How Common Are Shoulder Problems?
The shoulder is the most movable joint in the body. However, it is an unstable joint because of the range of motion allowed. It is easily subject to injury because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the shoulder socket that holds it.
According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, about 4 million people in the United States seek medical care each year for shoulder sprain, strain, dislocation or other problems. And shoulder problems account for about 1.5 million visits every year to orthopaedic surgeons - doctors who treat disorders of the bones, muscles, and related structures.
At the doctor's office - How do doctors diagnose shoulder pain?
• Medical history - the patient tells the doctor about an injury or other condition that might be causing the pain.
• Physical examination - to feel for injury and discover the limits of movement, location of pain and extent of joint instability.
The following tests confirm the diagnosis of certain conditions:
• X-ray
• Arthrogram - Diagnostic record that can be seen on an X-ray after injection of a contrast fluid into the shoulder joint to outline structures such as the rotator cuff. In disease or injury, this contrast fluid may either leak into an area where it does not belong, indicating a tear or opening, or be blocked from entering an area where there normally is an opening.
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - A non-invasive procedure in which a machine produces a series of cross-sectional images of the shoulder.
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To remain stable, the shoulder must be anchored by its muscles, tendons and ligaments. Some shoulder problems arise from the disruption of these soft tissues as a result of injury or from overuse or underuse of the shoulder. Other problems arise from a degenerative process in which tissues break down and no longer function well.
Shoulder pain may be localized or may include areas around the shoulder or down the arm. Disease within the body such as gallbladder, liver or heart disease as well as disease of the cervical spine of the neck also may generate pain that travels along nerves to the shoulder.
Shoulder replacement
A shoulder replacement (arthroplasty) often is successful in relieving joint pain. This procedure may be recommended if arthritis or degenerative joint disease makes your shoulder stiff and painful or if the upper arm bone is fractured so badly that tissue death may result.
Complications after shoulder replacement surgery occur less frequently than with other joint replacement surgeries. However, there are risks. Infection, intraoperative fracture of the upper arm bone or postoperative fractures, postoperative instability and loosening of the glenoid component are the most common complications. Advances in surgical techniques and prosthetic innovations are helping to reduce the occurrence of complications.
R. Sean Churchill, a Fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon with Advanced Healthcare, is one of two surgeons in Wisconsin who specialize in shoulder replacement surgery. The majority of his patients have already tried anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, and such behavioral modifications as lowering shelves so less reaching is required, but the pain persists.
Read what orthopaedics specialist,
R. Sean Churchill, M.D. with Advanced Healthcare,
recommends for patients with severe shoulder damage or osteoarthritis.
How should you treat a shoulder injury? Try R.I.C.E.
Follow the RICE prescription =
Rest,
Ice,
Compression and
Elevation
Rest: Reduce or stop using the injured area for 48 hours.
Ice: Put an ice pack on the injured area for 20 minutes at a time, 4 to 8 times per day. Use a cold pack, ice bag, or a plastic bag filled with crushed ice that has been wrapped in a towel.
Compression: Compression may help reduce the swelling. Compress the area with bandages, such as an elastic wrap, to help stabilize the shoulder.
Elevation: Keep the injured area elevated above the level of the heart. Use a pillow to help elevate the injury.
If pain and stiffness persist,
see a doctor.
Source: National Institute of Arthritis and Muskuloskeletal; National Institutes of Health
