Shoulder Pain

What is shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain is discomfort in any part of your shoulder and its connected tissues. This includes the shoulder bones, the shoulder joints, the rotator cuff (the muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder joint in place), and the connective ligaments. Injury, repetitive stress, or ordinary wear-and-tear can cause pain in your shoulder.

What causes shoulder pain?

Several injuries and chronic conditions can cause shoulder pain, including:

• Rotator cuff damage
• Arthritis
• Joint dislocations
• Fractures
• Pinched nerves 
• Tendinitis
• Impingements
• Labral tears
• Joint instability
• Bursitis
• Frozen shoulder

Because your shoulder joint is the most flexible in your entire body, it’s easily damaged or injured. But if you see the Center for Orthopaedics team promptly when shoulder pain starts, you can heal and feel better quickly.

When should I see a doctor for shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain often fades with rest and simple treatments like ice packs in 20-minute intervals and taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication (aspirin, ibuprofen [Motrin®, Advil®], naproxen sodium [Naprosyn®, Aleve®]). If your shoulder pain continues for days or weeks or the pain increases, contact the Center for Orthopaedics.

If you lose the use of your shoulder, if the shoulder looks deformed, or if you experience sudden severe pain or swelling, it’s probably an orthopedic emergency for OrthoExpress. With OrthoExpress, the Center for Orthopaedics team guarantees an appointment with an orthopedics expert within 24 hours on weekdays.

 How is shoulder pain treated?

The Center for Orthopaedics team determines the right shoulder pain treatment plan based on how severe your pain is and how it affects your day-to-day activities.

The team offers a full menu of non-surgical physical medicine and rehab services, including physical therapy, massage therapy, and joint injections.

If surgery is necessary, the Center for Orthopaedics surgeons use the most advanced approaches to minimally invasive surgery. These include shoulder joint replacement, shoulder reconstruction, arthroscopic shoulder surgery, nerve release, and ligament reconstruction.

After minimally invasive surgery, the physical medicine and rehab team supervises you through a customized recovery program and your return to routine activities.

If you suffer from sudden or long-term shoulder pain, the Center for Orthopaedics can stop the suffering. Call the office now or schedule an appointment online.