Shoulder Pain Treatment
The shoulder is the body's most mobile joint, which also makes it one of the most vulnerable to injury and overuse. Shoulder pain can come from the rotator cuff, the labrum, the joint capsule, surrounding tendons and bursae, or even referred pain from the neck. At Mountain View Pain Center, we diagnose the source of shoulder pain and treat it with a coordinated, non-surgical plan across pain management, physical therapy, chiropractic care, and acupuncture.
Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
Rotator cuff strains and tears develop from repetitive overhead motion or acute injury. Shoulder impingement occurs when tendons are pinched during arm movement. Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) causes progressive stiffness and pain, often without a clear injury. Osteoarthritis wears down joint cartilage over time. Bursitis inflames the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joint. Labral injuries, including SLAP tears, affect the cartilage rim that stabilizes the joint. Referred pain from cervical radiculopathy can also present as shoulder pain — one reason accurate diagnosis matters. Learn more about neck pain.
Common Symptoms
Pain when reaching overhead or behind the back, night pain that interrupts sleep (common with rotator cuff problems), weakness when lifting, clicking or catching sensations, and progressive stiffness with loss of range of motion.
How We Evaluate Shoulder Pain
Your visit starts with a history and physical exam, including range-of-motion and strength testing to isolate which structures are involved. When needed, we use imaging to confirm the diagnosis. Because neck problems can masquerade as shoulder pain, our providers examine the cervical spine as well.
How We Treat Shoulder Pain
- Pain management — targeted injections can reduce inflammation and confirm the pain source
- Physical therapy — progressive strengthening of the rotator cuff and scapular stabilizers is first-line care for most shoulder conditions
- Chiropractic care — addresses joint mechanics of the shoulder girdle and cervicothoracic spine
- Acupuncture — can be used alongside other care to help reduce pain and muscle guarding
Request Your Appointment — clinics across Colorado and Arizona, or call (720) 749-5599.
Do You Need Shoulder Surgery?
Less often than you would think. Degenerative rotator cuff tears — the kind that show up on imaging in patients over 50 without any single injury behind them — respond as well to structured rehabilitation as they do to surgical repair in a large share of cases. The tear on the scan is not, by itself, the decision.
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is its own case. It follows a long arc through freezing, frozen and thawing phases, and it is markedly more common in people with diabetes or thyroid conditions. Skilled treatment does not skip the arc, but it shortens it and makes it far more bearable — and a well-timed intra-articular injection combined with a specific stretching programme is usually the difference.
Our evaluation covers rotator cuff tendinopathy and tears, frozen shoulder, impingement-type pain with overhead activity, instability and post-dislocation problems, AC joint pain at the top of the shoulder, and cervical referral — because a painful shoulder is sometimes a neck.
Where We Treat Shoulder Pain
Mountain View Pain Center runs 22 clinics, and every one of them has pain management, physical therapy, chiropractic care and acupuncture in the same building — so if shoulder pain needs more than one kind of care, you do not get handed off to another practice.
Colorado: Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, Lakewood, Littleton, Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Northglenn, Lafayette, Greeley, Fort Collins.
Arizona: Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Peoria.
No referral is needed in either state. Find your nearest clinic on the full clinic map, or call Colorado (720) 749-5599 or Arizona (602) 325-2024.
Shoulder Pain FAQs
When should I see a provider for shoulder pain?
If shoulder pain lasts more than a few weeks, wakes you at night, follows an injury, or comes with weakness or loss of motion, get it evaluated. Early treatment of rotator cuff and frozen shoulder problems typically shortens recovery.
Can shoulder pain come from my neck?
Yes. Irritated nerves in the cervical spine can refer pain to the shoulder and upper arm. Our exam distinguishes neck-driven pain from true shoulder problems so treatment targets the right structure.
Do I need an MRI?
Usually not at first. Most shoulder pain is diagnosed with a history and physical exam. Imaging is added when symptoms don't improve with conservative care or when a significant tear is suspected.
Can a rotator cuff tear heal without surgery?
Many partial tears and degenerative tears improve with structured physical therapy and pain management. Surgical referral is considered for large acute tears or when conservative care doesn't restore function.
Do I need a referral to schedule?
Most patients can schedule directly without a referral. Some insurance plans require one for coverage — we verify your benefits before your first visit, so call (720) 749-5599 and we'll handle the details.
References
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons — OrthoInfo: Rotator Cuff Tears
- NIAMS (NIH): Shoulder Problems
- MedlinePlus (NIH): Shoulder Pain
Last updated: July 23, 2026.