I can’t believe my shoulder bursitis is coming from my neck!

As her treatment progressed and her shoulder bursitis improved, Linda, a patient at my chiropractic office, said, “I can’t believe my shoulder bursitis is coming from my neck.” He was surprised that chiropractic adjustments to correct misalignment of the spinal vertebrae in his neck helped improve his chronic shoulder bursitis. While Linda was the first patient to express herself the way she did, she was by no means the first patient I had whose shoulder problem improved by correcting spinal problems in the neck.

This article will discuss how chiropractic care can help improve shoulder problems, such as bursitis. It will also feature scientific research detailing a recent study of patients experiencing shoulder pain who benefited from chiropractic care.

A short and simple description of the shoulder anatomy will be helpful in understanding the condition of shoulder bursitis. To begin with, a bursa is analogous to a water-filled balloon with a hard skin. We have bursae in many areas of our body. Consequently, they come in various shapes and sizes. Bursae prevent two body structures from rubbing against each other. The bursa in the shoulder is called the subacromial bursa. Prevents a tendon from rubbing directly against a bone. Under normal conditions, the bursa does its job day after day without causing any pain. However, when the bag becomes irritated, it becomes inflamed. When something in the body is inflamed, we use the suffix “-itis”. This is how the term “bursitis” is derived.

Chiropractors are always interested in knowing what could be the cause of a particular health condition. It is very rare for the shoulder bag to become inflamed spontaneously. Therefore, it is important that we look at other areas of the body for the source and cause of shoulder bursitis. Anything that could cause abnormal pressure, compression, or wear of the shoulder bag could be the culprit.

We all know that there are many muscles involved in the movements of the shoulder joint. If those muscles are causing improper movement of the shoulder joint, it can create abnormal wear and tear on the subacromial bursa. However, once again, we must ask ourselves what could be causing the muscles to malfunction. This is where we can trace the source of the problem down to our necks. The bones of the neck are called the cervical spinal vertebrae. These vertebrae protect the nerves in the spinal cord and allow the spinal nerves to exit the spine to various areas of the body, including the shoulder muscles.

If the spinal vertebrae are misaligned and move incorrectly, they can irritate or pinch the spinal nerves. These nerves innervate the muscles of the shoulder joint. If the nerves send the wrong signals to the muscles, those muscles can cause the shoulder joint to move incorrectly and abnormally. This can create abnormal strain and wear on the shoulder bag, leading to bursitis.

A scientific research study in the Back magazine in musculoskeletal rehabilitation, September 2019 notes that when subacromial impingement syndrome occurs, it can lead to pain, weakness, and reduced range of motion in the shoulder. In a study involving 26 patients with acute subacromial impingement syndrome, researchers found that those treated with manual therapy for four weeks experienced significant improvement in pain, function, and range of motion.

Doctors of chiropractic tend to look at the big picture. Chiropractors examine not just the shoulder, but the entire shoulder girdle and cervical spine. Sometimes specialists, like an orthopedic, can be too specific and only look at the shoulder joint. I have seen many cases where an orthopedic specialist administered a steroid injection into the shoulder bag to reduce inflammation. A significant amount of time this will give you short-term pain relief, but once the medication wears off, the pain returns because the cause of the condition has not been corrected.

When there are misalignments or improper movements of the cervical spine vertebrae, they must be corrected to eliminate the cause of the problem and begin to heal. As a chiropractor, I make gentle and safe adjustments to the cervical spine to correct abnormalities. I will also use physical therapies such as electrical muscle stimulation, cold pack therapy, and rehabilitation exercises to help the bursa and shoulder girdle heal as quickly as possible.

By looking at the big picture and examining all the important aspects of a patient, chiropractors can help most people with shoulder bursitis.

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