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Physical Therapy For Shoulder PainRaleigh-Durham, Fayetteville & Surrounding North Carolina Cities

A physical therapist can offer one of the most effective treatments for shoulder pain of all types. It is almost always a step in the recovery process after a shoulder injury or surgery. It is important for the shoulder joint and the shoulder blade to be functioning the right way to avoid pain. Our highly trained physical therapists at BreakThrough Physical Therapy will comprehensively assess your shoulder pain and instruct in a thorough treatment plan to ease your symptoms and restore your normal shoulder function!

Shoulder Pain and Common Causes

Shoulder pain occurs from a variety of causes. The shoulder joint, or glenohumeral joint, is supported by many ligaments, tendons, and muscles. When these structures are damaged, strained, or not working properly, the shoulder joint will not move the correct way. This can cause pain and dysfunction over time. Common diagnoses that physical therapists treat are rotator cuff tears, impingement, shoulder osteoarthritis, labral tears, shoulder dislocations, shoulder replacements, and many more. Each of these problems can happen gradually from overuse or suddenly from an injury.

Exercises to Help with Shoulder Discomfort

Our physical therapists will guide you through a program to provide you shoulder pain relief. This will typically include exercises to restore range of motion in the initial phases of rehabilitation, followed by exercises to activate and strengthen the surrounding muscles of your shoulder including the rotator cuff and muscles that attach to your shoulder blade. Your therapist may add gentle stretching to restore muscle length in the area and recommend modalities like ice and heat application to accelerate the healing process.

When to Seek a Physical Therapist

Anyone who has shoulder pain from an injury or overuse will benefit from seeing a physical therapist, and as early as possible! There is risk in waiting for treatment due to the potential worsening of symptoms, stiffness, and poor motion of the shoulder. If you are having shoulder pain from any cause, even if you do not have a diagnosis, our physical therapists will conduct an examination and guide you through a thorough exercise plan that fits into your schedule.

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Shoulder Pain Treatment Locations

Frequently Asked Questions

  • If we are asking you to do something that is hurting too much, let us know! Physical therapy should not be severely painful. It is not common to be so sore that patients are in pain or it affects their daily life. If this ever happens during or after an appointment, let us know and we will adapt your program.

  • We recommend budgeting 40-60 minutes for a typical therapy session. The only exception to this will be your first visit, which can take about 20 minutes longer due to the physical therapy evaluation your therapist will provide. We also recommend showing up about 10-15 minutes early to your first visit. This way, you can complete the paperwork before your visit time and streamline the process.

  • A physical therapy visit lasts about 40-60 minutes. The actual contents of the visit vary based on your diagnosis/need, but typically what happens is:

    1. You check in with the receptionist, make any appointments necessary, and we discuss your health insurance benefits with you.
    2. You go into the gym. You can change clothes if you need to, then begin therapy.
    3. You perform 6-8 various exercises and stretches. These can include therapeutic band exercises, light body weight exercises, or minimal weights. The stretches will promote strength, stability, improved range of motion, and pain relief.
    4. We can initiate other techniques to include manual work, taping, cupping, and dry needling as needed.
    5. The therapist makes recommendations based on your progress. These can include altering the frequency of visits, making additions/alterations to your home exercise plan, or things to do before your next visit.

  • During your initial evaluation, your therapist may ask you a number of questions to determine what the cause of your pain is. This can include questions about your sleep habits, activity level, and work environment. They will also ask for a medical history, and then typically ask direct questions about where and when you experience pain.

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People in Raleigh-Durham, Fayetteville & Surrounding North Carolina Cities Trust BreakThrough

Hear from patients that reclaimed their lives.

Working with Pierce and the team at Breakthrough Sports Performance has been a major help to our at Athletes at Liberty Soccer Academy. Their knowledge and professionalism is top class.

5 stars

Andrew Bradham

Wonderful staff, very helpful, competent and professional. They listen to what I say and are working with me to meet my goal.

5 stars

Barbara E.

BreakThrough PT Patient

I started working with Breakthrough Sports Performance to help with my back. I was unable to play two rounds in a row but after participating in the golf fitness class I can now play as often as I can without pain. The simple process of a physical assessment, swing assessment and KVest evaluation narrowed down the root cause of the injury and through exercises and drills we were able to fix it.

5 stars

Brian

After just 4 visits...I feel like a brand new person. Before, I could barely walk for 15 minutes without my back screaming in pain. Now I'm zooming through therapy and going on walks at home.

5 stars

Christy F.

BreakThrough PT Patient

I couldn't have wished for a better place to go for my knee replacement therapy! They know what they are doing to get you back in the swing of things so you can go on with your life!

5 stars

Gene O.

BreakThrough PT Patient

Amazing service. They have gone out of their way to call and follow up with me while doing my at-home exercises. Highly recommend.

5 stars

Josh F.

BreakThrough PT Patient

Coach Pierce has been a great asset to our program. His understanding of building the athlete from a fundamental level is of huge benefit to our athletes. Every athlete feels like they are getting the most out of each training session to improve their individual events.

5 stars

Lorin Collins

I discovered Breakthrough Sports Performance due to an ankle injury. They were able to see within the first 24 hours which greatly improved my recovery time. They provided me with the right physical therapy and treatment needed to get me back on the court faster. Because of the knowledgeable coaches/trainers, and the excellent facilities, I have continued going to Breakthrough Sports Performance to workout, and I feel like I am stronger than I was before my ankle injury!

5 stars

Karsen Corbett

We rate BreakThrough Physical Therapy a 10; we are extremely happy! After having received excellent PT in the past, we had no doubt this was the only place we would trust with our son's recovery. The warm, welcoming environment makes it a comfortable place to receive therapy. This puts him at ease allowing for the most effective treatment. Thank you!

5 stars

Mary Y.

BreakThrough PT Patient

BreakThrough Sports Performance has been a tremendous help in the development of the ACS U13 Girls Volleyball team. Just a few short weeks of training you can clearly see the positive impact it has had on their bodies and their approach to the importance of training!

5 stars

Scott Shepard

My husband was skeptical of my choice to use physical therapy to treat my back pain instead of medications. After seeing my results from working with the BreakThrough Physical Therapy team, my husband is a believer now too.

5 stars

Tiffany B.

BreakThrough PT Patient

Thank you so much! I love you guys and the care I received!

5 stars

Zoe

BreakThrough PT Patient

Ready to reclaim your life? BreakThrough is here to help.

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