Relieve Pain, Restore Mobility, and reclaim the life you love

Comprehensive Shoulder Pain Assessment, Manual Therapy & Rehabilitation

3806 Albert Street Golden Mile Professional Offices Regina South

From Chronic Ache to Confident Motion-Without Unnecessary Surgery!

Shoulder Pain Treatment @ POMT-Regina

Shoulder pain can make everyday activities such as reaching overhead, dressing, sleeping, lifting, working at a computer, or carrying groceries surprisingly difficult.

At Prairie Osteopath & Massage Therapy Medical Clinic in Regina, we do more than simply treat the painful area. Our approach begins with understanding why the shoulder is painful, what structures may be involved, how the shoulder is moving, and whether the problem may be coming from the neck, upper back, shoulder blade, or shoulder joint itself.

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Depending on the clinical presentation, your assessment may include medical screening, posture analysis, active and passive range-of-motion testing, muscle assessment, neurological screening, orthopedic special tests, and functional movement assessment. This assessment-based approach is consistent with our clinic’s broader philosophy of Listen → Assess → Analyze → Treat → Reassess → Educate

"Stop Compansating, Start Moving"

What Causes Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is one of the body’s most mobile regions. Its large range of movement depends on coordinated function between the glenohumeral joint, scapula, clavicle, thoracic spine, rotator cuff, tendons, ligaments, and surrounding muscles.

Because so many structures work together, shoulder pain can have several possible causes.

Repetitive overhead activity
Sports injuries
Weight training
Falls or direct trauma
Poor posture
Prolonged computer or desk work
Repetitive occupational activities
Muscle imbalance
Reduced shoulder mobility
Scapular movement dysfunction
Rotator cuff overload
Age-related degenerative changes
Previous shoulder injury
Cervical spine problems causing referred pain

The location and behavior of your pain can provide important clues, but pain location alone cannot determine the diagnosis.

Most Common Shoulder Conditions We Assess

Our Unique Process Begins with Precision

Comprehensive Shoulder Assessment

1. Health History

Your assessment begins with questions about:

Where the pain started
How it started
Previous injuries
Occupation
Sports and exercise
Sleeping position
Repetitive activities
Pain intensity
Aggravating and relieving factors
Previous treatment
Medical history
Neurological symptoms

The goal is to determine whether the presentation appears appropriate for conservative care or requires medical investigation.

2. Posture Examination

A shoulder assessment may include observation of:

From the Front

Shoulder height
Clavicular position
Head position
Arm position
Symmetry

From the Side

Forward head posture
Rounded shoulders
Thoracic kyphosis
Scapular position
Humeral position

From the Back

Scapular position
Scapular winging
Shoulder height
Thoracic alignment
Scapulothoracic movement

Posture is considered as one part of the clinical picture, rather than as a diagnosis by itself.

3. Active Range of Motion — AROM

Active movement assesses how the patient can move the shoulder independently.

Common movements include:

Flexion
Extension
Abduction
Adduction
Internal rotation
External rotation
Functional reach behind the back
Functional reach behind the head

We observe:

Range of motion
Pain
Painful arc
Movement quality
Compensation
Scapular movement
Strength and endurance

4. Passive Range of Motion — PROM

Passive movement is performed by the practitioner while the patient relaxes.

PROM can help determine whether limitation appears more related to:

Pain
Joint restriction
Muscle limitation
Capsular restriction
Protective guarding

A major loss of both active and passive movement can suggest a different clinical pattern than isolated weakness with relatively preserved passive motion.

5. Strength Testing

Depending on the presentation, assessment may include resisted testing of:

Shoulder abduction
External rotation
Internal rotation
Flexion
Extension
Scapular stabilizers
Elbow flexion

Strength testing can help identify weakness, pain inhibition and asymmetry.

6. Shoulder Special Tests

Special tests are selected according to the patient’s history and examination findings rather than performed routinely on everyone.

Possible tests include:

Rotator Cuff / Subacromial Pain

Hawkins-Kennedy
Neer test
Painful Arc
Empty Can / Jobe test
External Rotation Resistance
Drop Arm test

Subscapularis

Lift-Off test
Belly-Press test
Bear-Hug test

Biceps

Speed’s test
Yergason’s test

AC Joint

Cross-Body Adduction test
AC compression testing

Instability

Apprehension test
Relocation test

Labral Assessment

O’Brien’s Active Compression test
Other clinically appropriate labral tests

No individual shoulder special test should be interpreted as a diagnosis in isolation. Findings should be combined with the patient’s history, symptom pattern, ROM, strength and overall clinical examination.

