Shoulder and joint pain in Summerland
Reaching, lifting or walking shouldn't be something you have to plan around pain. I assess shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and ankles, and discuss options for more comfortable movement.
What is shoulder and joint pain?
Chiropractic care can include the joints in your arms and legs.
Pain can come from the joint itself, the muscles and tendons around it, or sometimes your neck. Shoulder pain can be slow to settle. With gentle use it often starts to ease over a few weeks, and some problems, such as a frozen shoulder, take months.
Common shoulder and joint problems
- Frozen shoulder. This can cause persistent pain and a marked loss of movement. Tell me how it affects your day, and I'll explain what the assessment suggests.
- Rotator cuff problems. These involve muscles or tendons around the shoulder. You may notice pain with lifting, reaching or lying on that side.
- Pain during overhead movement. This is sometimes described as impingement or rotator cuff-related pain. The label alone doesn't tell us which treatment will suit you.
- Bursitis. This involves irritation of a small fluid-filled cushion around a joint. A joint that's hot and swollen is different; check the warning signs below.
- Pain from the neck. Shoulder pain can also be associated with the neck. I'll consider both areas when your symptoms suggest a connection.
- Elbow, wrist, hip, knee and ankle pain. I also assess elbow and wrist pain, carpal tunnel symptoms, hip discomfort, knee pain and ankle sprains.
Common signs
Joint pain shows up in different ways. Tell me which of these fit.
- Movement feels restricted. Reaching overhead, getting dressed or bending a joint feels harder than usual.
- Certain movements hurt. Tell me which positions bring on a sharp pain, catch or pinch.
- Pain interrupts sleep. Discomfort makes it difficult to lie on one side or find a comfortable position.
- Weakness or giving way. A joint that feels unstable or has lost strength needs assessment. If you suddenly can't lift your arm, see your doctor first.
- Repeated flare-ups. I'll ask about the pattern, what aggravates it and the effect on your usual activities.
- Pain after an injury. A fall, collision or sports injury may need a medical check first. Check the warning signs below.
When to get help
Book an assessment if a shoulder or other joint is stiff, sore or catching, keeps flaring up, or makes reaching, lifting or walking hard.
See a doctor today if a joint is hot, red and swollen, you have a fever, you suddenly can't move your arm, or it changed shape or swelled badly after a fall. No family doctor? Call 8-1-1.
Call 9-1-1 for chest, arm or jaw pain with shortness of breath or sweating, sudden arm weakness or a drooping face, or an arm that's cold, pale or numb after an injury.
How I assess shoulder and joint pain
- We talk first. You tell me which joint hurts, which movements are difficult, when it started and what you'd like to do more comfortably.
- I check how the joint moves. I compare it with the other side, test the strength of the muscles around it and press on the tendons and soft tissues that might be involved.
- I check for anything that needs a doctor first. I also check your neck if it could be part of the picture. If something points to a problem I don't treat, I tell you and suggest you see your doctor.
- We agree on a plan. I explain what the assessment suggests in plain words. If you agree to a plan, I can usually start treatment at the same visit.
A first visit for shoulder or joint pain takes about 40 minutes, and a follow-up about 20. You can ask questions as we go and decline any technique.
Treatment options
Your assessment, goals and preferences guide the plan. If your feet or ankles are part of the problem, we can also talk about whether custom orthotics are worth considering.
What you can do at home
Keep the joint moving gently. Stopping using it altogether can stop it getting better. Before your visit and between visits:
- Move the joint gently, within what's comfortable, and avoid things that clearly make it worse.
- Try an ice pack on a sore, swollen joint, wrapped in a towel, for up to 20 minutes at a time. Some people prefer heat for stiffness.
- Rest your arm on a cushion when you sit, if that eases a sore shoulder.
- Hold off on heavy lifting and new, strenuous gym exercises until we've talked.
- Ask a pharmacist or your doctor about pain medicine that lets you keep the joint moving.
- Practise the exercises I show you. I email them after the visit so you have them at home.
- Let me know if it's getting worse. A text is fine, though I may be with patients when it arrives. If a joint turns hot and swollen, or you notice another warning sign above, get medical help first.
Common questions
Page last updated October 28, 2026. This page is general information about shoulder and joint pain and doesn't replace an assessment by me or your doctor.
Tell me which movements hurt
I'll assess the problem and talk you through a plan, starting with the activities that have become difficult. If a sore hip or knee makes getting here hard, I also do home visits.