Our Services / Shoulder Pain

What causes shoulder pain?

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows your arms a wide range of motion. A group of muscles and tendons, called the rotator cuff, stabilize the joint to keep it from moving out of place. Shoulder injuries can affect either the joint or the rotator cuff that supports it.

Some of the most common causes of shoulder pain and injury include:

Arthritis

Arthritis is a degenerative condition that causes joint inflammation. There are many types, but the most common form that affects the shoulder joint is osteoarthritis. As a wear-and-tear condition, osteoarthritis causes the cartilage around the joint to break down, which can cause pain and limit your arm’s range of motion.

Dislocation

When the shoulder joint dislocates or pulls away from the socket it fits in, trauma is the most common cause. A sports injury, car accident, or sudden fall can loosen or tear the tissues that make up the rotator cuff, leading to shoulder pain and instability.

Tendonitis

Inflammation and irritation can develop in the tendons, which connect muscle to bone, from ball-throwing while playing baseball, weightlifting, and other activities that strain the upper body. Degenerative conditions, like arthritis, can also lead to tendonitis.

Tendon tears

Tendonitis and sudden injuries can lead to partial or complete tendon tears, which may cause severe shoulder pain and poor range of motion.

Bursitis

The bursae are fluid-filled sacs that cushion the space between the joints and soft tissues. Overuse, injury, and general wear-and-tear can cause inflammation of the bursae that leads to shoulder pain.

How is shoulder pain diagnosed?

At Coastal Ortho, the team offers comprehensive diagnostic tools to pinpoint the cause of your shoulder pain effectively. In addition to a physical exam and medical history review, they may order imaging scans. X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) scans, or nerve conduction velocity exams that allows the team to view your bones and soft tissues.

What are the treatments for shoulder pain?

Coastal Ortho takes a multi-modality approach to shoulder pain treatment. Common treatments include:

Physical therapy

Physical therapy is a nonsurgical treatment method that involves rehabilitation exercises, stretches, and massage to restore function in your shoulder.

Aquatic therapy

During aquatic therapy, you perform muscle-strengthening exercises in the water. Aquatic therapy provides buoyancy that allows you to move without acute pain or discomfort.

Joint fluid injections

Joint injections deliver fluid directly into an arthritic joint to provide extra lubrication and relieve pain.

Arthroscopic surgery

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery is a minimally invasive procedure to repair the damage through a very small incision and a special camera.

To learn more about shoulder pain, call Coastal Ortho or schedule an appointment online today.