Physical Therapy Services
Shoulder Pain
Restoring comfortable, functional shoulder movement.
Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain is a very common condition that affects almost half of the U.S. population. Most patients feel some sort of pain, a limited range of motion, an inability to engage in activities of daily living, or something more serious such as a permanent disability. We work with you to find the cause and restore comfortable movement.
How This Works
How shoulder pain care works at Omega Physical Therapy
The shoulder trades stability for range: it moves further than any other joint in the body, and it depends on the rotator cuff and the shoulder blade to keep the ball centered while it does. Shoulder pain therefore has to be traced to a mechanism, not a spot — which structure is irritated, what movement provokes it, and what the shoulder blade and neck are contributing.
The evaluation is one-on-one with Dr. Dmitry Shestakovsky, DPT and tests range of motion, strength and the specific movements that reproduce your symptoms, including overhead and behind-the-back positions. Treatment combines manual and soft-tissue techniques with therapeutic rehabilitation, and progresses from restoring movement toward loading the cuff and shoulder-blade muscles in the positions you actually need.
What to Expect
One-on-One Care, Built Around You
Shoulders are usually a range-of-motion problem before they are a strength problem, so the order of a plan matters here more than most.
Evaluation
Active and passive range of motion, rotator-cuff and shoulder-blade strength testing, and a screen of the neck and upper back — referred pain from the neck is a common reason a shoulder does not respond to shoulder treatment.
Hands-on treatment
Manual therapy to the shoulder and shoulder blade and soft-tissue work to the surrounding muscles, aimed at what the assessment identified as restricted or irritable.
Your home program
A staged program, usually beginning with gentle range-of-motion work and adding loaded rotator-cuff and scapular exercise as movement allows, plus advice on sleeping position and which overhead activities to modify for now.
Follow-up and review
Range and strength are re-measured as you go, and the exercises are progressed when the shoulder is ready rather than on a fixed schedule.
Benefits
What shoulder pain care is used for
Physical therapy is individualized, and what any plan involves depends on your evaluation. These are the situations this kind of care is commonly used to address at our Brooklyn office.
- Addressing shoulder pain and a limited range of motion
- Difficulty with activities of daily living that need the arm overhead or behind the back — dressing, reaching a shelf, washing hair
- Rebuilding rotator-cuff and shoulder-blade strength after a period of guarding or disuse
- Shoulder symptoms in people who lift, throw, swim or work with their arms above shoulder height
Common Questions
Shoulder Pain FAQs
Does shoulder therapy hurt?
Restoring movement to a stiff or irritable shoulder involves working near the edge of what it will do, so there is often some discomfort in the session and afterwards. It should stay within what you can tolerate and settle down again — sharp or lasting pain is a signal to change what is being done, so say so at the time.
How long does shoulder rehabilitation take?
It varies a great deal with what is wrong and how long it has been going on, and no honest estimate is possible before an evaluation. Dr. Shestakovsky will talk through a plan with you once he has examined the shoulder, and reviews it as your range and strength change.
I have already had a scan. Should I bring it?
Yes — bring any imaging report, referral or surgical note you have. It is useful context, and it is read alongside the physical examination rather than in place of it.
What should I wear?
A t-shirt, vest or something with sleeves that move easily, so the shoulder and shoulder blade can be seen and reached without changing.
Is it covered by my insurance?
Omega Physical Therapy welcomes insurance and will do everything it can to help you receive as many benefits from your plan as possible. Because there are so many different plans and coverage options, the office cannot give a definite answer in advance — a copy of your insurance card is taken at your appointment so your coverage can be estimated. Cash, checks, debit cards and most major credit cards are also accepted. Call (718) 996-9929 with your plan details and the front desk will talk it through with you.
Have a question that is not here? Call (718) 996-9929 and we will answer it.
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