Shoulder Pain Treatment Information

What Causes Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is a complex joint consisting of several bones, muscles, tendons, ligaments, and cartilage. It is one of the most mobile joints in the body that allows us to reach overhead, scratch our backs, and throw the perfect pitch. However, the complexity and range of motion predispose the joint to a number of problems, resulting in shoulder pain.

Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain include inflammatory conditions such as tendinitis and bursitis. Osteoarthritis from wear and tear can result in pain, swelling, and stiffness of the shoulder joint. The shoulder is also prone to instability, impingement, joint degradation, tendon tears, fractures and dislocations. Repetitive movements, manual labor, and sports injuries may cause pain in the shoulder region. Common conditions that may cause pain in the shoulder include:

• Rotator cuff injury – An estimated 2 million Americans visit a doctor every year for issues related to the rotator cuff, a group of tendons and muscles that surround and tether the shoulder joint. Irritation, impingement, inflammation, or tears in the rotator cuff are common causes of shoulder pain.
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) – This is common in people between the ages of 40 to 60 and results in shoulder pain due to thickening and stiffness of the tissues surrounding the joint.
• Calcific tendinitis – Calcium deposits develop in the rotator cuff tendons, resulting in severe shoulder pain. The condition is more common in middle-aged to older adults and diabetics.
• Biceps tendon tear – The biceps tendon attaches the biceps muscle to the shoulder and elbow. When this tendon tears due to injury, there is severe pain and loss of strength in turning the arm from palm down to palm up.

Treatment of Shoulder Pain

Typically, shoulder pain is treated with a period of rest and avoiding activities that aggravate the pain. Doctors may recommend applying ice or heat. Physical therapy may help improve flexibility and strength. Medications for shoulder pain are available over-the-counter (ibuprofen, aspirin) as well as by prescription. However, these drugs do not treat the underlying cause of the pain and may result in intolerable side effects. For more longstanding pain, injection of steroids and numbing medications into the shoulder may benefit some people. However, corticosteroid shots are associated with a number of complications. Some conditions, such as severe rotator cuff tears, may warrant surgical intervention.

Regenerative Therapy: Breaking New Ground in the Management of Chronic Pain

At Living Well Balanced Integrative Medical Centers, we are committed to your well-being for the long-term. To this end, we bring you natural pain relief with regenerative medicine solutions that aid the body in healing itself. These treatments address the cause of the shoulder pain rather than simply providing palliation of symptoms.

Our regenerative medicine treatments consist of amniotic tissue allografts that are obtained from thoroughly screened donor mothers at the time of elective cesarean sections. These placental and cord tissues that are typically discarded after childbirth, but are an incredibly rich source of growth factors, cytokines, scaffolding proteins, and other substances that promote soft tissue healing. When they are injected locally into the area of shoulder pain, these substances control the inflammatory response, repair damaged tissue, and support the body’s natural regenerative environment.

Are Regenerative Injections Safe for Shoulder Pain?

Living Well Balanced sources human cell and tissue products (HCT/Ps) from Predictive Biotech, a leading provider of amniotic tissue allografts. The products we use have been developed after years of rigorous research and are thoroughly tested independently. The donated tissues are processed in a state-of-the-art FDA-registered laboratory, where they are micronized and dehydrated. The products are then stored and transported under optimal conditions from the laboratory to medical offices nationwide. The use of these HCT/Ps has not been found to cause any significant complications or side effects. The regenerative therapy for shoulder pain does not require a hospital admission and is associated with minimum to no down time.

Advantages of Regenerative Injections for Shoulder Pain

Injections of human cell and tissue products may allow you to return to an active lifestyle and doing the things you love. These regenerative treatments repair, replace, and restore damaged shoulder joint tissues, thereby treating the cause of your shoulder pain. Long-term treatment with painkillers is never a good idea as it simply provides temporary relief without preventing further damage or treating the underlying cause. Steroid shots may cause infections, tendon rupture, and a number of other complications, and again, they are simply a way of masking symptoms. If you have debilitating shoulder pain, talk to us today to see if you could benefit from regenerative therapy. Don’t delay starting your journey to freedom from pain.

If you have questions about Regenerative Medicine for your shoulder pain please call our office at 919-926-8890.