Writer / Dr. Ripley Worman, Orthopedic Surgeon at IU Health West Hospital
Photography Provided
People tend to be more active during the summer months. If you enjoy outdoor activities or play sports, have fallen, or tend to overuse your shoulder, you may suffer from shoulder pain or even a new shoulder injury.
Shoulder Instability
You can have shoulder instability from an injury or due to weak structures around the shoulder. A resulting dislocation may tear or weaken ligaments, tendons or muscles, and make the shoulder vulnerable to repeated instability events.
Nonsurgical treatments for shoulder instability (such as activity modification, anti-inflammatory medications and physical therapy) can take several months to show results. In cases where physical therapy doesn’t show sufficient results, or in more severe cases of shoulder instability, minimally invasive surgery can repair torn or stretched structures. Following surgery, physical therapy can help you return to normal activity as quickly as possible.
Rotator Cuff Injuries
The rotator cuff consists of a group of four tendons that work together to stabilize the shoulder. These tendons attach muscles to the bones of the shoulder. When you injure or overuse the tendons or muscles of the rotator cuff, the cuff can be strained, inflamed or torn, causing pain and dysfunction in the shoulder.
Treatment of rotator cuff pain may simply require modifying your activities to reduce strain on it. In addition, physical therapy or steroid injections may be recommended. If severe, your physician may suggest surgery. As with other surgical interventions, your physicians will order physical therapy after surgery to speed your healing so you can return to normal activity.
Arthritis
Shoulder arthritis is the breakdown of cartilage in the shoulder that can lead to significant pain and loss of motion of the shoulder. Physical therapy and steroid injections along with anti-inflammatory medication may provide pain relief and improved shoulder function. With intolerable pain, your expert surgeons may offer joint replacement surgery. Shoulder joint replacement alleviates pain and improves the function of your shoulder.
Treatment
On your visit, you can expect a full evaluation and explanation of your diagnosis. You will also receive your physician’s treatment recommendations. Your team will work with you to design a treatment plan that fits your individual needs. Treatments may include non-operative management including anti-inflammatory medication, injections and physical therapy as well as possible surgical intervention.
