Have you ever been told by a friend, “Don’t worry. It’ll go away on its own?” Well, for shoulder pain, it can sometimes be true.
My name is Dr. David Geier – orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist, and anti-aging and regenerative medicine expert. I help you feel, look and perform your best, regardless of age or injury.
The shoulder is one of the most complex joints in the body. It’s made up of many bones, muscles and tendons that work together to give you full range of motion.
The shoulder is made up of three bones: your upper arm bone (humerus), scapula (shoulder blade), clavicle (collarbone).
A ball-and-socket joint allows for a wide range of motion but can be susceptible to injury if not properly maintained or used improperly. The shoulder has many different muscles that move it, as well as ligaments that help stabilize it so you don’t dislocate your shoulder when lifting something heavy or reaching up high.
When any of these parts become injured, it can cause pain and limit your ability to move or lift objects without discomfort. The good news is that there are some things you can do to help speed recovery from a shoulder injury—and they don’t involve resting.
Shoulder pain can be caused by many different factors.
- Repetitive stress
- Overuse
- Trauma (injury)
- Arthritis, bursitis and ligament tear
These injuries can be caused by many different things. For example, repetitive stress from work, exercise or sports will cause shoulder pain in some people. Other common causes include an imbalance between the muscles that move your shoulder joint, injury from falls or sports injuries and arthritis as you get older.
Shoulder pain can also be persistent if it’s not treated early on.
Sometimes if you ignore shoulder pain, it can get worse. The longer you go without treatment for your shoulder injury, the harder it will be to recover. If left untreated, chronic shoulder pain can linger for months or even years and lead to other problems like a frozen shoulder. That’s an important reason seeing a doctor or orthopedic surgeon early on for shoulder pain can often be a good idea.
Having said that, many causes of shoulder pain will resolve with rest or some simple treatments you can do on your own.
Avoid activities that cause your shoulder to hurt. Often you can just modify certain exercises in the gym to take the stress off the part of your shoulder that hurts and still get a good workout in. The same strategy can be helpful if there are activities or movements in your job that cause pain.
Physical therapy is often one of the best ways to treat shoulder injuries because it helps you learn proper techniques and exercises to not only recover but also to prevent further harm. Physical therapists can teach you how to use your shoulder properly and regain strength, flexibility, range of motion and mobility. And often you can do these exercises on your own after the first couple of visits.
If your shoulder pain is not improving quickly with these strategies, then it can be a good idea to see an orthopedic surgeon. The doctor can perform a physical exam, get x-rays and occasionally an MRI, and help you figure out the cause of the pain and treatments to get your shoulder to heal.
We are looking for 5 patients with shoulder pain who want to get significantly better in the next 30 days, without cortisone shots, physical therapy, or surgery. Click this link and enter the term ‘Interested’ in the description box to learn more.
