Bursitis or tendonitis?
We need our shoulders daily. Shoulder problems can be very hampering and affect your daily activities. In many cases, the diagnosis of bursitis or tendinitis is made. Anti-inflammatories and injections usually have only a limited and temporary effect.

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The causes of shoulder pain
Although the diagnoses of bursitis or tendinitis are usually correct, it is important to realize that inflammation does not just happen.

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Shoulder problems are often the result of the following:

poor (work) posture;
one-sided activities;
overuse;
trauma.

Abnormal movements
The above factors cause people to move their shoulders abnormally. The joints go "off the rails," so to speak, the tension on muscles changes, and some structures in the shoulder become pinched or rub along each other. This can eventually cause pain and even inflammation. Bursitis and tendonitis result from shoulder problems, not the primary cause.

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Treating the cause, not the effect
One of the things the chiropractor will do with shoulder problems is a careful movement examination to determine the cause of the complaints. This includes a very explicit look at the neck and upper back, as these areas significantly influence the shoulders. The chiropractor has a wide range of specific techniques to correct the movements of the spine and shoulders. Often this is also supported with targeted exercises. When the shoulders move correctly again, and tendons or bursas are thus no longer pinched, the inflammations will 'disappear' by themselves.

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With shoulder problems, the chiropractor looks beyond the local inflammation in the shoulders. The treatment aims to combat not only the symptom but also the cause.