Looking for the Best Shoulder Specialist in Mooresville, NC?
Let's discuss shoulder pain and the 6 most common causes before deciding if it is time to find the best shoulder specialist near Mooresville.
When your shoulder hurts it can affect every aspect of your life. From sleeping to driving, you will have hard time finding a day to day activity that is not painful. You may be thinking if you rest your arm and wait it out the pain will go away. This is correct to some degree. You will likely experience moderate to full relief of your shoulder pain after days or even weeks of resting your shoulder if the pain is acute. This does not mean the damage inside your shoulder is healing.
Once you stop activities that were irritating it you may experience relief, but with overuse injuries this will not correct the imbalances in your shoulder muscles that led to the pain you are experiencing. The pain will almost always return once you start back to your work or recreational activities.
It is important that you do not let too much time pass before seeing your doctor, an orthopedic specializing in shoulder injuries, or an experienced physical therapist near you. The longer you wait to get help, the more difficult it will be to correct your shoulder pain and dysfunction.
Living with shoulder pain or masking it with medication in hopes it will resolve itself can lead to a long and sometimes frustrating recovery. Best case scenario is you work with a skilled physical therapist, who has unmatched treatment outcomes, and make a full recovery in a few weeks. Worst case is you keep hoping it will get better and you damage your shoulder to the point where you require surgery and a minimum of 4 months of physical therapy. I know which one i would choose!
Today we are going to discuss the 6 most common injuries that happen to the shoulder so you can figure out why your shoulder is hurting.
1. Separated Shoulder
A separated shoulder are very common sports related injuries to the shoulder joint. The separated shoulder injury occurs when someone lands on the point of their shoulder. What happens is it disrupts the ligaments between the collar bone and the shoulder blade where they attach.
This often tears these ligaments causing the shoulder blade to pop up. Normally the transition between the collar bone and the shoulder blade is flat. When the ligaments are injured you will see a noticeable deformity at the end of the collar bone where it will be higher than the shoulder.
Do you need to go get a shoulder separation fixed? The answer is..not necessarily. This type of injury is graded into different types. Type 1 would be categorized by a mild strain to the ligaments where there is little to no deformity of the collar bone. Type 2 is where you experience a moderate strain and there is visible, mild to moderate deformity when compared to the other shoulder. A type 1 and type 2 will typically do very well without surgery. Higher grade like type 4 and type 5, where the ligaments are completely torn and the deformity is severe, do better with surgery to repair the separation between the shoulder blade and collar bone.
2. Dislocated Shoulder
In a dislocation of the shoulder joint the ball completely comes out of the socket. Dislocations generally involve more the front and bottom portion of the ball and socket joint. Symptoms would include a complete lack of active shoulder movement secondary to severe pain. When your doctor or therapist tries to move the shoulder back you may be extremely apprehensive as it feels like the shoulder is going to pop out of socket. A shoulder dislocation can tear some of the ligaments inside of the shoulder, as well as, the cartilage around the rim of the socket. This cartilage is known as the labrum.
If the shoulder comes out traumatically, it will often require some type of reduction to get it back into place. When the ball comes out of the socket, the muscles around the shoulder joint tighten and go into spasm. This can make it challenging for a shoulder specialist to get the shoulder joint back in place. If there is severe amount of pain or difficulty relocating the shoulder, the shoulder specialist will often use mild sedation to relax the patient so the joint can be freely manipulated. If someone with experience relocating a dislocated shoulder is on site following the injury, they may be able to gently get the shoulder back into the socket.
If you suspect a separated shoulder you should get evaluated by a shoulder specialist in the Mooresville area.
3. Rotator Cuff Tendonitis. Rotator Cuff Impingement
The rotator cuff are the small muscles located deep inside the shoulder. They basically wrap around the ball of the shoulder underneath the deltoid muscle. The muscle is attached to the bone via a tendon. A tendon is a type of connective tissue that provides a strong connection between the muscles and bones in our body. As the muscle contracts it pulls on the tendon, which in turn pulls on the bone, effectively moving the joint arm through the desired range of motion. The area where the tendon attaches to the bone is usually where we see the problem with patients presenting with shoulder impingement or rotator cuff tendonitis.
Most of the time patients with experience pain in the outside, upper portion of their arm when there is damage to the rotator cuff. Night-time shoulder pain is often indicative of rotator cuff injuries Typically, rotator cuff tears are more common in patients doing repetitive overhead movements with their shoulder. When your arm is over your head, it forces the rotator cuff tendon to rub on the undersurface of the shoulder blade bone. This causes pain in the shoulder and is a classic symptoms of a rotator cuff injury.
