Shoulder Impingement Treatment
in Colwood
Relieving, postural, and structural care. We assess the subacromial space of your shoulder and correct the structural rounding that causes painful tendon pinching.
Is This You?
The "Painful Arc"
Raising your arm out to the side is fine initially, but there's a specific, highly painful block roughly halfway up before it gets slightly better at the very top.
The "Jacket Struggle"
Trying to thread your arm into a jacket sleeve or grabbing a seatbelt aggressively pinches the very front boundary of your shoulder.
The "Desk Ache"
After sitting at a computer all day typing, the very top, outer edge of your shoulder develops a deep, burning ache.
The "Clicking Restriction"
You frequently feel heavy, mechanical clicking or clunking in the joint as you attempt to roll or shrug your shoulders backward.
The Subacromial Space & Posture
Your shoulder joint looks a bit like a golf ball sitting on a tee, situated underneath a bony roof (the acromion). Tendons and fluid sacs (bursae) run precisely through the narrow gap under that roof. Impingement simply means that narrow space is physically closing, forcefully pinching the soft tissue inside every time you lift your arm. This is overwhelmingly caused by chronic, forward-rounded posture dragging the shoulder blade severely out of alignment.
Our Diagnostic Approach
We utilize structural testing to identify exactly what is pinching and why that subacromial space is reduced.
Neer's Impingement Test
Replicating the mechanical pinching sensation to isolate superior structural involvement.
Hawkins-Kennedy Test
A rigorous rotational assessment used to identify structural pinching specifically in the subacromial space.
The Sync Difference
Shoulder impingement is a mechanical puzzle that requires dual expertise. Standard treatment often fails if it only targets the shoulder. As an RMT, we release the heavy anterior chest muscles (pectorals) that chronically pull the shoulders forward. Then, as an Athletic Therapist, we prescribe highly specific mid-back retractor exercises to actively hold the shoulder blade back, permanently reopening the joint space.
High-Value Tip You Can Try Today
Improve Thoracic (Mid-Back) Mobility: Focus heavily on bringing mobility to your mid spine. If your mid-back is constantly, rigidly rounded forward (kyphosis), your shoulder blade physically tilts downward with it, aggressively closing the joint gap and ensuring the tendon pinches every time you raise your arm.
Explore Related Treatments
Your Practitioner
Clinical care provided by Daryl Stubbs, RMT & CAT(C). Specializing in correcting structural impingement through active rehabilitation.
Read Full Bio →Award-Winning Care in Colwood
Kind Words from Our Patients
Recent 5-Star Reviews from your neighbors in Colwood & Langford.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly is being 'impinged' in my shoulder?
Typically, the supraspinatus tendon or a protective bursa sac is getting physically pinched between your arm bone and the roof of your shoulder blade when you raise your arm.
Can poor posture actually cause shoulder pain?
Yes, profoundly so. A slouched, forward-rounded posture mechanically tilts the shoulder blade downward, actively closing the joint space and increasing the likelihood of painful internal friction.
Will cortisone shots fix this permanently?
A cortisone injection may rapidly decrease the local inflammation, providing excellent short-term relief, but it does not fix the underlying postural or biomechanical root cause pulling the joint out of alignment.