SHOULDERVoltex Physical Therapy · North Austin
Shoulder pain when you press, pull, swim or reach overhead? A Doctor of Physical Therapy at our North Austin clinic finds the cause and treats it one-on-one.
Most clients feel a difference within the first few visits.
The short answer
Shoulder pain is one of the most common joint complaints in adults, right behind back and neck pain. Most of it comes from an overloaded rotator cuff or tendon, a stiff joint or poor shoulder blade control, not something that needs surgery.
At our North Austin clinic, physical therapy finds what’s driving your shoulder pain, calms it with hands-on care, then rebuilds rotator cuff and shoulder blade strength so you can lift, swim and reach overhead again.
Understand your pain
The 6 most common causes we treat at our North Austin clinic, and the signs of each one.
Feels like: an ache on the outside of the upper arm with lifting, reaching or sleeping on that side.
Often caused by: more pressing, pulling, swimming or overhead work than the tendon is ready for.
Feels like: pain plus weakness lifting the arm, sometimes after a fall or a heavy lift, sometimes slowly over time.
Often caused by: a tendon that tears with an injury or wears over the years. Many tears do well with physical therapy.
Feels like: a pinch or catch in the front or side of the shoulder as you raise your arm.
Often caused by: an irritated rotator cuff or bursa, often with weak cuff or shoulder blade muscles.
Feels like: deep clicking, catching or pain in the joint, often with overhead or throwing movements.
Often caused by: repeated overhead load in throwers, swimmers and lifters, or a fall onto an outstretched arm.
Feels like: slowly getting stiffer and more painful until reaching up or behind your back is hard.
Often caused by: a thickened, tight joint capsule, often with no clear injury and more common in people with diabetes.
Feels like: pain on top of the shoulder with bench press, dips or reaching across your body.
Often caused by: a sprain from a fall onto the shoulder or wear on the joint from heavy pressing.
Sound familiar?
Pain or tingling running down the arm? It can start in the neck. See neck pain treatment in Austin. Pain at the elbow too? See elbow, wrist & hand pain treatment.
What the research says
For shoulder impingement, decompression surgery worked no better than a placebo operation at 6 months.
34% of people with no shoulder pain had a rotator cuff tear on MRI, and 54% of those over 60.
About 3 in 4 people with a non-traumatic rotator cuff tear did well with physical therapy and avoided surgery at 2 years.
Your plan at Voltex
Every visit is one-on-one with a Doctor of Physical Therapy for the full session at our North Austin clinic.
A 75-minute evaluation of your shoulder, shoulder blade, neck and upper back, plus how you press, pull and reach.
Manual therapy, joint mobilization and dry needling to ease pain and restore motion.
Rotator cuff and shoulder blade strength for lifting, swimming and overhead sport.
A home plan plus training and technique changes that last.
