Toronto Corrective Chiropractic

890 Yonge St, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario Canada, M4W 3P4  

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dralex@dralexritza.com

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Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto | Shoulder Pain Relief Toronto |

Best Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto | Dr Alex Ritza

Shoulder Pain Relief Toronto | Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto

If you are suffering from shoulder pain and looking for help this guide is for you. If I were looking to find a resource or clinic for shoulder pain relief in Toronto or the best shoulder pain treatment in Toronto I would be looking for a practitioner that has helped hundreds of cases of shoulder issues and someone who is going to do a thorough examination to identify and correct the root cause of your shoulder symptoms.

Best Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto | Dr Alex Ritza
The front of the shoulder shows the humerus (head) in the glenoid fossa of the shoulder blade/scapula. The shoulder is complex because movement is required at the acromioclavicular joint and the glenohumeral joint while the shoulder blade translates and rotates on the rib cage – all at the same time. 17-18 muscles attach to the floating shoulder blade making it a fine orchestra of movers that allow for incredibly complex movements

Perhaps more than any other body part, shoulder symptoms are almost always a symptom of an underlying problem! We rarely find that the location of the pain is the location of the problem! Even when it is, there is usually a more core problem, which causes the shoulder to function poorly and become painful! Below we discuss the main problems of the spine, neck, shoulder blade and shoulder joint that can lead to shoulder pain.

This is not meant to be a comprehensive guide to diagnose and self-treat your case. I want to point you in the right direction with Corrective Exercises and help you know what to look for and ask about when you are looking for shoulder pain relief in Toronto and the best shoulder pain treatment in Toronto.

Exploring Shoulder Anatomy To Find the Cause and Best Shoulder Pain Treatment in Toronto

The shoulder is a marvel of human anatomy, offering an extraordinary range of motion that enables us to perform countless daily activities and complex athletic manoeuvres. To fully appreciate its function and importance, it’s essential to understand the distinct roles of the scapula, the glenohumeral joint, and how spine posture influences shoulder health.

The Scapula: The Shoulder Blade

Shoulder pain relief Toronto | Best Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto
The inside of the shoulder joint shows the small amount of space that the biceps and rotator cuff supraspinatus tendon must travel through. When there is not a lot of space for movement of these tissues, sloppy movement of the shoulder from poor spine, shoulder joint or muscle health can lead to injury – especially impingement syndrome. The subacromial bursa is shown to be irritated in image B

The scapula, or shoulder blade, is a flat, triangular bone located on the upper back. It acts as a crucial anchor for many muscles that facilitate shoulder movement and stability. Key anatomical features of the scapula include:

  • Acromion: The bony projection at the top of the shoulder, forming the highest point.
  • Coracoid Process: A small hook-like structure on the front side of the scapula.
  • Glenoid Cavity: A shallow socket that articulates with the head of the humerus to form the shoulder joint.

The scapula is capable of several important movements:

  • Elevation and Depression: Moving the shoulder blade upward and downward.
  • Protraction and Retraction: Moving the shoulder blade forward around the ribcage and backward towards the spine.
  • Upward and Downward Rotation: Rotating the scapula so the glenoid cavity faces upward or downward, which is essential for raising the arm overhead.
Rib Pain | Dr Alex Ritza | Downtown Toronto Chiropractor
A SHIFTED spinal structure with rounded shoulder blades contributes to “bowing” of the spine and costovertebral joint irritation (shifting). Note the forward tilting and movement of the shoulder blade around the rib cage – this puts the shoulder joint in a compromised position – leaving it at risk of injury

The Glenohumeral Joint: The True Shoulder Joint

The glenohumeral joint is the primary joint of the shoulder, where the head of the humerus fits into the glenoid cavity of the scapula. This ball-and-socket joint allows for an extensive range of movements, making it one of the most mobile joints in the human body. These movements include:

  • Flexion and Extension: Raising the arm forward and moving it backward.
  • Abduction and Adduction: Lifting the arm away from the body and bringing it back towards the body.
  • Internal and External Rotation: Rotating the arm inward towards the body and outward away from the body.
  • Circumduction: A circular motion that combines all the above movements.

The stability of the glenohumeral joint is maintained by the rotator cuff muscles, a group of four muscles that surround the joint, as well as ligaments and the labrum, a ring of cartilage that deepens the socket.

The Influence of Spine Posture on the Shoulder

Spine posture, particularly the alignment and mobility of the thoracic spine (mid-back), plays a significant role in shoulder function. Poor posture, such as a rounded upper back, can lead to several issues:

  • Altered Scapular Position: Poor thoracic posture can cause the scapulae to tilt and protract, affecting the mechanics of the shoulder and reducing the efficiency of arm movements.
  • Reduced Range of Motion: Limited thoracic extension restricts the ability to perform overhead activities, as the shoulder relies on proper spinal alignment for full mobility.
  • Increased Risk of Injury: Compensatory movements due to poor posture can lead to overuse injuries, shoulder impingements, and rotator cuff problems.
Rib Pain |
The rib joints / costovertebral joints. These, and the muscles and nerves that surround them, are what people complain about when they say they have a “rib out”

The Costovertebral or Rib Joints

The joints between the ribs and the spine must move well for the shoulder to be healthy. Poor movement of irritation of these joints can alter the kinematics (movement) of the shoulder and can affect nerve signalling to and from the shoulder. This can lead to pain, weakness, spasm and a host of other underlying issues.

