MRI testing of the shoulder is no different than testing in other body regions. Pathologies such as bursa changes, tendinopathies, labral and rotator cuff tears are very common in asymptomatic populations and tend to increase with an individual’s age. Many of these MRI findings do not contribute to a patient’s current symptoms and may be...
Shoulder impingement is the most common cause of shoulder pain and is commonly treated with Physical Therapy interventions including upper body strengthening and manual therapy. Dry needling is gaining traction in both clinical practice and the medical research as an effective treatment option for musculoskeletal pain. When combined with other forms of manual therapy, including joint...
In our previous blog post we described how few (16%) partial rotator cuff tears progress over time. Understanding the non progressive nature of the injury allows patients an opportunity to explore non surgical options including Physical Therapy. In this study they followed partial rotator cuff tears over time, but a more recent study followed patients...
Posture has a controversial and complex role in musculoskeletal pain. Some research studies have found zero to weak correlations between posture and pain while other studies have shown it can both impact pain and function. One area of the body where posture may have a larger role is with shoulder function. Individuals with limited mid...
The shoulder blade or scapula plays an important role in optimal function of the shoulder joint. The scapula provides the foundation for both stability and force generation through the arm during athletics and daily activities. Weakness in the scapular muscles can lead to abnormal posture and movement or dyskinesis in the scapula during arm movements. ...
We have previously written about the move away from arthroscopic surgery for degenerative meniscal tears and knee arthritis based on surgery’s limited effectiveness in the medical research. In addition, these surgeries have not been able to show greater outcomes than placebo or sham surgery. Until recently, studies have not utilized a comparable placebo group to...
Evidence demonstrates equal long term outcomes between Physical Therapy and surgery for non traumatic rotator cuff tears. Patient’s most appropriate for surgical repair include patients with larger tears, greater disability and limitations with arm use, and those with a low expectation for recovery with conservative care. Among those patients opting for surgical interventions up to...
Poor movements patterns at the shoulder blade (scapular dyskinesis) is quickly becoming the over pronation of the upper extremity. Although associated with a number of shoulder diagnoses including rotator cuff tears, tendinopathy, and impingement many questions remain. We observe these patterns of movement in both strong and weak individuals, as well as, those with and...
Shoulder pain remains one of the most common reasons patients seek out care from both primary care physicians and Physical Therapists. Shoulder impingement or the compression of shoulder tissues, including the rotator cuff tendons and bursa, is the most common diagnoses behind these patients’ symptoms. Physical Therapy remains a gold standard treatment for this condition...
Shoulder pain remains one of the most frequent reasons patients seek care from a Physical Therapist. Although many diagnoses create symptoms in the shoulder region, rotator cuff tendon pain is one of the most common. Descriptions of tendon pain such as tendinitis are being disproven by the research due to a lack of inflammatory process...