Shoulder Pain Carrollton, TX
- Frozen Shoulder Care
- Shockwave Therapy Focus
- Muscle-by-Muscle Testing
Shoulder pain is one of the most common problems Dr. Hoa Nguyen treats at Dallas Spine Center in Carrollton. Most patients arrive unable to use the shoulder the way they should, whether the pain comes from an old injury, a new one, or a frozen shoulder that has almost stopped moving.
His approach starts from a simple fact about the joint: the shoulder has many muscles attached to it, so the first job is figuring out which one is involved. Care here is built around locating that specific muscle and attachment, then treating the exact spot with shockwave therapy.
What Is Frozen Shoulder?
Frozen shoulder is a shoulder that has lost its ability to move. Patients describe a limited range of motion and trouble using the arm, and in the worst cases almost no movement at all, which is where the name comes from. It is one of the most frequent shoulder problems seen at this office.
Not every painful shoulder is frozen. Shoulder pain can come from an acute, traumatic injury like a fall, a sports injury, or a car accident, or from a chronic problem that has been there for a long time. The difference matters, because chronic pain has usually moved past the stage where the body heals it on its own.
Finding the Problem Muscle, One Attachment at a Time
Every shoulder visit starts with muscle testing. Dr. Nguyen checks whether the problem is in the shoulder joint itself or in one of the muscles around it, and then narrows it down to the ligament or tendon where that muscle attaches to the bone.
“The shoulder is very complex and has many different muscles attached to it, so we need to determine which muscle is the problem muscle and the ligament where that muscle attaches to the shoulder.”
Dr. Hoa Nguyen, D.C.Shockwave helps with that search. Over healthy tissue you won’t feel much, but over an injured muscle or ligament attachment you will feel noticeable discomfort. Those tender spots mark the problem areas, and usually two or three of them are identified and treated in each session.
Shockwave Therapy for Shoulder Pain in Carrollton
The office’s shockwave therapy system is the Mark III Ultra from Shockwave Center of America. It sends sound waves into chronic problem areas to create a controlled micro-injury, which the body responds to as if it were a new injury, bringing more circulation, repair cells, and collagen while helping break down scar tissue.
Intensity is adjusted to your tolerance so the discomfort stays manageable, and it typically eases as the session goes on. Dr. Nguyen typically sees patients report anywhere from 10 to 50 percent less pain and more strength after the first treatment, with healing continuing to build through the rest of the plan.
Who Should Skip ShockwaveShockwave is not used if you had a cortisone injection within the past month, have a pacemaker or defibrillator, are pregnant, or have cancer, a bleeding or clotting disorder, a serious infection, a brain aneurysm, or thyroid problems. It is also never applied over an electrical implant.
What to Expect at Your First Shoulder Visit
Your paperwork is completed online before you arrive, so the visit starts with a conversation. Dr. Nguyen asks where the shoulder hurts, when it started, whether it followed an injury, how severe the pain is, and what treatment or imaging you have already tried. Your vital signs are taken before the hands-on exam begins.
The exam includes muscle testing and, when your case calls for it, digital x-rays in the office to rule out problems that would make conservative care the wrong choice. You leave knowing what was found, whether shockwave therapy is a good fit for your shoulder, and what your plan looks like.
Plans have a clear length and do not go on forever. When your shoulder is moving well and the pain is under control, you can finish or step down to occasional maintenance visits, and that choice is based on how your shoulder is doing rather than on a set number of appointments.
Adjustments and Pain Relief for the Shoulder
Shockwave is paired with other care. Dr. Nguyen uses chiropractic extremity adjustments, a controlled force applied to a specific joint, to improve how the shoulder moves. Hako-Med therapy, a TENS unit, and infrared help manage pain so the shoulder stays comfortable while it heals.
If your shoulder pain started in a car accident, it is handled through the office’s auto accident care process, which documents injuries before treatment begins. And if you are not improving as expected, Dr. Nguyen refers you for an MRI, a second opinion, or other services instead of repeating the same plan.
Shoulder Pain FAQs
What causes frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder can follow an old or new shoulder injury, and in many patients the problem has been building for a long time before they come in. The muscles and ligament attachments around the joint stay painful, and the shoulder loses motion. Dr. Nguyen’s exam focuses on which attachment is involved, because that is what shockwave treats.
How long does frozen shoulder last?
A chronic shoulder problem can linger because the body is no longer actively healing it. With shockwave therapy, most plans at this office run 8 to 12 treatments, depending on how severe the problem is and how long it has been there. Your progress in strength and motion is checked along the way so the plan can be adjusted.
How do you fix a frozen shoulder without surgery?
The non-surgical approach here has three parts. Shockwave therapy treats the exact muscle and ligament attachments causing the problem, extremity adjustments help the joint move again, and Hako-Med, a TENS unit, and infrared keep the pain under control. Before any of that, an exam rules out problems that need a medical specialist instead.
Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain?
Yes, particularly for chronic shoulder problems and frozen shoulder. Dr. Nguyen treats a lot of shoulders, using muscle testing to find the problem attachment, shockwave therapy to treat it, and extremity adjustments to improve motion. New injuries from a fall or car accident are examined first to rule out anything that needs a specialist.
Can frozen shoulder go away on its own?
Dr. Nguyen explains that the body heals itself at the acute stage of an injury. Once a shoulder problem becomes chronic, that healing process stalls, which is why a frozen shoulder can stay stuck for a long time. Shockwave is used to turn that chronic problem back into one the body recognizes and starts repairing.
Get Your Shoulder Moving Again
Find out which muscle is behind your shoulder pain. The $47 new patient special covers your consultation with Dr. Nguyen, a full exam, and digital x-rays when your case calls for them.
Dallas Spine Center, 3730 N Josey Ln #122, Carrollton, TX 75007. Serving Lewisville, Plano, Frisco, North Dallas, Addison, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Highland Village, The Colony, and Little Elm.