The shoulder is an extremely complex joint that connects your arm to the shoulder blade. A group of muscles move the shoulder and arm, and the tendons form a capsule around the shoulder joint. This group is known as the rotator cuff. Damage to the joint or these tendons can cause pain and limited movement in the shoulder joint. This damage can be due to osteoarthritis in the shoulder joint or injury or degeneration of the tendons and ligaments that support the joint. In some cases, shoulder impingement syndrome can result in a frozen shoulder, limiting any movement at all.
The rotator cuff keeps the ball of the upper arm bone (humerus) in the joint socket and allows a wide range of motion in the shoulder joint.
Damage to the rotator cuff can be caused by falls, sports or work-related injuries. These may result in partial or complete tears of the rotator cuff. Since tendons have a limited blood supply, they fail to heal completely by themselves. This can lead to chronic pain and dysfunction. Osteoarthritis develops when the cartilage in the joint wears out. A number of treatment options are available depending on the cause of the shoulder pain.
Your pain management doctors will diagnose the root cause of your shoulder pain by asking a series of questions such as –
- When did the pain start?
- Did you suffer a specific shoulder injury recently or in the past?
- Is the movement of the joint restricted by pain or weakness?
- How often or for how long have you been experiencing pain?
- Rate your pain on a scale of 1-10.
- Are there any factors that worsen or relieve your pain?
- What king of job/lifestyle you have?
They may also physically examine your shoulder to check the level of mobility, tenderness etc. They may order X-rays to check for broken bone or arthritis and ultrasound for fluid or tears in the soft tissues of the joint. An MRI scan can reveal the state of the cartilage, tendons, ligament and other structures within the joint and any damage to these tissues.
While shoulder arthroscopy allows looking into and repairing the joint, it is also potentially risky since it involves cutting into the joint .
Fortunately, there are non- and minimally invasive treatment options depending on the root cause of your pain.
If osteoarthritis in the joint is causing your chronic pain, it can be treated with –
- Cortisone joint injections
- Hyaluronic Acid injections
- Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections
- Stem Cell injections
Rotator cuff damage can be treated with –
- Physical therapy to improve range of motion and strengthen the muscles
- PRP or stem cell injections to heal damaged ligaments and tendons
To know more about pain management treatment in Sandy Springs, Georgia, call one of leading pain management clinics, Atlanta Innovative Medicine at 770-416-9995.
