Shoulder
Comprehensive Care for Shoulder Pain
You’ve carried children, bikes, bags of top soil, thrown thousands of pitches, and swam a million miles over the years. And now your shoulder hurts.
The shoulder joint is the body’s most mobile joint. It has to be. Your shoulder pushes, pulls, lifts, and lowers your way through life. Shoulder pain – whether from sports injury, arthritis, or years of wear and tear – can literally put a stop to daily activities. You don’t have to live with shoulder pain any more.
We’re Experts When It Comes to Shoulder Pain
At Lederman Kwartowitz Center for Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in West Bloomfield, Michigan and Bingham Farms, Michigan, we are dedicated to diagnosing and treating sports-related injuries, especially those to the shoulder. Our surgeons and physician assistant have advanced training in sports medicine. If surgery is needed, we use the latest minimally invasive procedures, including arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder.
When you visit us for your shoulder pain, we’ll ask you about:
- LOCATION of the shoulder pain
- WHEN you experience the pain
- WHAT the pain feels like
- SEVERITY of the pain
- How LONG you’ve had the shoulder pain
- Your medical history
We will provide a thorough exam of the shoulder, including a possible X-ray, and develop a plan that addresses your pain and works for you.
If physical therapy is needed, our physical therapy and sports medicine clinic is right next door. Our highly trained physical therapists provide a personally designed treatment plan in concert with our surgeons and physician assistant.
Our shoulder doctors also offer advanced treatments, such as MLS laser therapy and Power Plate, to help our patients resume the activities they enjoy – pain-free!
About the Shoulder and Rotator Cuff
The shoulder joint is made up of three bones: humerus (upper arm), which connects into the scapula (shoulder blade) and your clavicle (collar bone). The joint is held in place by a system of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff. A fluid-filled sac, called a bursa, cushions the rotator cuff from the shoulder bones, allowing for easy, smooth movement of the shoulder.
Injury to the shoulder joint and rotator cuff is often caused by repetitive overhead motions, especially from physical activity such as pitching, tennis, swimming, and weightlifting. Occupations that also involve repetitive overhead motions, such as painting, carpentry, as well as everyday activities that involve reaching overhead may lead to rotator cuff and shoulder injuries.
Common shoulder and rotator cuff problems include:
Instability: Feels as though the shoulder is slipping or moving out of place. Often, it will be difficult to raise the arm.
Frozen Shoulder: Extreme difficulty to move the shoulder, either on your own or with the help of someone else. Pain is often dull and aching and is felt most on the outside shoulder and/or upper arm. The causes of frozen shoulder are not fully understood. The majority of frozen shoulders get better over time using non-surgical options.
Rotator Cuff Tear: Tears that occur to the soft tissues of the rotator cuff can be partial or full. Most rotator cuff tears happen over time from the normal aging process, thus those over 40 years of age are most susceptible. Symptoms include pain at rest, especially when lying on the injured shoulder; difficulty and pain when moving your shoulder; weakness and cracking during shoulder movements.
Dislocation: The shoulder can dislocate forward, backward, or downward. Symptoms include swelling numbness, weakness, or bruising. The most common dislocation is forward dislocation, which happens during a throwing motion.
Arthritis: This common condition results from injury or over time as the protective cartilage covering the bone wears away. A classic sign of arthritis is joint pain or stiffness that is worse in the morning or after vigorous activity. Dr. G. Victor Gibson specializes in shoulder replacement and reverse shoulder replacement for patients suffering from shoulder arthritis.
Learn more about shoulder conditions we treat in our patient education library.
Shoulder injuries and shoulder pain can be difficult to diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate. At Lederman Kwartowitz Center for Orthopedics in Oakland County, Michigan you will receive expert care with proven results. For an appointment, call our office at (248) 669-2000 or use our online appointment request form.
