Shoulder Pain and Chiropractic Treatment

Signs that you should seek treatment include:

Pain that doesn’t get better after a few days

Shoulder pain that keeps coming back, even if it usually goes away on its own

Trouble carrying things or using your arm normally

An injury that makes your shoulder look out of place or misshapen

Pain that wakes you up at night or hurts even when you’re resting

Not being able to lift your arm

Swelling or heavy bruising around your shoulder or arm

Signs of infection, like fever, redness, warmth, or more swelling 

What Are The Best Treatments For Shoulder Pain?

Treating shoulder pain

The best treatment for shoulder pain depends on what’s actually causing it. That’s why it’s so important for your chiropractor to make an accurate diagnosis before starting any treatment.

If you’re not sure what’s wrong, or how serious it might be, please get professional advice before trying to treat it yourself. Not every treatment option is right for every problem — though some might still help in your case. Just keep in mind: simply resting and taking painkillers might ease your pain for now, but it won’t fix the underlying issue. Still, rest and medication may be a useful part of your recovery plan once treatment begins.

Common treatments for shoulder pain

✅ Rest
Resting your shoulder is often the first step, giving inflammation a chance to settle down. But be careful — resting too long can cause the shoulder to stiffen up, leading to a frozen shoulder.

✅ Ice & heat
Using ice packs or heat pads is one of the simplest ways to ease pain and reduce swelling. Just be sure you’re applying them to the right area. If you’re unsure, ask us!

✅ Stretching
Gentle stretching can help loosen tight muscles and tendons around your shoulder. But certain stretches could actually make things worse, depending on your condition — so always get guidance first.

✅ Exercise
Rehabilitation exercises are a key part of getting your shoulder back to normal. But timing matters: doing the wrong exercise too soon can aggravate the problem.

✅ Anti-inflammatory medication
NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) are commonly used for shoulder pain from arthritis, bursitis, or tendinitis. There are also natural alternatives your chiropractor can recommend. Just be aware of possible side effects with long-term use. Often, therapies like Low Level Laser, TECAR, or Shockwave might benefit you even more.

✅ Cortisone injections
Cortisone is a strong anti-inflammatory medicine that can reduce swelling and pain in the shoulder. It’s not without risks, and shouldn’t be your only treatment — but it can be a helpful addition to chiropractic care. If you’d like, we can arrange for you to see one of our specialists to discuss whether a cortisone injection is right for you. 

What Causes Shoulder Pain? 

Here is a list of some of the most common causes of shoulder pain, for a more detailed explanation please click on the condition. 

Referred pain from the neck and Mid Back

When the structures in the neck and mid back are painful, the pain is often felt in the shoulder. It is important to remember this. Your chiropractor will always examine your neck and mid-back when you come in for shoulder pain. 

Bursitis/ Rotator Cuff Tendinitis = Impingement syndrome

One of the most common causes in patients with shoulder pain is bursitis and tendinitis of the rotator cuff musculature causing impingement syndrome. 

Rotator Cuff Tear

Different degrees of rotator cuff tears can occur. If the tendons of the rotator cuff separate from the bone, surgery is sometimes necessary. 

Frozen Shoulder 

Also called ‘adhesive capsulitis’, is a condition that leads to severely restricted movement of the shoulder. It is not as common as people think and is often misdiagnosed.

Calcific Tendinitis

Calcific tendinitis is a condition of calcium deposits within a tendon – most commonly within the rotator cuff tendons. Treatment of calcific tendinitis depends on the extent of symptoms. 

Shoulder Instability 

Instability is a problem that causes a loose or unstable joint. Instability can be caused by a traumatic injury (dislocation), or may develop over time. This can occur with or without producing a secondary impingement syndrome. 

Shoulder Dislocation 

A dislocation is a traumatic injury that occurs when the ball part of the shoulder joint (top of the arm bone) slips out of the socket (part of the shoulder blade). 

Ligament injury (Acromio-Clavicular Tear) 

Also called an A/C separation, these injuries are the result of a disruption of the acromioclavicular joint. This is a very different injury from a glenohumeral dislocation. 

Labral Tear 

There are several patterns of a torn labrum and the type of treatment depends on the specific injury. 

Arthritis

Shoulder arthritis is less common than arthritis of the hip and knee, but when severe may require a joint replacement surgery. However, arthritic changes are more common in the acromioclavicular joint between the collarbone and the shoulder blade. 

Biceps Tendon Rupture 

The upper part of the biceps tendon can rupture and cause shoulder pain.

Referred Pain From Internal Organs 

It is important to remember that pain from the gallbladder can be felt over the right shoulder and pain from the pancreas can be felt over the left shoulder. Most importantly, heart attacks can refer pain into the left shoulder and arm. Chiropractors are trained in medical diagnosis and one of the priorities in the examination is to rule out more serious medical conditions before any treatment can start.