Shoulder
After excluding the spine as the source of your injury, your physiotherapist can check your shoulder. They are trained to find out which muscle could be causing your pain, and give you tips on how to make it feel better. This might include certain exercises or different ways to use your shoulder to decrease your pain. If exercises are not working, your physiotherapist can potentially use acupuncture or dry needling to manage your pain. 

Who do I see
It’s important that you go to a physiotherapist that is well trained in assessing the spine and shoulder. Physiotherapists that are trained in Mechanical Diagnosis Therapy (MDT) are able to find out if your shoulder pain is related to your neck and upper back. One of Break Free’s physiotherapists, Corey Kim, is credentialed in MDT!

At Break Free Physiotherapy, we use MDT to help you figure out where your pain is coming from. Click here to book an assessment with Corey today.