PRO Therapy

Minneapolis Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation

Shoulder Pain Relief

Shoulder pain symptoms are tough and stressful. Lack of mobility may lead to increasing problems with instability or impingement which really just means – increased pain. So many shoulder conditions can be aggravated by specific everyday activities we do, and also relieved by specific activities, so connecting with a physical therapist at PRO Therapy as soon as you’re noticing restrictions or pain is an important step in your road to recovery.

Shoulder Pain Causes

We want to help you get to the root cause of your shoulder pain. A full assessment is key to telling us which cause is impacting you most. Here’s a list of some shoulder pain causes you may be experiencing:

  • Pain, swelling or stiffness around the shoulder
  • Decreased range of motion 
  • Weakness with movement or inability to move the shoulder
  • Disruption with your sleep

Rotator Cuff Injury

This is most often caused by progressive wear and tear of the tendon tissue over time. Pain associated with a rotator cuff injury can be described as a dull ache deep in the shoulder making it difficult to do everyday tasks.

Broken Bone

Also known as a shoulder fracture is a partial or complete break in one of the shoulder bones. Shoulder fractures are common to the collarbone, upper arm and shoulder blade. This can cause pain, swelling, bruising, and limited mobility in the shoulder.

Torn Tendon

Caused by repetitive overhead activity or heavy lifting that irritates or weakens the tendon.

Shoulder Impingement

When the tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder are pinched, passing between the top of the upper arm and tip of the shoulder. Impingement can lead to bursitis and tendinitis and cause you pain while limiting your movements.

Dislocated Shoulder

This happens when the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket and in some cases can become chronic. Once the ligaments, tendons and muscles around your shoulder become loose or torn, dislocations can become more frequent.

Shoulder Conditions We Treat

At PRO Therapy, we specialize in treating a wide range of shoulder conditions. Click on the right for more information pertaining to each condition.

Here’s a more complete list. If you aren’t sure what’s causing your shoulder pain, give us a call!
  • Chronic Muscle Tension
  • Degenerative Joint Disease
  • Dislocated Shoulder
  • Shoulder Fractures
  • Labrum Tear
  • Torn Rotator Cuff
  • Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
  • Scapular Dyskinesia / Winging
  • Shoulder Arthritis
  • Shoulder Impingement
  • Sprained Shoulder
  • Shoulder Stiffness
Bursitis

Occurs when there is swelling and redness between the top of the arm bone and the tip of the shoulder. The most common cause of bursitis is injury or overuse.

Tendonitis

Shoulder tendinitis, also known as rotator cuff tendonitis, is when inflammation pinches or traps the tendons against bones, such as the top of bone in the shoulder.

Frozen Shoulder

Also called adhesive capsulitis, is a condition that limits movement in the shoulder joint. It causes pain and stiffness that over time limits your shoulder movement.

Biceps Tendinitis/Tendinosis

This condition occurs when the tendon around the biceps muscle is inflamed or irritated. This is typically described as deep aches and pains within the shoulder that may worsen when the arm is lifted over the head.

Arthritis

Arthritis in the shoulder joint is a condition that occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint wears down, causing inflammation. This results in pain, stiffness, swelling, reduced range of motion to name a few.

Post Surgical Rehabilitation

The most common shoulder surgeries include rotator cuff repair, total shoulder replacement, bankart repair, fractures, frozen shoulder, SLAP repair, to name a few. We are experts in assisting both pre and postoperative success.

Shoulder Pain Treatment Techniques

Our team of physical therapists, all fully licensed Doctors of Physical Therapy, have a bunch of tricks up their sleeves to provide shoulder pain relief and get you moving again:

Manual Therapy

Joint mobilization

We use gentle movements to restore normal joint mechanics and reduce stiffness.

Soft tissue mobilization

We also use techniques like massage and myofascial release to release tension in muscles and fascia.

Trigger point therapy

We provide targeted pressure to alleviate muscle tension and improve function.

Shoulder Treatment Techniques

Cupping

Cupping involves placing cups on your skin to create suction to improve blood flow, ease muscle tension, and promote healing.

Dry Needling

This therapy uses needles to release knotted muscles or trigger points. Sometimes accompanied by electrical stimulation, using carefully controlled electrical pulses to ease muscle tension and dial down pain.

Kinesiotaping

Kinesiotaping supports and stabilizes muscles and joints using a specialized elastic tape. It’s applied directly to the skin over muscles or joints in specific patterns to provide support without restricting movement.

Graston Technique

Therapists use stainless steel instruments to find and work out tight spots and scar tissue in your muscles, tendons, and ligaments.

Therapeutic Interventions

Functional Training

We pay special attention to simulating real-life movements to improve overall function and performance.

Custom Rehab Programs

We create personalized rehab plans to strengthen your muscles, boost your flexibility, and restore function.

Activity modification and return to sport

We help you carefully and gradually progress your activity level to reduce the risk of re-injury.

Ready to Ditch the Discomfort?

If you’re fed up with shoulder pain holding you back, it’s time to reach out. Our team is ready and waiting to help you kick that ache to the curb and get back to living your best life. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step towards a healthier, happier you.

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The PRO Therapy Difference

At PRO Therapy, our goal is to empower you to live a pain-free life by addressing the root causes of your shoulder pain and providing comprehensive treatment tailored to your unique needs.

If you’re suffering from shoulder pain and stiffness, it’s easy to hope that it will go away on its own. You might think you just slept awkwardly, or it’s just a spasm, or that everyone your age has shoulder pain.

If you’re experiencing pain and don’t know what caused it, everything you’ve tried isn’t working and you’re fed up – you’ve come to the right place.

The difference between seeing one of our physical therapists and seeing your primary care doctor or another type of provider is that a Doctor of Physical Therapy is more specialized in assessing causes of pain and stiffness.

In just a couple of sessions, we can often dial down your pain and stiffness and get you feeling better fast.

Root Cause Sleuths

We’re not satisfied until we’ve delved deep to uncover the underlying source of your shoulder issues.

Energy Boost

Chronic pain can be a real energy drain. We’ll help you get your pep back by tackling that discomfort head-on.

Surgery Avoidance

Nobody wants to go under the knife if they don’t have to. We’ll do everything we can to help you sidestep surgery and invasive treatments.

Enhanced Mobility

Say goodbye to braces—our goal is to boost your joint flexibility, range of motion, and balance for confident, pain-free movement.

Injury Prevention

Armed with valuable strategies, we equip you to prevent both further and future shoulder injuries.

Get the FREE Report

These 10 quick, easy steps can help end shoulder pain and problems, all from the comfort of your own home. We highly recommend scheduling a consultation with a physical therapist.

Hear From Our Patients

Check out these reviews from other people in pain just like you who came to see the physical therapy team at PRO Therapy – and left much healthier and happier.