Shoulder Pain Specialists

What is the anatomy of the shoulder?

If you swing your arms around, reaching backward, forward, and up high, you begin to realize the incredible range of motion that your shoulders provide your arms. This range is powered by a shallow ball-and-socket joint that joins together the following:

• Your clavicle (collarbone)
• Your scapula (shoulder blade)
• Your humerus (upper arm)

These bones are held in place by a group of tendons, muscles, cartilage, and ligaments that allow mobility while maintaining stability. The key player in this regard is your rotator cuff, which is a group of tendons and muscles that keeps your arm firmly in its socket.

What are the main causes of shoulder pain?

Because of the shallow ball-and-socket joint, your shoulders are inherently unstable, which can be a good thing for your range of motion, but this design also leaves your shoulders vulnerable to problems such as:

• Shoulder impingement
• Rotator cuff tears
• Dislocated shoulder
• Shoulder instability
• Labral tears
• Frozen shoulder
• Shoulder fractures
• Arthritis

These types of injuries or conditions can develop on the heels of repetitive stresses or acute injury. For example, rotator cuff tears rarely happen in an instant, but develop over time and with repeated movements, like pitching a baseball or painting.

Shoulder fractures and dislocations, however, are often acute injuries, but once your shoulder has sustained this type of injury, life-long problems with shoulder instability can develop if you don’t have an orthopedist like Dr. Lochemes treat the injury correctly from the start.

How is shoulder pain treated?

The goal at Titan Orthopedics is twofold: 1) Relieve your pain; and 2) Address the underlying cause of the pain for long-term relief.

There’s no single treatment for shoulder pain, as it depends on the nature of the problem. When you first come in, Dr. Lochemes reviews your symptoms, orders advanced imaging to get a better look inside your shoulder, and then comes up with a treatment plan.

Dr. Lochemes prefers to start out conservatively, using:

• Immobilization
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Adjustments in your activities
• Regenerative therapies
• Physical therapy

If your shoulder doesn’t respond, Dr. Lochemes may recommend a surgical solution to repair it. The doctor uses the latest arthroscopic techniques to minimize the impact of the surgery, allowing you to regain use of your shoulder more quickly.

If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, call Titan Orthopedics right away. Or you can use the online scheduling tool to set up an appointment.