Shoulder Care and Treatments

Understanding Shoulder Conditions and Available Treatments

Shoulder Pain Treatment in Birmingham and Hoover, Serving Central Alabama

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Its unique structure can bend and twist in a variety of directions, giving it an extremely wide range of motion. This flexibility enables all kinds of activities from work to sports and play. It can also create instability, making the shoulder vulnerable to injury.

When an injury or health condition impedes your shoulder’s mobility, seeing a shoulder doctor is essential. Located in Birmingham-Grandview and Hoover, our team at Southlake Orthopaedics serves central Alabama with complete orthopedic and sports medicine care, ensuring our patients a full recovery.

Shoulder Conditions Requiring Orthopedic Care

The shoulder is a complex structure. Rather than a single joint, it contains three: the glenohumeral, the acromioclavicular, and the sternoclavicular. These joints connect three bones, the scapula, clavicle, and humerus, and are surrounded and supported by an arrangement of ligaments, muscles, and tendons. This complexity enables the shoulder’s flexibility but may also lead to instability. Damage to a single part can affect the whole structure.

Common symptoms of shoulder conditions include:

Intense pain
Swelling or redness
Weakness
Numbness or loss of sensation
Redness or discoloration
Inability to use the shoulder

Common Shoulder Conditions

The shoulder is susceptible to a variety of conditions, including:

Dislocation

The glenohumeral joint is a ball-and-socket joint in which the rounded end of the humerus bone nests into the cup-shaped glenoid fossa section of the scapula. Dislocation occurs when the humerus comes out of its socket, causing significant pain and inhibiting mobility. Orthopedic shoulder specialists treat dislocation by manipulating the bone back into place. This procedure, called reduction, requires several weeks of immobilization followed by rehabilitative exercise.

Clavicle Fractures

The clavicle, commonly known as the collarbone, is a long, slightly curved bone that extends from the shoulder to the center of the rib cage. It holds the shoulder in place and enables free movement. With a broken clavicle, patients experience pain and an inability to raise their arms. This injury can sometimes be treated with a supportive wrap or sling followed by physical therapy. More severe fractures may require surgery to realign the bones properly.

Rotator Cuff Tear

The rotator cuff is a cluster of four muscles and tendons that connect to the head of the humerus bone, forming a supportive cuff. This cuff can tear because of trauma or repetitive use. Patients will feel pain, weakness, and a grinding sensation when using or lifting the arm. Torn rotator cuffs are typically treated through arthroscopic surgery, which allows surgeons to repair the damage with minimal incisions. Afterward, physical therapy helps patients regain strength and mobility.

Shoulder Arthritis

Shoulder joints are cushioned by a layer of spongy cartilage. When the cartilage wears away due to age or repeated use, the bones rub against one another painfully. This degenerative condition is known as arthritis. The standard treatment uses oral medicine or medication injections to combat pain and inflammation. The medication is often combined with physical therapy to build strength. Typically, only very severe cases of arthritis require surgery.

Shoulder Instability

Shoulder instability occurs when shoulder ligaments become loose. This may be the result of a dislocation that stretches or weakens the ligaments, making the shoulder more susceptible to repeat injury. It may also be due to repetitive overhead motion from sports or manual jobs. Loosened ligaments can no longer effectively secure the shoulder in its socket. Physical therapy or surgery is required to restore strength and stabilize the joint.

Shoulder Impingement (Rotator Cuff)

The shoulder joint is supported by a group of muscles and tendons known as the rotator cuff. It is also surrounded by small fluid-filled sacs, called bursae, which provide shock absorption and cushioning. Impingement is caused by inflammation in the rotator cuff or bursae. It is often due to repetitive motions, and results in tenderness and stiffness around the joint. Orthopedists recommend resting from aggravating activities while the impingement is treated with medication and therapy.

Sprains and Separation

The joints in the shoulder are held together by strong ligaments. When these ligaments become stretched, ripped, or torn, the shoulder bones pull apart. The severity can range from a sprain to complete separation of both ligaments. Mild sprains are addressed using slings, cold therapy, and pain management medication. Full tears, however, may require surgical treatment to restore stability and a full range of motion.

Diagnosis and Treatment for Shoulder Conditions

Southlake Orthopaedics is a multi-specialty orthopedic facility providing complete care. We offer a variety of treatment options for shoulder conditions, staying with patients at every step from testing to surgery and rehabilitation. Treatments offered by board-certified orthopedic shoulder surgeons include:

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair treats a torn rotator cuff. The surgeon makes tiny incisions to admit surgical tools and an advanced arthroscopic camera. Ragged material is trimmed or smoothed, and the tendon is stitched back into place on the humerus.

Physical Therapy

Responsible for a wide range of motion, the shoulder is also one of the more unstable joints. When patients sustain an injury or develop a condition that affects the shoulder, physical therapy is often necessary for regaining stability. It also builds strength and enables a greater range of motion.

Shoulder Impingement Surgery

Shoulder impingement is treated with several methods. In many cases, the inflamed bursa is removed through a procedure called bursectomy. This relieves pressure around the joint while creating extra space for other bursae and tendons.

Severe cases of impingement may be treated with a subacromial decompression. During this surgery, doctors remove bone tissue around the shoulder joint. This creates more space for tendons and ligaments to operate without becoming constricted.

Shoulder Replacement

When the bone structures in the shoulder are damaged, doctors may suggest a shoulder replacement. This procedure involves removing the damaged material and replacing it with metal and plastic implants. It is used for a variety of conditions including arthritis, rotator cuff injuries, and fractures.

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement

Surgeons may recommend a reverse total shoulder replacement when previous replacements have failed, or when large rotator cuff tears prevent proper function. This procedure uses the deltoid muscle to control and position the arm, rather than the rotator cuff.

Why Choose Southlake Orthopaedics for Shoulder Care?

Patients who visit Southlake Orthopaedics receive treatment from a board-certified physician. Our team holds a variety of specialties and sees patients at all stages of life, from children to adults and seniors. Learn more about our orthopedic shoulder specialists:

Receive Care From Shoulder Doctors in Alabama

Patients struggling with shoulder pain can find less pain and more living with Southlake Orthopaedics. Our board-certified shoulder doctors provide complete orthopedic care with an on-site osteoporosis clinic, orthotics lab, and in-house physical therapy. We have helped countless patients throughout central Alabama find relief. For more information, contact us at one of our locations in Hoover and Birmingham-Grandview, AL.