The Solution to Shoulder Pain That Won’t Go Away in Escondido, CA
Welcome. Today, we’re going to be talking about shoulder pain. Many of you have been dealing with it for years, while some of you may have just started noticing it. One of the most common things we hear is, “I thought this would go away, Doc, but here it is—week after week.”
So let’s start by reviewing the anatomy and understanding what’s actually going on with the shoulder.
Why the Shoulder is Complex
The shoulder is a complex joint. You’ve got your arm, your shoulder blade, various muscles, tendons, ligaments, and bones all working together. There are lots of articulations and attachment points, which means there are also many places where things can go wrong.
I like to describe the shoulder as having “backups to your backups.” Your body was designed so that if one part gets injured, other parts can compensate—at least temporarily. But when too many systems get strained, pain begins to set in.
Why We Start With the Neck
At Corrective Spinal Care of California, the first place we look is not the shoulder—it’s the neck. That’s because the nerves that control the shoulder exit from the cervical spine. If you have a pinched nerve at the base of your neck, it can seriously affect your shoulder’s ability to heal.
We’ve had many patients who’ve seen physical therapists, orthopedic doctors, even other chiropractors—receiving injections, exercises, or treatments directly to the shoulder—with no lasting relief. Why? Because they never addressed the cervical spine.
Correcting Body Mechanics
Our care protocol begins with evaluating your posture and alignment. Are you sitting at a computer all day? Are your shoulders slumping forward, your shoulder blades winged, or your head jutting out in front of your body?
To correct this, we focus on:
- Bringing your head upright
- Retracting the shoulder blades back and down
- Restoring proper posture and body mechanics
Fixing these fundamentals often brings dramatic improvement before we even touch the shoulder directly.
The Role of the Muscles
There are many muscles involved in shoulder movement:
- Deltoid
- Trapezius
- Latissimus dorsi
- Pectoralis
And, of course, the rotator cuff—which includes four essential stabilizing muscles in the back of the shoulder.
Modern posture—especially long hours sitting at a computer—causes the shoulders to elevate and roll forward, deactivating the rotator cuff muscles. When these muscles stop working properly, the larger muscles (like the biceps) pick up the slack, often leading to tendonitis or pain in the front of the shoulder.
Our 3-Phase Approach: Align, Lengthen, Strengthen
We address shoulder pain in three phases:
Align: First and foremost, we check for pinched nerves in the neck and restore alignment. This is the most important step.
Lengthen: We then work on flexibility and opening up the rib cage and shoulders. This includes stretching the rotator cuff and surrounding muscles to restore range of motion.
Strengthen: Only after proper alignment and flexibility are restored do we move on to targeted strengthening exercises. These are customized to address the specific weak muscles—not just a general workout.
Hanging: A Simple Daily Exercise
The shoulder is designed to hang—a trait we call brachiation. One of my favorite exercises, both for myself and for patients, is daily hanging. I do a gentle hang for one minute every day.
Recent studies suggest that:
- Men over 40 who can hang for 90 seconds to 2 minutes may experience longer, healthier lives.
- Women who can hang for over 60 seconds also see similar benefits.
- Grip strength is one of the major indicators of longevity. If you can’t hang yet, simply start by raising your arms overhead as a beginner step.
The Brachial Plexus Connection
When treating chronic shoulder issues, we often make specific adjustments at the base of the neck. That’s because the brachial plexus—a major bundle of nerves—originates there and travels down the arm. It controls nearly all shoulder and arm muscles, as well as facilitating blood flow via surrounding arteries and veins.
If this entire region isn’t functioning properly, nerve signals and circulation are compromised. That’s why opening up the neck and shoulder area is vital before chasing symptoms.
Don’t Just Treat the Symptom
Too often, healthcare providers focus on the location of the pain, rather than the source of the problem. If you have numbness in your hand or deep shoulder pain, the real issue might be coming from somewhere else entirely—like your spine.
It’s like stepping on a cat’s tail. The tail doesn’t make the noise—the mouth does. The symptom isn’t always where the problem is.
If you’ve been dealing with shoulder problems, and nothing has worked—or if you simply want to get your shoulders back to where they used to be—reach out to us.
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