Treatment

At POMT Clinic, You Get Three-Perspective Approach

Medical Doctor (MD) Perspective

Significant trauma
Suspected fracture or dislocation
Severe or unexplained pain
Significant weakness
Suspected rotator cuff tear
Suspected rotator cuff tear
Neurological symptoms
Persistent symptoms despite conservative care
Significant swelling or deformity
Systemic symptoms
Concern for inflammatory or systemic disease

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Registered Massage Therapist (RMT) Perspective

Upper trapezius
Levator scapulae
Rhomboids
Pectoralis major and minor
Latissimus dorsi
Rotator cuff muscles
Posterior shoulder
Cervical musculature
Thoracic musculature
Therapeutic massage
Myofascial release
Trigger-point techniques
Deep tissue techniques when appropriate
Neuromuscular techniques
Therapeutic stretching
Soft-tissue mobilization

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Manual Osteopathic Perspective

Shoulder joint
Scapula
Clavicle
Thoracic Spine
Cervical Spine
Ribs
Diaphragm
Depending on the assessment, treatment may includes
Gentle Mobilization
Myofascial Release
Muscle Energy Techniques (MET)
Soft Tissue Techniques
Fascial Techniques
Scapular Mobility Work
Thoracic Mobility Work
Thoracic Mobility Techniques
Postural Correction
Functional Movement Restoration

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Supportive Therapies

Hydrotherapy
Heat or cold may be used according to the presentation.
Cold Therapy
May be useful for short-term symptom management following an acute injury or when the shoulder is particularly irritated.
Heat Therapy
May be helpful for muscular stiffness and before mobility work in appropriate cases. Hydrotherapy is a complimentary services at Prairie Osteopath

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Prevention is Better Than Cure!

Shoulder Pain Prevention

Preventing recurring shoulder pain requires more than occasional treatment.

1. Improve Workplace Ergonomics

If you work at a computer:

Keep the monitor near eye level
Avoid prolonged forward-head posture
Keep shoulders relaxed
Position the keyboard and mouse comfortably
Take regular movement breaks

2. Avoid Sudden Increases in Training Load

Increase exercise volume gradually rather than suddenly increasing:

Weight
Repetitions
Overhead activity
Training frequency

3. Strengthen the Shoulder Regularly

Maintain balanced strength in:

Rotator cuff
Scapular stabilizers
Upper back
Core

4. Maintain Thoracic Mobility

Regular thoracic mobility exercises can help maintain comfortable shoulder movement.

5. Don’t Ignore Persistent Pain

Pain that repeatedly returns deserves assessment rather than repeated temporary treatment.

6. Warm Up Before Exercise

A progressive warm-up prepares the shoulder and surrounding tissues for activity.

7. Maintain Healthy Movement Habits

Avoid remaining in one position for prolonged periods. Regular movement throughout the day can help reduce accumulated muscular tension.

'A stich in time saves nine'

When Should You See a Doctor?

Shoulder pain should receive medical assessment when it is associated with:

Major trauma
Suspected fracture or dislocation
Sudden significant weakness
Inability to move the arm
Progressive neurological symptoms
Significant numbness or loss of sensation
Fever or systemic illness
Unexplained severe pain
Persistent symptoms that are not improving
Recurrent shoulder dislocation
Significant deformity

A shoulder problem may sometimes be related to the neck, nerves, systemic disease or another medical condition. Appropriate referral is therefore an important part of responsible shoulder care.

Our Shoulder Pain Treatment Approach in Regina

At Prairie Osteopath & Massage Therapy Medical Clinic, we believe that the best treatment begins with the right assessment.

Your shoulder treatment may follow this pathway:

History → Posture Assessment → AROM → PROM → Strength Testing → Special Tests → Clinical Impression → Treatment → Reassessment → Home Exercise → Prevention

Depending on your individual presentation, your care may combine:

Medical assessment + Registered Massage Therapy + Manual Osteopathy + Mobility + Strengthening + Ergonomic Education + Home Exercise

Not every patient needs every treatment.

Our goal is to identify the most appropriate approach for your shoulder, your symptoms and your functional goals.