Why does your shoulder hurt? There could be many causes of shoulder pain. Today I’m sharing 12 of my favorite tests you can do at home to diagnose your shoulder pain symptoms and help you to feel better. These tests will help determine the cause of your shoulder pain; an important first step in receiving the right treatment. A shoulder pain evaluation from a doctor of physical therapy.

MORE SHOULDER PAIN VIDEOS YOU MIGHT LIKE

HOW I FIXED MY SHOULDER PAIN! HOME STRETCHING ROUTINE: https://youtu.be/FnOq_VZm-nk

5 OF THE BEST ROTATOR CUFF EXERCISES: https://youtu.be/s4wUKmr2xtA

HOW TO TREAT SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT: https://youtu.be/Aq6RMo7RJ9c

BEST DUMBBELL EXERCISES FOR SHOULDER PAIN: https://youtu.be/XeyVT-pZhOA

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THE SHOULDER TESTS PRESENTED IN THIS VIDEO ARE MEANT TO BE USED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES AND IN NO WAY REPRESENT AN INDIVIDUAL DIAGNOSIS OR PLAN OF CARE. FOR SUCH DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLAN, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONTACT A LOCAL PHYSICAL THERAPIST OR DOCTOR.
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Your shoulder is one of the most-complex joints in your body. It’s the most mobile joint you have, but it also has to be very strong and stable to function properly. There are multiple ligaments that tie the joint together and many muscles/tendons that move the shoulder through its available range of motion.

When everything functions properly the shoulder joint is an amazing structure.

However, due to the complex nature of the shoulder there are many things that can potentially go wrong with it. Tendonitis, arthritis, bursitis, labral tears, shoulder impingement, and rotator cuff problems are just a few of the most-common shoulder issues that I deal with as a physical therapist.

These shoulder conditions can be very painful and interfere with many of the activities that we go through on a daily basis.

Each of these shoulder problems is treated a little differently, so it’s important to figure out exactly what’s causing your pain. Fortunately there are many tests and other evaluation tools you can actually perform right at home to help determine the most-likely cause of your shoulder pain.

In this video, I’ll walk you through some of the best, simplest tests you can perform on your own to determine the cause of your shoulder symptoms. You can then use these findings to help guide you to the best treatment plan to help alleviate your pain.

Here’s the thing - this is a LOT of information and there are a LOT of tests to cover. My goal is to provide you with as comprehensive a video as possible while not boring you with the super small details. That said, this is a longer video, but my goal was to provide you with the best video possible to hopefully help diagnose your shoulder pain.

If you’d like to cut right to the issue you know you’re experiencing, please see the time stamps below to scroll forward in this video.

1. CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY: 1:44
2. IMPINGEMENT TESTS: 2:22
3. ROTATOR CUFF TENDONITIS: 5:22
4. ROTATOR CUFF TEAR: 7:05
5. BURSITIS: 10:18
6. SHOULDER OSTEOARTHRITIS: 11:32
7. AC JOINT TESTS: 13:50
8. LABRUM / SLAP TEAR TESTS: 15:35
9. SHOULDER INSTABILITY TESTS: 16:49

So what’s the next step after you reach a diagnosis? Typically the emphasis is increasing shoulder range of motion, improving rotator cuff strength, or some combination of both! Here are my go-to exercises to help alleviate the shoulder pain symptoms you might be experiencing:

IMPINGEMENT: https://youtu.be/Aq6RMo7RJ9c

INCREASE RANGE OF MOTION / SHOULDER STRETCHING: https://youtu.be/1PdyCdtkcGk

IMPROVE ROTATOR CUFF STRENGTH: https://youtu.be/s4wUKmr2xtA

As always, I hope the things that I share on this channel help to alleviate some of your pain and help you to become the fittest, healthiest version of yourself.

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