Shoulder Pain Specialist

What is shoulder pain?

The shoulder consists of several joints that connect muscles and tendons and provide a wide range of motion. The flexibility and mobility of the shoulder make it a likely joint to experience problems or instability, which results in shoulder pain.

Shoulder pain may be constant or only occur when you move your shoulder a certain way.

What causes shoulder pain?

The most common causes of shoulder pain fall into one of the following categories:

• Instability
• Arthritis
• Tendon bursitis, tendonitis, or tear
• Broken bone

Other, less common causes of shoulder pain involve nerve-related issues, tumors, or infections.

How is shoulder pain diagnosed?

The experienced team at Brooklyn Pain Doctors completes a thorough examination to diagnose the cause of your shoulder pain and customize a treatment plan. First, your doctor asks questions about how and when the shoulder pain started and if this is the first time you’ve had shoulder pain or if you’ve had it in the past and how it was treated.

Next, your doctor conducts a comprehensive physical examination, checking for swelling, tenderness, physical abnormalities, or muscle weakness. Your doctor also checks your shoulder’s range of motion and strength.

Finally, the doctor orders tests to help pinpoint the underlying cause of shoulder pain. Common tests include:

• X-rays, with and without dye injections
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Ultrasound
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Electromyogram (EMG)

In some cases, we conduct an arthroscopy surgical procedure using a fiber-optic camera to view soft tissue injuries that don’t show up on a physical exam or in X-rays.

How is shoulder pain treated?

Once we identify the cause of shoulder pain, we customize a treatment plan to your needs. Common treatments for shoulder pain include:

Reduced or modified activities

You should avoid taking up a new physical activity that you normally do not participate in while you have shoulder pain. You should also reduce physical activity temporarily to allow your shoulder to heal. Sometimes your doctor may prescribe physical therapy to increase shoulder strength and flexibility.

Medication

Medications reduce inflammation and pain. If over-the-counter pain relievers haven’t helped, your doctor may prescribe stronger medication or recommend shoulder injections or steroids to reduce inflammation and pain.

Surgery

Rarely, shoulder issues may require surgery. People who experience recurrent shoulder dislocations or rotator cuff tears don’t benefit from exercise and may require surgery. Surgical procedures involve arthroscopy to remove scar tissue and repair torn tissues or shoulder replacement.

If at-home treatment hasn’t resolved your shoulder pain, call the practice, or book an appointment online today.