Shoulder Pain

Chronic shoulder pain is a very common complaint. The shoulder is the most freely movable joint in our body. Because of its range of movement, it is an unstable joint. It’s easily injured because the ball of the upper arm barely fits in the shoulder socket designed to hold it.

For stability, the shoulder is anchored by ligaments, tendons and muscles. Some shoulder problems arise from injury of these soft tissues as a result of overuse or weakness of the shoulder. Other problems are degenerative. The tissues break down and no longer function well. Common causes of shoulder pain include:

• Shoulder tendonitis - brought on when the tendons that control the shoulder joint’s movement become inflamed. This is the result of overuse, misuse or injury of the shoulder muscles, and is quite common.
• Rotator cuff tear - a tear that occurs in a shoulder tendon as a result of overuse or injury.
• Frozen Shoulder - may begin as tendonitis, a rotator cuff tear or another chronic pain process in the shoulder. It literally means a shoulder that cannot move.
• Arthritis - shoulder joint pain caused by degeneration or inflammation.

Elbow Pain

The elbow is a hinge joint that opens and closes like a door and also rotates like a screwdriver. It is frequently injured in sports and other activities that place a lot of repetitive stress on the arm. Elbow joint pain can be caused by bursitis, arthritis or a trapped nerve. Elbow tendonitis comes from chronically inflamed tendons controlling the elbow joint. Two types of elbow tendonitis are common :

• Tennis elbow - the large tendons that attach to the outside of the elbow from the forearm become inflamed.
• Golfer's elbow - the large tendons that attach to the inside of the elbow from the forearm become inflamed.

When addressing chronic shoulder and elbow pain, the Feldenkrais Method considers:

• The shoulder and elbow both share the long bone of the arm; any deviation of shoulder function will affect the elbow.
• The shoulder and elbow have to relate well to one another and to the rest of the body to prevent excessive strain. For example, the shoulder blade may no longer glide easily along the rib cage, thus straining the entire arm and elbow each time the shoulder moves.

The Feldenkrais Method approach to your chronic pain assumes that pain relief is the result of optimizing the function of the shoulder and elbow. The system is addressed as a whole and therapy involves the whole body, including feldenkrais exercises. Our approach to treatment will quickly and effectively relieve your pain and prevent your injury from returning. You can expect relief from the very first session.

Call Lori Malkoff, MD for a free phone consultation.