Myotherapy: Glenohumeral Joint Pain Treatment

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Patients can come in with pain and stiffness from the neck that can refer to and causes elbow wrist and shoulder pain- acromioclavicular (AC) joint and the glenohumeral (GH) joint. Typically, it impedes movements such as lifting of the arms, brushing the teeth, or holding a golf club. It may be described as a moderate pain or a chronic pain that could affect sleep especially if it’s the shoulder you sleep on.

Shoulder Anatomy

You can help them by applying a variety of techniques to relieve uncomfortable pain or sensations in and around that area. But first, let’s understand the shoulder anatomy. Since it is one of the most unstable joints in the body with the most movement, it can be complex to understand its structure and functionality.

Shoulder Structure and the three kind of bones, glenohumeral joint- Chapmans Reflexes Blog Image

The two shoulder joints that are prone to injury are the acromioclavicular (AC) joint and the glenohumeral (GH) joint. 

  • The acromioclavicular joint is situated where the clavicle is in contact with the acromion and the scapula. 
  • The glenohumeral joint is where the socket of the scapula connects with the rounded head of the humerus. It is responsible for the wide range of motion of the shoulder including flexion, extension, internal and external rotation, adduction and abduction and circumduction. 

There are  eight muscles attached to the bones of the shoulder. They are responsible for the form we see of the shoulder and underarm, they aid in its range of movement, and help protect the GH joint which is the main primary joint involved in function.

The deltoid muscle, which you may also know as the deltoideus muscle, is the shoulder muscle considered to be the largest and responsible for stabilization of the shoulder joint for the prevention of dislocations. 

The other muscles which work with the deltoid for shoulder movement and its functions include:

  • Infraspinatus – for arm raise and lowering
  • Triceps brachii – arm straightening
  • Pectoralis major – connects to the sternum
  • Pectoralis minor – stabilizes the scapula
  • Teres major – arm rotation 
  • Biceps brachii – rotates the forearm; flexes the elbow
  • Latissimus dorsi – helps with arm rotation and movement away from and close to the body
  • Subscapularis – aids to rotate the humerus 
  • Supraspinatus – help to raise arm away from the body

Shoulder Pains and Problems

Muscle Energy Technique

When any of the aforementioned muscles become dysfunctional, inhibited and reduced in their passive resting length, they tend to pull the humerus forward. According to OrthoInfo, shoulder problems that patients can experience fall into these categories:

  • Tendon inflammation – can be bursitis or tendinitis
  • Shoulder Instability – stretched lining of the shoulder joint, labrum, or ligaments 
  • Arthritis – joint tenderness and swelling
  • Fracture – can be caused by trauma or injury from a fall, sports activities, vehicular accident, or a direct hit to the shoulder

Other causes for shoulder pain that are less common include infections, tumors, and nerve related problems.

See Related Video: Shoulder Pathologies: Different Causes and Cool Tubing Treatments

In this article, we are going to focus on glenohumeral joint pain and an amazing muscle energy technique that could improve the humerus’s resting position. This will improve the quality and range of motion and reduce the notable pain felt by your patient. 

Almost any joint in the body can be safely treated with these techniques. Many sportsmen utilize them to avoid future muscle and joint injuries. It’s primarily used by people who have restricted range of motion in their neck and back due to facet joint dysfunction found in the neck and back, for those who have broader issues like shoulder pain, sciatica, scoliosis, unsymmetrical legs, hips, or arms, and to treat chronic muscle pain, stiffness, or injury.

See Related Video: BEST exercises for the majority of shoulder problems using the water

Conducting the Assessment

You can clearly see how  far forward the humerus of the patient is. To conduct the test, ask them to be seated comfortably. Stand behind the patient and place your hand over their shoulder. Press your thumb into the tissue, as is in the picture below, until you can palpate the humerus. Note how far forward the humerus is, you can apply a second finger along with your thumb for a more clearer view.

Conducting the assessment for shoulder pain, glenohumeral joint and problems-Chapmans Reflexes Blog Image

Upon confirming that the humerus is anteriorized and checking if any symptoms of pain locally, and/or radiating up in the neck down to the elbow and wrists are present, you can go ahead with this simple muscle energy technique that will improve length of restricted tissue and bring the humerus back into the glenohumeral joint.

Related article: Shoulder Pathologies: Different Causes and Cool Tubing Treatments

Treatment

Let’s begin with the treatment steps. Here’s what you can do:

  1. Have your patient lie on their back (supine).
  2. Put your four fingers behind the humerus while your thumb and wrist sits on top of the humerus.
  3. Slide your thumb down until you get into a firm position.
  4. Push the top end of the humerus down, letting it press onto the table. At the same time, let your other hand elevate the elbow. Continue to do this seesaw-like motion that gently moves the humerus in the capsule a couple of times. Since it can be quite tender, remember not to apply too much force. 
  5. Apply gentle pressure until you can feel the bony end range and ask the patient to push their elbow to the floor and hold it for about 10 seconds. 
  6. Let the patient take a deep breath and when they release their breath you reduce the pressure applied to the limb whilst ensuring that the joint remains in an isometric position. 
  7. Repeat steps four to seven: You apply a rhythmic rocking back and forth motion of the humerus within the joint space for approximately 30 – 45 seconds or until it has a softer feel on the movement, it will start to have a smoother end feel. Continue with the gentle push while the patient takes a deep breath. When they breathe out, stop applying pressure as a counterforce on their humerus. When you apply the muscle energy technique, here are several tips to remember. When pushing down gently, hold it for about 10 seconds and ask the patient to exert 30% to 40% of their effort. Let them take a deep cleansing breath in and when they breathe out, that’s when they stop contracting. You can do this three times before reassessing the joint position again. This should make headway into better movement patterns and reduced myofascial pain of the shoulder and surrounding compromised structures.

Watch This Video

Here’s a short video where you can see how the steps are carried out. Watch to learn more how to follow through with the muscle energy technique. Try it from your clinic and you will see positive changes in your patients pain and function.

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