Shoulder Pain

If your shoulder aches or is severely painful, see the experts at Holsman Physical Therapy, which has 17 locations throughout New Jersey and New York City. The highly trained therapy team provides holistic treatments to reduce shoulder pain without invasive procedures, harsh medications, or surgery. Schedule an evaluation at Holsman Physical Therapy by calling the office or booking an appointment online today.

What is shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain affects the joints that connect your torso to your upper arms. These joints consist of muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, and cartilage. Numerous factors contribute to shoulder pain, which can become debilitating when not addressed. See the Holsman Physical Therapy experts to heal naturally after a shoulder injury or surgery.

What may indicate a shoulder injury?

Shoulder issues might present as:

• Sharp pain
• Discomfort when lifting your arm
• Burning
• Tingling
• Swelling
• Stiffness
• Decreased range of motion
• Weakness
• Bruising
• Popping sounds
• Warmth
• Redness

The discomfort could appear after an injury, surgery, age-related wear, or a disease. The earlier you seek treatment for shoulder pain, the better the outcome. 

What increases the risk of shoulder pain?

Shoulder discomfort may appear because of:

• Dislocation
• Arthritis
• Sport injuries
• Falls
• Work-related injuries
• Car accidents
• Other injuries
• Aging
• Fractures
• Muscle or other soft tissue injuries
• Bursitis
• Bone spurs
• Shoulder separation 
• Frozen shoulder
• Overuse
• Rotator cuff injuries
• Poor posture
• Heavy lifting
• Previous surgery

Reduce the chance of a shoulder injury by strengthening your shoulders regularly during exercise, eating nutritious foods, and warming up and stretching properly before lifting heavy objects. 

How is the cause of shoulder pain diagnosed?

Diagnosing the cause of shoulder pain determines how to best treat your condition. The Holsman Physical Therapy experts examine your shoulder joints, discuss your symptoms and medical history, and may order blood work, X-rays, or other imaging procedures to make a final diagnosis. 

How is shoulder pain treated?

Holsman Physical Therapy offers numerous shoulder pain treatments, including physical therapy, massage, dry needling, and extracorporeal pulse activation treatment (EPAT®). EPAT uses acoustic pressure waves to increase blood circulation and optimize natural healing. 

The Holsman Physical Therapy team helps you complete injury-specific strength and flexibility exercises that boost shoulder strength, heal quickly, and reduce the chance of reinjury. You might see your therapist weekly or several times each week until healing is complete. 

You can also use ice or heat packs to minimize pain. If you need medications, injections, or surgery, the Holsman Physical Therapy team provides referrals. They follow up to ensure your treatment is effective. 

Schedule a shoulder pain evaluation at Holsman Physical Therapy by calling the office or booking an appointment online today. The practice has locations in Lyndhurst, Fair Lawn, Cedar Grove, Caldwell, Bloomfield, Maplewood, Newark, South Orange, Clifton, Paterson, Kearney, Jersey City, and Rahway, New Jersey, and the Crotona and Van Nest neighborhoods in the Bronx and the Cypress Hills neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City.