Chiropractor for Shoulder Pain
Two very different people search for this: the one who throws, presses or swims, and the one who sits. This page is for both.
By Dr. Abby Dante, DC NY License #013032 Last updated
Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain?
Yes, for the most common kinds: pain from the rotator cuff and the tissues around it, pinching when you reach overhead, and the stiff, achy shoulder-and-neck combination that comes with desk work. Those respond to the mix of hands-on treatment and progressive strengthening that a rehab-based chiropractor provides.
A chiropractor is not the right first stop for a shoulder that was dislocated, a sudden loss of strength after a fall or a heavy lift, or a shoulder that has steadily frozen until you can't lift the arm. Start with an orthopedist or your doctor for those. And pain in the left shoulder or arm with chest pressure, shortness of breath or sweating is an emergency, not a shoulder problem.
How do you treat shoulder pain in overhead athletes?
Pitchers, quarterbacks, swimmers, volleyball and tennis players, CrossFitters and anyone who presses or snatches a barbell ask the shoulder for the same thing: a lot of range, at speed or under load, over and over.
What it usually feels like
- A pinch or ache at the front or top of the shoulder at the top of a press or in the catch of a stroke
- Pain in the late cocking or release phase of a throw, or a "dead arm" late in a game
- Pain lowering the bar in a bench press or at the bottom of a dip
- Soreness that used to fade by the next session and now doesn't
What we look at
The shoulder is rarely the whole story. An overhead position needs the shoulder blade to rotate upward, the mid-back to extend, and, in a throw or a serve, the hips and trunk to supply most of the power. If the mid-back is stiff or the trunk isn't contributing, the shoulder makes up the difference. So we assess your shoulder range and rotator cuff strength, and also how your shoulder blade, mid-back and hips move.
What we do
Soft tissue work and joint mobilization for the back of the shoulder, the pec, the lat and the mid-back, then loading: rotator cuff and shoulder blade strength, built up to overhead and to speed. We adjust your training rather than shutting it down. Changing grip, range, volume or pitch count usually lets you keep training while it calms down. The return-to-sport steps are the ones described in our approach to sports injury rehab.
How do you treat shoulder pain from desk work?
The desk shoulder is a different animal. It's less about one movement and more about hours without movement: arms forward on a keyboard, shoulders creeping up toward the ears, a mouse hand that never rests.
What it usually feels like
- A burning or aching band across the top of the shoulder and into the neck by mid-afternoon
- A knot beside the shoulder blade you keep trying to rub out
- Pain reaching into the back seat, fastening a bra, putting on a jacket or sleeping on that side
- Tension headaches that start at the base of the skull
What we look at
Whether the pain is coming from the shoulder or from the neck, which can refer pain to the shoulder blade and down the arm. Tingling in the fingers points toward the neck. We check both, plus how much rotation your mid-back has left.
What we do
Posture isn't a moral failing, and you don't need to sit up straight all day. There is no single correct posture. The best one is the next one. Treatment is hands-on work to the neck, upper traps and mid-back, then strengthening the muscles that have been doing nothing for eight hours: the ones that pull the shoulder blades back and down and rotate the arm outward. Your exercise prescription will include one or two things you can do at your desk in under a minute, because those are the ones that get done.
When does shoulder pain need someone else?
- A fall or sudden injury followed by real weakness: you can't lift the arm away from your side or hold it up. That can be a rotator cuff tear, and a surgeon should see it soon.
- A shoulder that came out of joint, or feels like it slips, especially a first dislocation in a young athlete.
- A visible deformity or a bump at the collarbone after a fall.
- A shoulder that has gradually lost movement in every direction over months, with pain at night. A frozen shoulder may benefit from an injection as well as rehab.
- A hot, red, swollen joint, or shoulder pain with fever.
- Left shoulder or arm pain with chest pressure, shortness of breath, nausea or sweating: call 911.
If you've already had shoulder surgery, a physical therapist working from your surgeon's protocol is the right place for the early rehab. We explain why in our comparison of chiropractic and physical therapy.
We can't tell you how long a shoulder will take before we've examined it, and we won't pretend to. Visits are one-on-one and 30-60 minutes with Dr. Abby Dante or Dr. Dave Atlas (about the doctors). Dr. Abby sees patients at our Islandia and Quogue locations. Dr. Dave sees patients in Islandia. Call or text 631-212-2996 to schedule.
Book an appointment
I’m excited to work with you! Please call us at 631-212-2996 to get started.
