ORTHOPEDICS/SHOULDER & ELBOW/SHOULDER DISORDERS
Most Shoulder Pain/Origin
Many things can go wrong at the shoulder level because it is a composite assembly.
Shoulder pain/Sources and relief
The shoulder is constitute of three bones: the humerus (The upper arm), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone).
The shoulder is the rotator cuff home as well, which comprises the muscles and the tendons that attach the upper arm bone to the shoulder blade.
On the other hand, the bursa, (which is a small, fluid-filled sac), lies between the rotator cuff and the acromion (the bone on top of the shoulder blade).
The bursa role is allowing the rotator cuff to moving more easily during an arm movement by decreasing friction and providing more cushioning.
Three Sources of Shoulder Pain
Any type of shoulder pain is classically related to:
- Tendinitis:
Shoulder tendinitis happens when tendons in the rotator cuff become irritated and inflamed.
This pain is frequently due to being drained by surrounding assemblies. Shoulder tendinitis pain ranges from mild to severe.
- 2 Impingement:
This disorder occur when the space between the acromion (the top of the shoulder blade) and the rotator cuff restricts, causing the acromion to rub against or “impinge” on the tendon and the bursa, causing serious pain.
This pressing of the rotator cuff muscles is known as a swimmer’s shoulder or shoulder impingement disorder.
- 3- Bursitis:
Tendinitis and impingement disorder are repeatedly accompanied by shoulder bursitis, which occurs when cushioning and the friction decreasing bursae become inflamed.
When muscles, tendons, and/or bursae in the shoulder experience a damage, they become inflamed.
Because space is so limited within the shoulder joint, the inflammation pushes the muscles and tendons to press between the bones in the shoulder joint: the humerus and the acromion.
Signs of Shoulder and Rotator Cuff Disorders
Shoulder pain can urge from a damage or occur apparently out of nowhere.
This disorder is frequently related to any type of recurrent lifting or overhead activities that involve the arm, such as playing baseball or tennis, working in construction, painting, swimming, etc.
The signs of a shoulder damage comprise the following:
- Pain in the shoulder and the upper arm
- Inflammation in the shoulder
- Painfulness with arm raising and lowering
- Pain at all-time
- Difficulty in sleeping on the damaged shoulder
Shoulder Damages/Diagnosis and Therapy
A physical exam allows diagnosing Tendinitis, bursitis, and impingement.
An imaging test, such as an MRI exam can help diagnosis.
Therapy for these damages types varies.
In most of the cases, relaxation, ice applying, and anti-inflammatory medicine are recommended. If relaxation and medicine are of little use, a steroid injection can also help relieving pain.
Finally, if there is no progress sign of recovery after six to twelve months, surgery may be recommended.
In this situation, Arthroscopic surgery is used to repair shoulder damage.