Shoulder Pain in Student Athletes: Can It Be Treated Without Drugs or Surgery?

A Parent’s Guide to Helping Young Athletes Recover Naturally and Prevent Long-Term Damage

There are few things harder for a parent than watching their child sit on the sidelines because of pain. One week they are throwing baseballs in the backyard, serving volleyballs, swimming laps, or practicing gymnastics for hours, and the next they are struggling just to lift their arm without discomfort.

Most young athletes do not want to stop playing. In fact, many kids try to hide shoulder pain because they are afraid of missing games, losing their starting position, or disappointing their teammates. Parents often hear things like, “It’s not that bad,” or “I can play through it.” But persistent shoulder pain in a young athlete is rarely something that should simply be ignored.

The reality is that repetitive overhead sports such as baseball, softball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, and gymnastics place tremendous stress on the shoulder joint. Over time, those repetitive motions can irritate muscles, tendons, ligaments, and even developing growth plates. If the underlying problem is not properly addressed early, what starts as mild soreness can eventually progress into chronic inflammation, instability, tendon damage, labral injuries, and in some cases, surgery.

And let’s be honest. No parent wants to hear that their child may need surgery if it could have potentially been prevented with earlier conservative care.

Why Shoulder Injuries Are So Common in Young Athletes

Young athletes today are playing more competitively and specializing in sports earlier than ever before. Many kids play year-round with very little recovery between seasons. Throwing counts increase. Practices become more intense. Club sports stack on top of school sports. Unfortunately, growing bodies are not always able to keep up with the repetitive stress.

The shoulder is one of the most mobile joints in the body, but that mobility comes with less stability. In younger athletes, the muscles, tendons, and connective tissues are still developing, making them more vulnerable to overuse injuries.

Baseball players are especially at risk because repetitive throwing places significant stress on the shoulder complex. Studies have shown that repetitive overhead throwing in adolescent athletes is strongly associated with shoulder overuse injuries.¹ Volleyball players, swimmers, and tennis athletes experience similar repetitive stress because of the constant overhead movement involved in their sports.

Many shoulder injuries start subtly. At first, it may just feel like soreness after practice. Then the athlete notices pain during throwing or serving. Over time, they may begin losing strength, velocity, range of motion, or confidence in the shoulder. Some even develop popping, clicking, or pain during everyday activities like reaching overhead or carrying a backpack.

The Problem With “Pushing Through It”

Kids are tough. Sometimes too tough.

Young athletes often continue competing despite pain because they love their sport. Parents may assume rest alone will fix the problem. While rest can temporarily calm symptoms, it does not always correct the underlying biomechanical dysfunction causing the injury.

For example, poor posture, weakness around the shoulder blade, limited thoracic spine mobility, repetitive overtraining, or altered throwing mechanics can continue placing stress on the shoulder long after symptoms temporarily improve.

Over time, the body starts compensating. We often see shoulder injuries begin affecting the neck, upper back, elbow, and even the lower back because the athlete changes the way they move to avoid pain.

This is one reason why early treatment matters so much. Catching these problems early may help prevent long-term degeneration and reduce the likelihood of more invasive procedures later.

Conservative Treatment Options That May Help Young Athletes Recover

Most parents would much rather invest in conservative treatment now than deal with medications, injections, or surgery later.

The good news is that many shoulder injuries in young athletes respond very well to non-surgical treatment when addressed early.

A proper evaluation should assess more than just the shoulder itself. Posture, spinal alignment, shoulder blade mechanics, flexibility, core stability, movement patterns, and muscle imbalances all play important roles in shoulder function. In many cases, shoulder pain is not simply caused by one injured tissue, but rather by a combination of poor movement mechanics and repetitive stress.

