Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Impingement can be defined as a trapping of the soft tissues in the subacromial space, between the acromion and the humeral head. The entrapment of the soft tissues when moving the shoulder may lead to a painful reaction. Athletes, including tennis players, swimmers, throwers, and weightlifters, who make repetitive movements of the arms above the horizontal plan, are at risk of developing this painful condition.
Causes
- Mechanical attrition of the tendon against the under surface of the anterior acromion
- Relative decrease in the size of the supraspinatus outlet due to instability of the glenohumeral joint
- Degenerative changes within the rotator cuff tendons
Symptoms and Diagnosis
- When the arm is used for overhead activities and is lifted above the horizontal plane, pain is located at the lateral and upper part of the shoulder
- When the arm is elevated to the side, the athlete will use the shoulder blade more than normally
- Pain occurs at night, especially if there is involvement of the rotator cuff
- Tenderness can be felt in the upper aspect of the head of the humerus, and also over the biceps tendon
- Crepitus can be palpable in the subacromial region
Preventive measures
- Perform warm-up exercises and flexibility training
- Exercise the whole kinetic chain, including strength training
- Avoid abuse, i.e. pain-causing situations
Treatment
- Our distinctive hands-on manual therapy
- Kinesio taping
- Active movements of the shoulder and maintaining range of motion
- Gradual sports training when the pain has resolved