If your shoulder pain wakes you up at night and it is difficult to get to sleep or to stay asleep, you may want to have a local Mooresville, NC shoulder specialist evaluate your shoulder. Also, if you perform repetitive overhead movements and have started experiencing pain in your shoulder, you should see a shoulder specialist in Mooresville, NC in order to rule out other conditions.
4. Arthritis
Arthritis is more of a problem where the cartilage portions of the shoulder joint start to wear down and ultimately can result in a bone on bone and require surgical repair but an orthopedic shoulder specialist.
How would you know it is arthritis and not something else? Arthritis typically manifests itself as pain, often deep into the shoulder joint. Also, restriction of shoulder motion is a common symptoms of arthritis, Most patients will report they are no longer able to reach into their back pocket. Once the cartilage starts to break down and you develop inflammation, your best option is to talk to a Mooresville shoulder specialist. You can talk to a physical therapist, who specializes in the treatment of shoulder pain, and discuss conservative management of your pain.
When your pain gets severe and conservative interventions are no longer working, you may be a candidate for a shoulder replacement or a reverse shoulder replacement.
5. Frozen Shoulder
A patient with frozen shoulder or shoulder adhesive capsulitis will complain of limited ability to to reach over their head, reach behind them or even reaching out to their side. We tend to see this more in females between the ages of 40 and 60 years old. A person may tweak their shoulder and when it starts to get worse, they will seek the help of a shoulder doctor in the Mooresville area to further evaluation their symptoms.
During a shoulder evaluation, your shoulder specialist will attempt to move your arm. In a patient with a frozen shoulder, the joint will feel like it will not move. The muscles inside the shoulder will become tight and decrease your overall range of motion. A frozen shoulder is often diagnosed as an inflammation of the shoulder capsule.
Your treatment options with a frozen shoulder include cortisone shot to decreased formation and maturation of the scar tissue within the joint capsule. This shoulder problem will often respond to conservative treatment through physical therapy in Mooresville, NC.
The vast majority of patients, with a frozen shoulder, will get better without a visit to your doctor
You should make an appointment with a shoulder specialist in Mooresville, NC.
6. Fractures
Patients with shoulder pain could be experiencing symptoms of a fracture. A classic fracture of the shoulder joint will be found in the collar bone. While similar to a separated shoulder, a fracture will usually be located in the middle portion of the collar bone. When you have a fracture to the collar bone, your shoulder is hooked up as it should be.
Can you fracture the ball of your shoulder? The answer is yes. More often a patient will fracture the area just below the ball, known as the neck of your upper arm bone or humerus. Another common fracture can occur on the outside of the shoulder where the rotator cuff muscles attach the humerus. These types of fractures are commonly seen in patients to fall with an outstretched arm, landing on either their hand or elbow.
Can a shoulder fracture feel like other shoulder injuries? Absolutely! Fractures that occur near the upper arm, near the ball, may present just as having pain in the shoulder. This is why when you have an injury to your shoulder it is important to see a shoulder specialist and get an X-Ray to diagnose a fracture or other possible injury.
When should I be concerned about my shoulder pain?
Should I see a doctor if my shoulder is hurting? The short answer is to give it some time, maybe a week or so, and if your pain does not improve or gets worse you should call a local Mooresville shoulder specialist for further evaluation. If you suspect a shoulder fracture or have severe difficulty raising your arm away from your side you should see a shoulder specialist as soon as possible.
Most shoulder pain develops and worsens over a few weeks or months. When your shoulder pain has a gradual onset and is not related to a traumatic injury, your best option will be to try conservative treatment. As a top shoulder specialist in Mooresville, NC, We have extensive experience treating patients with mild to severe shoulder pain. The majority of patients without traumatic injury will restore full shoulder strength and function through physical therapy without surgical intervention.
Treatment for shoulder pain often includes Dry Needling. It targets muscle trigger points causing pain, weakness and limitations in range of motion. Dry Needling for shoulder pain is the most effective treatment you can have to eliminate pain and restore function. You can read more about it by clicking here!
As a physical therapist in Mooresville, NC we have worked with countless orthopedic specialists in the greater Charlotte area. In the event we feel your injury is beyond my scope of practice, We will always assist you in finding the best orthopedic doctor in Mooresville or Charlotte area to fit your exact needs.
I look forward to working with you soon! Always feel free to call or text to 704-325-9162, or email me at Admin@SternerPT.com with any questions about your condition and how we may be able to help.
You can get started with Easing Your Shoulder Pain by clicking the link below. We have compiled a guide to give you the Best Tips for Ending Shoulder Pain Now.
"How to Ease Chronic, Daily, Annoying Neck & Shoulder Pain & Stiffness
Without Pain Medicine & Without Surgery & Without Multiple Trips To The Doctor!"
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