Shoulder Pain Q&A
What causes shoulder pain?
Shoulder pain is most commonly the result of rotator cuff damage or impingement. A rotator cuff tear can be the result from trauma to the shoulder, or sometimes even day to day tasks. An impingement occurs when the rotator cuff gets wedged between the ball portion of the humerus and the part of the scapula that covers the ball. In some cases, shoulder pain can be due to a neck injury that elicits symptoms in the shoulder or upper extremities.
There can be other sources of shoulder discomfort as well, including:
-pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder
-torn cartilage
-swollen bursa sacs or tendons
-frozen shoulder
-dislocated shoulder
-injury due to overuse or repetitive use
-spinal cord injury
-bone spurs (bony projections that develop along the edgesof bones)
-arthritis
-broken shoulder or arm bone
How does an orthopedist help shoulder pain?
Our surgeons have extensive experience treating injuries involving the shoulder. Depending on the source of the pain, the treatment may include different options such as for:
Rotator Cuff Tear – A rotator cuff repair involves either an arthroscopic procedure or an open procedure involving multiple surgical incisions to detach the surrounding muscle and repair the rotator cuff directly.
Impingement Syndrome –
If the tendons of your rotator cuff become compressed during movement, an arthroscopic procedure known as subacromial decompression is an option. This
procedure will help create space for the rotator cuff to move more freely.
Frozen Shoulder –
A frozen shoulder can be repaired arthroscopically via a capsular release, in which small incisions are made so that instruments can cut away capsules
surrounding the shoulder socket to allow for more joint mobility.
Torn Cartilage –
In this case, Arthroscopic SLAP (Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior) Repair may be performed to restore the labrum back to its position in the shoulder
socket. Once this is done, sutures would secure the bone back to the cartilage.