Therapy for shoulder impingement

Due to the insufficient musculature in the case of shoulder impingement, physiotherapy is therefore always the first choice as a conservative therapy. This allows the muscles to be strengthened in a targeted manner. Massages can ease tension and reduce pain.

Manual therapy can also relieve the joint by gently pulling on the shoulder. As a result, structures between the head of the humerus and the acromion are given more space again. In many cases, the therapy proves to be successful, but it can last a long time and should be carried out regularly.

In the case of shoulder impingement, however, other therapy options are also possible or can be added. These include pain-relieving medication and protection of the joint. Protection in the case of shoulder impingement includes, for example, preventing work above the head or avoiding sports involving overhead movements with the arm (e.g. tennis or handball).

In many cases, conservative therapy is sufficient and can achieve good results. However, if the success is lacking and the pain cannot be minimized, surgery can be performed. You will find comprehensive information on this topic in the article “Shoulder Impingement Syndrome Pain”.

Causes of shoulder impingement

If the head of the upper arm is no longer held in the socket and presses against the acromion, this is due to the lack of stabilization provided by the rotator cuff, since the shoulder joint is mainly held by ligaments and muscles during movements. But why does this lack of stability occur at all? Causes are overloading of the musculature due to sports or working overhead. This can lead to degenerative processes in the muscles and/or overloading. However, other causes such as calcium deposits or trauma can also lead to shoulder impingement.

Operation for shoulder impingement

There are various surgical methods that can be used for shoulder impingement. Minimally invasive arthroscopy is one of the gentler and more common ones. This allows the doctor to insert the instruments for the operation through small skin openings.

By inserting a camera, he can also view the joint from the inside and thus decide on the further procedure. If tendons are ruptured, they can be sutured together again or disturbing bone protrusions can be ground off. This is decided depending on the findings of the shoulder impingement. The advantage of this surgical method is that only small skin openings are necessary. This minimizes the risk of infection and healing can be faster.