Filed under: Shoulder and Upper Back Pain

Posted on: November 25, 2023 1:06 am

Pain around the shoulder blade (parascapulae pain) is a common complaint we see in the clinic. Common causes are: Spinal facet joint sprains, muscular strains, referred pain from a neck spine disk problem, repetitive or overuse issues, postural strain or even tension related issues. Obviously more serious issues like heart referred pain, insufficiency fractures etc. can be a cause but are generally less common.

As Osteopaths our job is to discuss with patients potential causes, nature of pain, location, severity, time of onset, possible contributing factors as well as perform orthopaedic examinations and testing including palpation to try and develop a working diagnosis and/or be more confident there are not any sinister ailments at play. If required we can refer for imaging or to other professionals, however most of the time we treat using a variety of techniques including but not limited to soft tissue massage, active/passive stretching, spinal joint manipulation, exercise prescription, joint mobilisations and more. I would say we generally have a high level of success in treating this problem so if experiencing pain around the shoulder don’t hesitate to come and see one of us Burleigh Osteopathic. By: Paul Milne (Osteopath)