Shoulder Pain Starts With The Right Diagnosis
Learn The Signs Of Common Shoulder Conditions And Treatments For Lasting Relief
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When you have shoulder pain, it can interrupt your whole routine. While people often wait and see if things get better, early care can make a difference. That's why understanding what's causing your shoulder pain early can help you find the treatment and relief that work best for you.
The first step toward relief is finding the cause. “Shoulder impingement or shoulder pain is kind of a catch-all like back pain,” says Michael Khazzam, MD, a shoulder specialist on the medical staff at Baylor Scott & White – Grapevine. “We’ve really got to dive down deep to figure out what’s causing that pain.”
Rotator cuff disease may start with pain on the outside of the upper arm that hurts when you raise your arm overhead or wakes you up at night. Labral tears in the cartilage around the shoulder can cause pain in several areas. But shoulder pain doesn’t always mean a tear. Frozen shoulder develops due to inflammation, especially in people with diabetes or thyroid conditions or women ages 40-60. Biceps inflammation is also common, and arthritis may cause a deep pain that feels like a toothache.
While shoulder pain often improves with nonsurgical care, visiting a shoulder specialist first helps guide your next steps. “If you’re trying to treat something that you’re not quite sure what it is, you may not get better as quickly,” Dr. Khazzam says. “If you come see a specialist, we have other modalities, medications, and injections, and can direct physical therapy appropriately.”
Some shoulder conditions, such as severe arthritis or major rotator cuff tears, need surgery. One option is reverse shoulder replacement, which reconstructs the shoulder by flipping the placement of the ball and socket. At Baylor Scott & White – Grapevine, surgeons may use robotic technology to improve precision. The robot allows the surgeon to prepare the shoulder socket and place the implant in the most accurate position.
“If we put the implant in the perfect position, there’s a better likelihood of that implant outliving the patient,” Dr. Khazzam says. These advancements in surgical care, along with numerous nonsurgical treatments, mean you have more options to get long-lasting relief. The earlier you seek care, the sooner you can find the right solution.
"Don't be heroic or shy about ignoring the pain you're having. We can mitigate your symptoms and get you feeling better." — Michael Khazzam, MD
