The shoulder is a complex structure. It is not just where the arm bone meets the shoulder blade. There is an entire ‘shoulder complex’ or shoulder girdle that needs to be considered when evaluating the shoulder.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the human body. To create all of this mobility all of the muscles, bones, ligaments, and tendons work together. These structures provide the shoulder with an extreme range of motion. They also provide stability to the shoulder in all these motions.
There are a lot of things moving parts in a fully functional shoulder. This is similar to all the spokes of a bicycle wheel. The spokes work together to provide support to the rim and tire so you can enjoy a smooth bike ride.
When one part of the shoulder becomes injured or irritated, it can affect the rest of the shoulder complex. Just like if a spoke or two of a wheel becomes damaged, the entire rim is compromised. If you fix the broken spoke but don’t address the damaged rim, you are still left with a wheel that doesn’t work very well.
- Rotator Cuff Strain
- Rotator Cuff Tears
- Labrum tear
- SLAP Lesion
- Shoulder Impingement
- Tendinopathy/ Tendinitis
- Bursitis
- Frozen Shoulder (Adhesive Capsulitis)
- Biceps tendon inflammation