Physical therapy can be extremely beneficial for young athletes because it helps improve shoulder stability, coordination, flexibility, and strength while retraining healthy movement patterns. Research consistently supports exercise-based rehabilitation programs for overhead athletes and adolescent shoulder injuries.²

SoftWave therapy is another conservative treatment option that may help stimulate healing and reduce inflammation in injured tissues. SoftWave uses electrohydraulic unfocused waves designed to improve circulation and support the body’s natural healing response. Unlike traditional focused shockwave therapy, which delivers concentrated energy into a small focal point and may raise concerns around developing growth plates, SoftWave disperses energy differently and is designed to avoid the high focal pressures associated with focused shockwave systems.³ This distinction can be especially important when treating younger athletes whose bodies are still growing.

Many parents are surprised to learn there is a major difference between SoftWave and traditional shockwave therapy. Protecting growth plates and developing tissues is critical when caring for children and adolescents.

Chiropractic and movement-based care may also help improve mobility and biomechanics throughout the spine, ribs, and shoulder complex. When the body moves more efficiently, less stress is placed on irritated tissues, which may help improve recovery and reduce recurring strain patterns.

Every Parent Wants Their Child to Stay Active

Every parent wants their child to keep doing what they love.

Whether it is baseball, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics, or tennis, sports are about far more than competition. They build confidence, friendships, discipline, and lifelong healthy habits. The goal is not simply to get kids out of pain temporarily. The goal is to protect their long-term health so they can continue being active for years to come.

Shoulder pain should never be dismissed as “normal soreness” in a young athlete. The earlier these issues are identified and treated, the better the chances of avoiding chronic problems later.

If your child is dealing with shoulder pain during sports, now is the time to address it before it progresses into something more serious.

At Square One Health, we take a comprehensive approach to evaluating shoulder injuries in young athletes by identifying the underlying cause of dysfunction and developing individualized treatment plans designed to support healing, restore proper movement, and help kids stay active without relying solely on medications or surgery.

Schedule an Appointment Today

Schedule an appointment today with the team at Square One Health if your child is experiencing shoulder pain during sports or physical activity. Early evaluation may help identify the underlying cause of discomfort and create a personalized treatment plan designed to support healing, improve movement, and keep young athletes doing what they love.

About Dr. Tim Cowan, DC

Dr. Tim Cowan, DC is a Doctor of Chiropractic at Square One Health and has written and reviewed this article. He earned his Doctorate of Chiropractic from the University of Western States after completing a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from Northern Arizona University. Dr. Cowan has advanced training in scoliosis rehabilitation, Chiropractic BioPhysics (CBP), and postural correction techniques. He focuses on helping patients improve posture, movement, and spinal function through individualized treatment approaches designed to address musculoskeletal conditions and movement-related dysfunction.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should my child keep playing sports if they have shoulder pain?
Persistent shoulder pain should not be ignored. An evaluation can help determine whether it is safe to continue participating and what steps may help prevent further injury.

What sports are most likely to cause shoulder pain in young athletes?
Sports that involve repetitive overhead movements, such as baseball, softball, volleyball, swimming, tennis, and gymnastics, place significant stress on the shoulder.

Can physical therapy help shoulder injuries in student athletes?
Yes. Physical therapy may help improve strength, flexibility, coordination, and movement patterns that contribute to shoulder function and recovery.

How do I know if my child’s shoulder pain is serious?
Pain that persists, worsens, limits performance, causes weakness, or interferes with everyday activities should be evaluated by a healthcare professional.

Can shoulder injuries be treated without surgery?
Many shoulder injuries in young athletes respond well to conservative treatments such as physical therapy, movement-based rehabilitation, and other non-surgical approaches when addressed early.

References

1. Fleisig GS, Andrews JR, Cutter GR, et al. Risk of serious injury for young baseball pitchers: a 10-year prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39(2):253-257.
2. Wilk KE, Arrigo CA, Andrews JR. Rehabilitation and return to sport following shoulder injuries in the overhead athlete. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 2016;46(2):99-111.
3. Moya D, Ramón S, Schaden W, Wang CJ, Guiloff L, Cheng JH. The role of extracorporeal shockwave treatment in musculoskeletal disorders. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2018;100(3):251-263.