Your shoulder is a deceptively complex joint. Thanks to your shoulder, you can move your arm in almost every direction: Up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards, and everything in between. Your arms can do it all. That’s why any work related shoulder injury can dramatically impact your day-to-day life.
Whether caused by overuse, wear and tear, or a traumatic accident, any injury to your shoulder will likely result in pain when you move your arm. Even a minor injury could limit your ability to work or perform everyday tasks. As a result, seeking treatment from a work injury doctor is often strongly recommended.
Your chiropractor or physician will work with you to develop an individualized treatment plan. What this treatment plan looks like will depend on the specifics and severity of your shoulder injury. The chiropractic and physical therapy teams at Diaspo have years of experience treating shoulder injuries in patients. Our teams work hard to help patients get back to work fast.
Work Related Shoulder Injury Types
Injuries to the shoulder often result in pain and loss of mobility. Obviously, this can seriously diminish your ability to perform your work or other daily functions. What was once a matter of routine, like pouring milk on your cereal, may suddenly become impossible.
A work related shoulder injury may occur for a variety of reasons. Some of the most common causes include the following:
- Traumatic injury: Trauma to the shoulder can cause serious pain and damage to the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons of the shoulder. Such injuries may occur due to a collision or an accident with heavy machinery.
- Slips and falls: When you slip and fall, your shoulder will often hit the ground first, taking the full force of the impact. This can cause damage to the joint itself or to the tendons and ligaments around the shoulder.
- Overuse injuries: Many types of work often involve repetitive motions. Whether you’re working on an assembly line, in an office building, or as a cashier at a grocery store, you’re likely doing the same thing day in and day out. This can cause stress on your shoulder–and that stress can add up to an injury over time.
- Poor posture: Many people assume that their posture is good because they do not experience back pain. But the reality is that a posture which doesn’t support your shoulders (or puts pressure on your shoulders) can lead to pain, loss of movement, and injury over time. Some types of work put more pressure on the shoulders than others.
This list is not exhaustive. A work related shoulder injury is relatively common, so the specific circumstances and causes tend to vary.
How to Prevent Shoulder Injuries
Injuries to your shoulder can be painful and force you to miss work. As a result, it’s a good idea to take steps to prevent these injuries where possible. When you are at work, consider:
- Practicing good posture. This will help prevent a wide variety of injuries.
- Following all work safety practices. Often, accidents occur because employees are forced to rush or skip important safety steps. Be sure to follow all best practices.
- Wearing slip resistant shoes. They may not be the most stylish options, but when your shoes have excellent traction, you’ll be much less likely to slip and fall.
- Wearing any necessary protective clothing. Make sure you’re wearing the protective gear you need to keep yourself safe.
- Staying alert: Do not operate heavy machinery when you are fatigued or when you have taken certain medications.
Practicing a little bit of prevention can go a long way in stopping shoulder injuries before they occur. But the reality is that no matter how careful you are, accidents will still sometimes happen and your shoulder could become injured.
How to Treat a Work Related Shoulder Injury
Not all shoulder injuries will require surgery to treat. The best type of treatment will depend on the type of injury you’ve experienced, as well as how severe that injury is. You should consult with a work injury doctor to determine your best treatment course.
Treating Your Injury at Home
Depending on the nature and severity of your injury, your work injury doctor may instruct you to address your injuries at home. At-home treatment may include:
- The use of hot or cold packs: This can help limit swelling and deal with discomfort.
- Over the counter pain medication: In some cases, limited use of over-the-counter pain medication can help you manage pain while your body heals. However, these medications should not be used over a long period of time.
- Stretching and exercise: Depending on your injury, you may be instructed to avoid exercise. But you can always ask your chiropractor about stretches that can help improve the range of motion of your shoulder.
Treatment of Your Shoulder by a Chiropractor
When your injury is too severe for at-home treatments to address, work injury doctors may recommend chiropractic treatment. At Diaspo, we use proven chiropractic techniques and physical therapy practices that can help improve your shoulder’s range of motion, increase your muscle strength, and address your injury. Our goal is to help you heal and get you back to your daily lie.
In many cases, chiropractic treatment and physical therapy can help you heal and recover more quickly. As a result, it’s usually a good idea to visit your chiropractor as soon after your injury as possible. If you require surgical treatment, your chiropractor can refer you to an orthopedic specialist. But it’s possible the right chiropractic treatment can help you avoid surgery.
Get the help you need and contact Diaspo today!
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