Shoulder Tendonitis
July 2026
We’ve been as busy as ever this summer with an influx of people needing help with interesting injuries and navigating new body pains-no doubt because y’all are active with projects around your homes, pursuing new physical hobbies, and starting new or returning to fitness routines. We love to see it, and are honored to be your first line of defense when discomfort or pain crops up! Many people resign themselves to not being able to do things when their activity causes them some pain. Odds are almost always that your body is just adjusting to new demands and with some targeted massage and a mobility routine to reduce the tension that builds, your body will adapt to that new level of performance, allowing you to do that activity without any repercussions.
We suspect as a result we’ve been seeing A LOT of tendonitis in the shoulders! Simply put, tendonitis is when a tendon becomes inflamed. Tendons anchor our muscles to our bones crossing joints so that we can produce movement. The top, or head, of our upper arm bone(the humerus) is round like a rock and sits in a shallow socket(think teacup saucer) to give us a lot of movement in all directions. The head of the humerus can shift a little forward, a little backward, a little up or down, or rotate inward or outward within that socket which puts strain and friction on the tendons that cross over. When half your muslces are short, and the other half are overstretched, using them repeatedly is going cause friction and irritation, like a rope being pulled back and forth over a rock. If left untreated, that tendon, like the rope, can actually fray and compromise the integrity of the muscles’ strength. In its acute state, tendonitis is surprisingly painful. While anti-inflammatories and cessation of use for a short period is recommended. How many of you can stop using one of your arms for a few days? If you were to find yourself in this state once, or on occasion “when you use it wrong,” (in the short term or acute stage) reducing muscle tension throughout that tendon is where we can be the most impactful. When it’s not fiery, hot and inflamed, we can assess the length tension relationships that cross the shoulder and target the muscles that pull the humeral head away from center, thus straining the tendon. When you know your body has these patterns, seeing a massage therapist regularly to keep that migrating humeral head in check is going to keep you from having recurring episodes of irritation and intense pain. This concept and approach to bodywork is really effective in managing our clients’ body pain and fairly unique to our practice. We strive to provide exceptional value for your money by getting right to the source of your problem because we know you need to leave feeling well, and with results! If this sounds like you or someone you knows shoulder, you’ve got to book a visit!
