A conversation with Dennis Meszler, PT, MPT, SCS
Shoulder pain can be frustrating and confusing, especially when symptoms seem similar across different causes. But effective treatment begins with personalized care. In this Q&A, Dennis Meszler, PT, MPT, SCS, a sports-certified physical therapist at Raleigh Orthopaedic, shares how to properly evaluate shoulder pain, the role of physical therapy, and why proactive, customized care matters.
Q&A with Dennis Meszler, PT, MPT, SCS
Understanding and Personalizing Shoulder Pain Treatment
Question: How do I know the best way to treat my shoulder pain?
Answer: The best way to avoid overstressing yourself and potentially getting bad or misleading information is to make sure your treatment plan is personalized to your individual problem. Shoulder pain, for example, can come from many different issues. Even if the pain is described in a similar way and occurs at a similar place, you really need to look at the underlying reasons the pain is there in order to effectively treat it. One person may have an overuse rotator cuff tendonitis and another may have secondary impingement due to a loose joint and yet another may have a cervical spine disorder that makes them feel pain in the same area as the first two problems. If you try to treat them the same way you will get very different results and maybe, in some circumstances, make things worse.
Question: How can a physical therapist help with shoulder pain?
Answer: Getting an evaluation from a licensed Physical Therapist will certainly help you cut through all the information out there and fine tune your approach to treatment. They can also help you decide whether or not there is something more problematic going on and steer you to other health professionals as needed. This will make your results better and more long-lasting. Building a relationship with your PT can also help you learn to use the technology at hand better, as they can steer you to more reliable and related information based on your testing results at the time and in the future.
Question: What are the benefits of personalized PT care?
Answer: Personalizing health and fitness information in this way isn’t only for when you are injured. It would be great to find out what type of inefficiencies or limitations we have before injuries happen. In the same way you visit your dentist once or twice per year to check on the health of your teeth, it would be great to evaluate the health and effectiveness of your movement. In this way, we can hopefully avoid the compensations in our functional movement that build up over time due to things like everyday wear and tear, small bumps and bruises that we feel we just recover from over time, bad postural habits (everyone raise your hands), or other stressors to our musculoskeletal system.
Our bodies are really good cheaters! When our musculoskeletal and neuromuscular systems feel stressors like the ones mentioned above, we don’t just shut down. Our systems make slight, often times imperceptible, adjustments in order to keep functioning. These new pathways for function are less efficient than the original patterns and lead to slow (or maybe not so slow at times) break down of the system and it eventually shows up as pain. Screening to catch these issues before the pain arrives would be great. This personalization of fitness planning is how we can be proactive in caring for our bodies.
Schedule an Appointment with Raleigh Orthopaedic
If you’re dealing with pain, discomfort, or an injury, don’t wait to get the care you need. Our expert team at Raleigh Orthopaedic is here to help you feel better, move better, and get back to doing what you love. Schedule an appointment online or call us at 919-781-5600 to be seen—often within 48 hours. For immediate care, we offer walk-in orthopedic urgent care services. Click here for hours and locations.
Disclaimer: The information on this site is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment, or medical judgment. Always consult a physician or qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have about a medical condition or treatment.