Which Doctor To Consult For Shoulder Pain

01.07.2023 Chukwudi Eze 0 Comments

When to See an Orthopedic Doctor for Shoulder & Elbow Pain Shoulder and are some of the most common aches and pains people experience. Since the shoulder and elbow joints are also some of the most frequently used in your body, pain and injuries in these joints can significantly impact your daily life.

However, many people aren’t sure what doctor to see for these types of pain or even when to see a doctor. Orthopedic doctors are specialists who treat shoulder and elbow pain. An orthopedic specialist can examine your shoulder or elbow and order imaging studies like,, or ultrasounds. He or she will identify what kind of pain you are experiencing, as well as what treatments will help.

Our orthopedic specialists at University of Utah Health can diagnose and treat your elbow and as well as your injuries. Our physicians offer surgical and non-surgical treatments to get you back to your normal activities. Shoulder and can either be the result of a sudden fall or injury or come on slowly from wear and tear on the joints.

Limited range of motion; for example, you cannot lift your arm above your head or cannot bend or straighten your elbow Dull or achy pain when you move your elbow or shoulder Pain when using your elbow or shoulder Pain in the elbow or shoulder when you are at rest Difficulty sleeping because of shoulder or elbow pain Numbness or tingling in your arm or shoulder Weakness that gets increasingly worse Ongoing or worsening pain that develops over time

For many injuries, early treatment and intervention will help avoid more extensive damage. It could also improve the trajectory for healing.

Contents

1 Who should I see first for shoulder pain?
2 What happens if you don’t treat shoulder pain?
- 2.1 What are the symptoms of a damaged shoulder?
3 Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain?
4 What happens if a rotator cuff goes untreated?
- - 4.0.1 Can I ignore shoulder pain?
- 4.1 Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain?
  - 4.1.1 How long is too long for shoulder pain?

Who should I see first for shoulder pain?

The condition is severe or the cause is unknown – If you have shoulder pain, the first place to go is usually your primary care doctor. Primary care doctors can manage mild or acute shoulder issues in many cases by prescribing rest, physical therapy, medication, and other conservative treatments.

Should I see my regular doctor for shoulder pain?

Schedule an office visit – Make an appointment with your doctor if your shoulder pain is accompanied by:

Swelling
Redness
Tenderness and warmth around the joint

What will a doctor do for shoulder pain?

POTENTIAL CAUSES OF SHOULDER PAIN – Tendinitis Shoulder tendinitis typically occurs from a repetitive motion. Occasionally, a more sudden, unexpected injury can cause the issue. It’s common in athletes, especially those who may inadvertently use the incorrect form, putting additional stress on the tissues and tendons in the shoulder.

Treatment for shoulder tendinitis focuses on regaining mobility and reducing the discomfort caused by pain and swelling.
Rest and ice on the shoulder is a great start — it will help reduce the swelling.
Physical therapy can help relieve the symptoms and help regain strength in the shoulder.
Surgery is typically only needed if the tendon has been torn — either partially or wholly.

Bursitis Shoulder bursitis occurs when the small fluid-filled sacs (bursae) that cushion and protect bones, tendons, and muscles become inflamed. The shoulder is one of the most common locations for bursitis, which often presents itself in joints that perform repetitive motions.

Bursitis can cause stiffness and swelling in addition to a general ache in the shoulder. It may be irritating when you apply pressure to the shoulder or move it. Generally, bursitis will subside with rest and extra care to protect the joint and limit use. If pain is persistent, you should see a doctor to develop a practical course of treatment.

Your doctor may recommend medication to reduce inflammation, therapy to strengthen the muscles in the shoulder, injections to reduce more severe inflammation or surgery. Surgery is rarely needed in the treatment of bursitis. Rotator Cuff Tear Rotator cuff tears are common, especially in people who are middle-aged or perform repetitive overhead motions at their job or while playing a sport.

Tears can occur over time as a result of wear and tear or from a sudden accident or injury.
Most people describe the pain from a rotator cuff tear to feel like a dull ache that worsens if you sleep on the affected shoulder.
The tear can make it difficult to reach behind your back to do daily tasks like brushing your hair.

It may also make your arm feel weak. Rotator cuff tears are common in people:

Over the age of 40 Who work in the construction industry With family members who have had rotator cuff tears Athletes who play sports like baseball or tennis

If you suspect a rotator cuff tear or other serious shoulder injuries, it’s advised that you make an appointment to see an orthopedic doctor. There are many options for treatment, but they are generally more effective if the injury is diagnosed early.

At your appointment, your doctor will talk to you about your symptoms. Additional testing, such as an X-ray, ultrasound, or MRI, may be used to confirm the diagnosis and assess the severity of the tear. Your doctor may recommend physical therapy to improve the strength in your shoulder. Injections are an option to help reduce the pain, although it’s important to remember that even though the pain may be gone, the underlying issue is not.