When you are trying to manage your shoulder issues or looking for shoulder pain relief in Toronto, be sure to find someone who can help you understand the anatomy involved in your problem. The best shoulder pain treatment in Toronto should focus on the spine, rib cage, shoulder joint, scapula and all the muscles that attach to it.

What Is The Cause of My Shoulder Pain

The shoulder is one of the most versatile and complex structures in the human body, allowing for an incredible range of motion and playing a vital role in numerous activities. To understand how the shoulder functions, it’s essential to differentiate the anatomy and roles of the scapula, the glenohumeral (shoulder) joint, and the influence of the spine and its posture on

Best Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto
The back of the shoulder blade floating on the rib cage and the rotator cuff muscles: infraspinatus, teres minor and supraspinatus. The rotator cuff is not actually a primary mover of the shoulder but rather a stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint. It acts like a suction cup that holds the shoulder joint together during movement

shoulder health. Finding shoulder pain relief in Toronto requires finding the root cause of your shoulder pain. The most important thing to understand is that shoulder pain is usually a symptom of dysfunctional muscles, nerves, and joints that culminate in altered shoulder function. The painful symptoms are just that – a symptom that your body is not working properly.

When assessing a patient’s shoulder I break down shoulder pain and problems into 6 potential Core Problems that could be the cause or contribute to shoulder symptoms.
These five points of assessment in our NeuroStructural Examination include:
  1. The Spine Structure and Posture
  2. The Neuroanatomy of the shoulder: The nerves of the neck and upper back are ultimately the transmission lines for pain and control the shoulder’s movement by transmitting electrical signals from the brain to the shoulder
  3. The joints of the thoracic spine and rib cage. Poor movement of the costovertebral or rib-spine joints will place greater movement demands on the shoulder. Irritation of the rib joints can lead to muscle pain and spasms. This can cause pain at the inner border or under that shoulder blade that can spread to more areas of the shoulder when very acute.
  4. The rotator cuff: The supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis act like a suction cup that holds the arm in the shoulder socket. When they become diseased they can become a source of shoulder pain and will lead to altered movement, function and performance of the shoulder.
  5. The Scapula. The scapula must move freely and in a controlled manner for the shoulder to work properly. When one raises their arm overhead, for instance, the shoulder blade can contribute up to 50 of the total range of movement of the shoulder complex
  6. The Movers Of The Shoulder. The 17 or 18 (depends on how you count) muscles that attach to the scapula, including the aforementioned rotator cuff muscles can be both a cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction – often acting in a cyclical pattern. A good assessment should take note of them all.

The Yorkville Chiropractor That Specializes In Shoulder Pain Relief in Toronto

This is a non-exhaustive list of some of the issues we see most often as causes of shoulder dysfunction and pain.
Rotator cuff dysfunction. Spasm, weakness and/or tearing of the rotator cuff will alter movement in the glenohumeral joint and the humerus with not move properly on the glenoid fossa of the scapula. The term we use for this is “centration” or rather a lack thereof – the head of the humerus should ideally remain centred in the shoulder joint.
Pain from the infraspinatus and teres minor making up the back rotator cuff will typically be localized to the surface of the shoulder blade and can cause a sharp or dull ache on the back, side and sometimes the front of the upper arm – not usually passed the upper half of the humerus. Try this stretch
If you get sharp pain of very achy, especially with raising the arm overhead or in a push-up position, that feels like it is at the top of the shoulder or travels in a line down the front-outer shoulder not passed the upper-half of the arm, this is often the supraspinatus. 
If you are looking for more information of about rotator cuff tears and if you should get an MRI watch or read this.
Below is the ultimate rotator cuff Rehab Guide that is great for supraspinatus issues
Best Shoulder Pain Treatment Toronto | Rotator Cuff Rehab Toronto
Costovertebral joints that are irritated or are causing local muscle and nerve irritatoin are usually felt as a stiffness, ache or occasionally sharp and sometimes shooting pain under or on the inside of the shoulder blade. When a patient says that they have a rib out or pain under their shoulder blade, these joints are usually involved.
Shoulder Pain Relief Toronto | Rib joint pain relief toronto
Click here for the best rib joint pain relief exercises in Toronto

We rarely find that the nerves of the nerve cause shoulder pain in isolation. However, it is VERY rare to assess a case with a shoulder complaint that does not have a neck problem on the same side. If you press hard on the outermost part of the side of your neck and pain travels to the shoulder, that is a strong sign that your neck is directly contributing to and maybe even causing your shoulder issues. If there is a problem with the neck that is affecting the shoulder, your practitioner should be assessing the entire spine! Make sure that if you are looking for shoulder pain relief in Toronto that your doctor is assessing your neck to see if there is a problem!

What do I do about my shoulder pain?

Book a Complimentary Case Review with us to learn more about our unique NeuroStructural Restoration Process. If you want to go it yourself then we encourage you to try using these Corrective Exercise resources that we share with our patients. We have helped hundreds of people looking for the best shoulder treatment in Toronto get relief by addressing their underlying problem – and we would love to help you too!

 

 

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