Have you ever had shoulder pain that has lingered for a long time and no matter how much you try to help your shoulder, the pain refuses to go away? The pain can be debilitating and prevent you from doing the activities you love to do. The neck and shoulder are closely related to the point where shoulder pain can be caused by dysfunction at the neck, even when there are no symptoms at the neck. The same can be true for neck pain that won’t disappear due to an underlying shoulder issue.
There are two main reasons the neck and the shoulder are closely related. The neck and shoulder share some of the same muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Multiple nerves travel from the neck to the shoulder and arm. Once the nerve exits the foramen in the neck, it travels down the shoulder and arm, providing strength and sensation to the arm. If a facet joint that forms the foramen becomes dysfunctional, it can place tension on the nerve, limiting its ability to send signals to the arm. This contributes to shoulder pain as it leads to muscles being overworked and working inefficiently, resulting in tendinopathy and possibly strains or tears of rotator cuff muscles. This is why the neck could be the root cause of chronic shoulder pain.
There are ways to differentiate neck pain from shoulder pain. For example, symptoms of shoulder pain typically involve pain in the upper arm that is worse when reaching overhead or behind your back, pain with lifting objects, and pain that is worse at night. Shoulder symptoms are generally described as a persistent, dull ache. Neck symptoms are usually a pain near the base of the skull or side of the neck that can occasionally send an electrical shock or sharp pain down the arm. The symptoms are usually worse with neck movement, and only get relief when the neck is supported. However, most of the time, neck and shoulder pain is multifactorial, and the dysfunctions at both the neck and the shoulder need to be addressed to get lasting relief.
Our physical therapists at Innovative Physical Therapy can help determine the root cause of neck or shoulder pain and establish a plan of care to address impairments in both areas for lasting symptom relief that allows you to return to the activities you love to do. To book a FREE initial evaluation with one of our physical therapists call (904) 280-2002 or visit us at mymanualpt.com/free-discovery-session/.