Surgery can help repair the tendon and if necessary, replace the shoulder joint. Frozen Shoulder Frozen shoulder doesn’t occur suddenly — it gradually worsens, causing pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint. There are three main stages:

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The Freezing Stage – You feel pain when you move the shoulder, and your range of motion becomes limited. The Frozen Stage – The joint is stiff and painful to use (pain can reduce during this stage). The Thawing Stage – Your shoulder slowly begins to return to normal.

The pain from frozen shoulder can worsen at night, especially if you sleep on the affected shoulder. People most at risk for this condition have had a medical procedure or situation that limits movement in the arm; for example, somebody who has had a stroke or a broken arm.

It’s also more common in people over the age of 40 and is seen more often in women than men.
Frozen shoulder usually gets better on its own within 12 to 18 months; however, physical therapy can be helpful to help maintain and recover mobility within the shoulder.
Corticosteroid injections can help manage pain, although these injections are generally more useful in the early stages of frozen shoulder.

Surgical options for frozen shoulder aren’t standard, but there are options should this be the course of treatment best for you. Instability/Dislocation/Separation When the humorous (upper arm bone) is forced out of the shoulder socket, shoulder instability occurs.

Sometimes this is a result of overuse, while some cases are a result of sudden accident or injury.
Unfortunately, once a shoulder has dislocated, it’s likely to happen again — when the shoulder repeatedly dislocates, the condition is referred to as chronic shoulder instability.
Shoulder dislocations can be partial or complete, meaning the ball comes either partially out of the socket or out of the socket.

The condition can also be caused when patients have loose ligaments in their shoulder — whether the looseness is their anatomy or a result of repetitive overhead motion. Those who play volleyball, tennis, or swim sometimes have stretched shoulder ligaments.

It’s also common in those who have an occupation that requires overhead work regularly. Shoulder separation is a condition caused solely by loose ligaments — the bones remain in place, but the loose ligaments create a feeling of instability and weakness in the shoulder. As detailed above, some specific sports and occupations can increase the risk of problems with the ligaments in the shoulder.

Physical therapy and modifications to your activities can help minimize the symptoms. Physical therapy can also help strengthen the shoulder to improve stability. Anti-inflammatory medications and injections can also help to relieve the swelling and pain.

Surgery is sometimes necessary to repair damaged ligaments, allowing them to hold the shoulder in place again.
At MOA, we see consistently positive outcomes for shoulder surgeries.
Slap Tear The ball joint of the humerus (upper arm) is held in place by the labrum — a rubber tissue attached to the shoulder socket to help keep the joint stable.

A SLAP lesion (superior labrum, anterior to posterior) is a tear above the middle of the shoulder socket. Tears to the labrum can occur from a sudden injury or can wear and tear as we age. Injuries that can cause a labrum tear include falling on the shoulder or arm, a direct hit to the shoulder, reaching overhead rapidly or a sudden pull.

Some athletes, like weightlifters or throwing athletes, can see these types of injuries as a result of a repetitive motion that wears down the labrum. A labrum tear causes pain, especially when reaching overhead. It may create a feeling of instability and loss of strength, along with a decrease in your range of motion.

Some people experience a grinding sensation or popping and locking in the joint. Physical therapy may help strengthen the muscles in the rotator cuff, while anti-inflammatory medications can help relieve the symptoms. Surgery may be necessary if there isn’t improvement with more conservative treatments.

How long is too long for shoulder pain?

When to see a GP – You should see your GP if:

the pain doesn’t improve after two weeks it’s very difficult to move your arm or shoulder the pain started after an injury or accident, like a fall

What happens if you don’t treat shoulder pain?

Without any treatment—either rest and rehabilitation or surgery— rotator cuff disorders may get worse. Over time, you may have more pain. You may lose range of motion and strength in your shoulder, making it harder to do your daily activities.

What are the symptoms of a damaged shoulder?

Symptoms – Pain is a symptom of just about every shoulder problem. The pain can range from dull and achy to sharp and severe. The specific location of pain within the shoulder can help your doctor diagnose the problem. Along with shoulder pain, other signs and symptoms include stiffness, weakness, and an inability to rotate or raise your arm through a normal range of movement.

Can a chiropractor help with shoulder pain?

Should You See a Chiropractor For Shoulder Pain? If you are experiencing pain in the shoulder region, whether it is a dull ache, sharp pain or tingling sensation that radiates down your arm—there is no denying that this shoulder pain can seriously disrupt your daily quality of life. Shoulder pain is unfortunately common.

Chances are you don’t realize just how much you use your shoulder joint on a regular basis until you start experience shoulder pain or range of motion limitation.
While shoulder pain is common, it is not a condition that you should feel like you have to live with.
You should always go see a doctor if you are experiencing pain that lasts for more than 48 hours.

But when you start to notice unfamiliar shoulder pain, should you go and see a chiropractor? The answer is yes. A doctor of chiropractic is a great person to turn to for all of your shoulder-related pain. They are also primary care providers, so you don’t need a referral to make an appointment for your shoulder.

