Shoulder pain can be incredibly debilitating. Whether the discomfort is in the front, top, or back of the joint, it can be incredibly difficult to get away from. Without the right intervention, this pain can linger for months, sometimes even years. At Fortitude Sports Therapy, I have treated hundreds of people suffering from chronic shoulder pain and the systemic inflammation that follows.
The results speak for themselves: on average, I am able to help most people feel over 50% better after a single session. You might ask, how is this possible? The answer lies in understanding muscular imbalance and how it drives inflammation.
The Myth of the “Bad Shoulder”
Most shoulder pain and dysfunction come from a muscular imbalance. These imbalances pull our shoulders out of their natural position, putting unnecessary strain on the joint. Have you ever noticed that it is extremely rare for both shoulders to hurt at the same time?
This is because a muscular imbalance typically pulls the body out of alignment, making one shoulder work harder or become more stabilized than the other. This leads to a “tug-of-war” effect: one side is overworked and riddled with inflammation, while the other side lacks the stability to function correctly.
A Case Study in Structural Correction
I just saw a client last week who had spent three months in physical therapy, received multiple injections from her doctor, and had several practitioners look at her shoulder. Despite all that, the inflammation and restricted motion remained.
On our very first session, she was able to move her shoulder without pain for the first time in months. What is even crazier is that we achieved this increased range of motion and pain relief without even touching her shoulders. In fact, I didn’t touch anything above her waist.
We worked together to get her hips and lower spine into a better position. Because the hips are the foundation of the spine, correcting their alignment helped massively correct her shoulder position. By shifting the structural load, the localized inflammation began to subside, allowing her to move her arm above her head for the first time in months.
Stability for the Future
Once the structural “block” was removed, we worked further into her upper back and shoulders to establish even more stability. This ensures that the injured shoulder stays protected and the inflammation stays at bay during her future workouts.
Our body is an amazing design. Seeing how quickly it can flourish and heal from inflammation when given the correct stimulus is exactly why I do what I do.
Another Story: Dennis and a Life Restored
In my career, I have seen thousands of cases, but I will never forget Dennis. I worked with him all the way back in 2007. Dennis was a retired lumber mill owner from Canada, and he was about to become a grandparent for the first time.
Decades of owning and operating his mill meant that, to save on costs, Dennis often skipped the extra hands and did the heavy lifting himself. Years of that brutal labor had thrashed both of his shoulders to the point where he could barely lift his arms.
The Heart Behind the Healing
Dennis didn’t come to see me to get back to the gym or to fix a sports injury. His desire was much more personal:
- He wanted to build cribs and rocking chairs for his grandchildren.
- Most of all, he wanted to be able to hold those grandchildren without pain.
When you have spent a lifetime in a “tug-of-war” with heavy machinery and lumber, your body develops deep-seated muscular imbalances. In Dennis’s case, the constant strain had led to chronic inflammation and a massive loss of functionality in his rotator cuffs and upper back.
Reestablishing Balance and Functionality
We got to work on his tired, overworked shoulders. By using targeted clinical massage to release the muscles that were essentially “locked” in a state of protection, we were able to shift his structural alignment. We cleared the metabolic waste and inflammation that had been sitting in those joints for years.
The results were life-changing. After our sessions, Dennis was finally able to lift his arms above his head with no pain for the first time in decades.
A Legacy Restored
The end of the story is the reason I do what I do. Dennis went on to build those cribs and rocking chairs with his own two hands. Even better, he was able to hold his grandbabies to his heart’s content.
Decades later, I still think of Dennis. Helping others reestablish strength, balance, and functionality in their lives is my passion. Whether you are an athlete in Nashville or someone like Dennis who just wants to hold their family, my goal is the same: to help your dreams come true by fixing the source of your pain.
Why Choose Fortitude for Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain doesn’t have to be a permanent sentence. Even if you have “thrashed” your joints like Dennis did, our bodies are capable of incredible recovery when given the correct stimulus. Through specialized massage and structural resets, we can calm the inflammation and get you back to what matters most.
If you are tired of treating the symptoms and are ready to address the source of your inflammation, it is time for a different approach. By using kinesiology to look at your body as a whole, we don’t just provide a temporary massage; we provide a structural reset.
Stop managing shoulder pain and start correcting it. Visit Fortitude Sports Therapy in Nashville to get your body back in balance.