All things considered, it's amazing that more people don't suffer from shoulder muscle pain and joint problems.

An Amazing Piece of Machinery

In some ways, the shoulder is comparable to a mechanical universal joint. If you know anything about cars, you know that if it weren't for u-joints, your engine wouldn't be able to turn the wheels and you wouldn't be able to steer. A u-joint allows you to connect to shafts and allows them to rotate at any angle.

The primate shoulder is similar; unlike most other animals, monkeys, apes and humans can have a shoulder joint that allows the arm to rotate in virtually every direction. Of course, our shoulder joint is much more complicated than a u-joint. It's a handy thing to have, and arguably, it is that incredibly flexible shoulder joint that, along with the primate's unique opposable thumb, allowed us to climb down from the trees and create something approximating civilization.

However, it is the very complexity of this joint that causes shoulder muscle pain. Because the shoulder joint is very unstable, it requires an elaborate system of muscles and tendons to do its job. These muscles and tendons can easily get strained and injured from overuse, accident, and chronic stress. A lot of people internalize their stress and carry it in their shoulders. The use of a dominant hand also plays a part; for example, if you are right-handed, you are more likely to suffer from right shoulder pain, and vice-versa.

Fortunately, you do not have to live with shoulder pain.

Standard Treatments - And Alternatives

Treating shoulder blade pain first requires diagnosis - and as you might imagine, with a complex piece of biological machinery like that there are a staggering number of things that can go wrong. Bones may be fractured or broken, arthritis may have set in, or it may be a simple case of muscular strain or a torn ligament.

Although the use of analgesic drugs is common, people are increasingly rejecting this option. Acupuncture is another option, as is the use of heat and ice therapy. Recently, the use of magnetic energy, in combination with low vibration therapy, has shown to be highly effective in addressing the issue of shoulder blade pain as well as chronic pain related to a range of neuromuscular issues. These treatments are completely safe and have no side effects - so they are well worth investigating if you are seeking healthier alternatives to pharmaceutical chemicals.