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Will a Chiropractor Work on Shoulders? Yes, chiropractors work on shoulders. Your shoulder joint is one of the most complex joints in the body because it has such a wide range of motion and is used so frequently. While many people will visit a chiropractor for their back pain, these doctors don’t just treat the joints that make up the spine.

They also treat extremities such as the shoulder. Common Shoulder Conditions Chiropractors Treat Since the shoulder is used so frequently, injuries are quite common. Shoulder injuries can happen in sports, from working at a desk job, bad posture, car accidents or simply injuries doing everyday tasks.

Subluxations of the AC joint Frozen shoulder Arthritis Tendonitis Bursitis Tear in the Rotator Cuff Rotator Cuff Sprain

What Can Your Chiropractor Do For Your Shoulder Pain? Many times, the pain you are feeling in your shoulder is actually related to an injury or a subluxation somewhere else in the body. Many times, neck or rib cage injuries can lead to pain or discomfort in the shoulder region.

In addition to adjusting the shoulder joint, or other impacted joints that may be leading to your pain, your chiropractor may teach you at-home exercises and stretches that will help with this shoulder discomfort.
Strengthening exercises are often a great way to rebuild stability in a weak or painful shoulder.

Working on your posture is also a great way to prevent shoulder pain if your discomfort comes from sitting and working at a desk all day. Here at our Laurel, MD chiropractic office, we are here to not only help with the shoulder pain you are experiencing, but to get to the root of the problem.

We don’t just want to cover up the pain, we want to diagnose the issue so you can get the treatment you need to get back to life as normal.
We will start by doing a comprehensive health history and physical exam.
We will also take x-rays to rule our certain major injuries first.
No matter what type of shoulder pain you are experiencing, our doctors are here to help.

Give us a call today at 301-776-0755 or schedule an appointment online today. Author Dr. Terence P. McAuliffe Jr. Family Chiropractor at McAuliffe Chiropractic Office If you have TMJ or jaw pain in Howard County, MD, visit the experts here at McAuliffe Chiropractic for more info on how you can get the care you need to feel your best.

Here at our Howard County chiropractic office, we talk a lot about posture and work hard to help our patients restore a healthy posture. But why is this so important? And why do we put so much emphasis on good posture? Because good posture = good health. Spinal stenosis is defined as the narrowing of the nerve root canals in the spinal cord.

When this happens it can cause back pain, leg pain, numbness and tingling. Our Howard County chiropractic office can help with this condition. Here at McAuliffe Chiropractic Office in Laurel, MD we specialize in treating shoulder mobility issues including “frozen shoulder.” Visit our PG County office for more questions about your shoulder pain and what our chiropractic office can do to help.

While many people believe that migraines are just a severe headache—there is a lot more to a migraine than meets the eye. Approximately 15% of adults in the greater Laurel area suffer from migraines and chiropractic care can help. If you have back pain, or suspect you have a disc injury, then our PG County chiropractic office can help you get back to feeling like yourself.

We are here to answer all of your disc related questions and get you out of pain and back to a healthy spine. : Should You See a Chiropractor For Shoulder Pain?

What happens if a rotator cuff goes untreated?

What are the possible rotator cuff tear complications? – If left untreated, a rotator cuff tear can severely restrict function and range of motion. The tear can also increase over time. This may cause partial rotator cuff tears to progress to total tears. While anti-inflammatory drugs can ease pain at the beginning of the injury, time worsens the tear and makes these medicines less effective.

Can I ignore shoulder pain?

Posted On: Mar 14, 2019 Written By: Felicia Messimer

There are a variety of reasons why a person’s shoulder might hurt. Often, these conditions are easily treatable; other times it could be a subtle way of your body letting you know something else is occurring. Whether it’s a random ache that comes and goes, or a consistent pain that comes along with overuse, here’s what to know about shoulder pain injuries,

Shoulder Injury Signs To understand if it’s just a muscle ache or an injury, you’ll have to evaluate the situation at hand. An injury is often present if you have limited mobility due to stiffness and pain, you can no longer do your daily activities, and it feels as if it could pop out the socket. If this is the case, a dislocation, separation, or fracture could all be present.

Visit a doctor immediately for shoulder pain if:

The use of your arm is limited or you’re unable to lift itThere is bruising or swelling around the jointThe pain occurs at nightOther unusual symptoms are tied along with it

Early Treatment is Best One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is injury, and the best plan of attack is to get it taken care of immediately. The longer you wait, the more damage you could do to the joints and tendons. Because the pain can easily be ignored and doesn’t always affect your quality of life, it’s easy to put off, but the quicker you see a specialist, the higher your chances of nonsurgical treatment will be.

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Achy Pain : Is often a sign of a SLAP tear, frozen shoulder or rotator cuff tear. Radiating Pain : Arthritis or tendonitis in the rotator cuff could be present. Burning Pain : Often a sign that your bursa is inflamed or irritated, leading to bursitis.

If you are living life with constant shoulder pain, Wyoming Orthopedics and Spine (WYOS) is here to help in Gillette, Wyoming. We can evaluate your orthopedic options, so you can rest assure that you get the best possible outcome and are back to your daily routine in no time.