Shoulder Pain & Injuries

Orthopedic surgeons and rehabilitation therapists can treat conditions such as:

• Calcific tendinitis – Pain due to hard calcium deposits on soft shoulder tendons
• Frozen shoulder – Joint stiffness and pain
• Labrum tear – Soft-tissue injury that can lead to shoulder instability (looseness and repeated dislocations)
• Rotator cuff tear – Damage to tendons that control the shoulder’s movement
• Shoulder arthritis – Breakdown of the joint’s cartilage, or cushioning
• Shoulder dislocation – Joint that popped out of place
• Shoulder impingement – Pain due to a shoulder bone rubbing against soft tissue when you raise your arm
• Shoulder separation – Collarbone that breaks away from the shoulder blade

Nonsurgical Care

Whenever possible, shoulder care starts with conservative treatments. They require less downtime and have a lower risk of side effects than surgery, so you can return to your activities sooner.

Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation focuses on relieving pain and improving your abilities. After a shoulder injury, you may benefit from:

• Occupational therapy – Teaches you how to do daily tasks more easily as your joint heals
• Physical therapy – Uses exercises, stretches and hands-on techniques to restore strength and flexibility

Shoulder Injections

Injections deliver medicine straight to the site of your injury. That means you can receive higher doses than you could take by mouth, and the medicine targets only the injured area of your body. Your doctor may use imaging technology to precisely guide the injection to the right spot, making treatment more effective. Ask about the right type of injection for your situation:

• Barbotage – Treats calcific tendinitis by using a needle and saline (saltwater) to remove painful calcium deposits
• Cortisone (steroid) – Reduces inflammation
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) – Uses natural substances from your own body to speed up healing

Surgical Procedures

Surgery is sometimes the best treatment option for a shoulder injury. In that case, your surgeon will take the least invasive approach possible to treat your condition. Often, that means using an arthroscope — a tube with a light and camera that shows the inside of an injured joint. Arthroscopy requires only small incisions for procedures such as:

• Distal clavicle excision for shoulder arthritis or impingement
• Frozen shoulder surgery
• Labral tear surgery, including Bankart repair and SLAP repair
• Rotator cuff repair
• Subacromial decompression for shoulder impingement

You recover faster and more easily with arthroscopy than you would after traditional surgery, which uses a long incision. You may even go home on the same day as treatment.

Shoulder Replacement

If nonsurgical treatments don’t relieve long-lasting shoulder pain, ask your doctor about shoulder replacement surgery. Also called arthroplasty, this treatment may be a good option if you experience:

• Arthritis (inflammation or cartilage breakdown)
• Osteonecrosis (loss of bone cells)
• Severe fracture (broken bone)

Joint Replacement Procedures

Joint replacement exchanges all or part of your damaged shoulder for a natural-feeling implant. Depending on the condition of your shoulder, your surgeon might recommend:

• Total shoulder replacement – Uses a metal ball and plastic socket
• Reverse total shoulder replacement – Switches the position of the ball and socket so you can lift your arms higher after a severe rotator cuff tear
• Partial shoulder replacement – Replaces the ball of your joint but leaves your natural socket intact

Ask for a Referral

Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to an orthopedic doctor or rehabilitation therapist at OSF HealthCare. Need a primary care provider? Browse our directory.

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