What causes shoulder pain?
Your shoulder pain can develop from problems within the joint itself or any of the supportive muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The common causes of shoulder pain include:
Tendinitis
A tendon is a tough band of connective tissue that attaches muscles to bones. Tendinitis is inflammation of the tendon.
Arthritis
Arthritis causes joint inflammation and tenderness and limits your shoulder’s range of motion. Osteoarthritis is the most common arthritis found in the shoulder. It’s caused by general wear-and-tear that happens over time.
Rotator cuff tear
The rotator cuff is the tendons and muscles that stabilize your shoulder joint. Rotator cuff tears are tears in the tendon. These tears are a common source of shoulder pain and often happen after a bad fall or tissue degeneration.
Dislocation
Dislocation of your shoulder joint will cause sudden, severe pain. It also stretches the ligaments and muscles that keep your shoulder joint in place, increasing your risk of further dislocations.
Fracture
A fracture in one or more of the bones that make up your shoulder — upper arm bone, shoulder blade, clavicle — causes shoulder pain.
What happens during a shoulder pain evaluation?
When you visit Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute with complaints of shoulder pain, you can expect an in-depth evaluation.
To determine the root cause of your shoulder pain, your provider questions you about your symptoms. They want to know when your pain started, what kind of pain you feel, and which activities make the pain worse or easier.
Your provider conducts a physical exam, paying close attention to your shoulder’s structure, function, and flexibility. They then order diagnostic imaging to confirm or rule out a suspected diagnosis. Imaging procedures that can be used include X-rays, MRIs, and CT scans.
If imaging tests fail to provide enough information to formulate a diagnosis, the team will recommend diagnostic arthroscopy.
How is shoulder pain treated?
How your shoulder pain is treated will depend on the diagnosis. Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute will usually first recommend nonsurgical treatments like:
- Cortisone injections
- Regenerative medicine
- Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections
- Physical therapy
- Prescription anti-inflammatories
If nonsurgical treatments don’t provide relief from your shoulder pain, the team will usually recommend surgery. In addition to arthroscopy, the team also does shoulder replacement surgery to treat arthritis.
Don’t allow shoulder pain to keep you from doing the things you enjoy. Call Regenerative Orthopaedics and Spine Institute or request an appointment online today.
