The shoulder is an amazing piece of machinery. It has the greatest range of motion of any joint in the body. However, this large range of motion makes it less stable compared to the stronger but less mobile hip joint. Thus, the shoulder joint is more vulnerable to injury.
I see patients every single day with issues with their shoulders. The following are a few of the more common shoulder problems I see in my clinic.
Acromioclavicular separation
A shoulder separation is a fairly common injury, especially in certain sports. Most shoulder separations are actually injuries to the acromioclavicular (AC) joint. The AC joint is the connection between the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone). Shoulder dislocations and AC joint separations are often mistaken for each other, but they are very different injuries.
Bicep tendonitis
Bicep tendonitis, also called bicipital tendonitis, is inflammation in the main tendon that attaches the top of the biceps muscle to the shoulder. The most common cause is overuse from certain types of work or sports activities. Biceps tendonitis may develop gradually from the effects of wear and tear or suddenly from a direct injury. The tendon may also become inflamed in response to other problems in the shoulder, such as rotator cuff tears, impingement, or shoulder instability.
Impingement syndrome
Many people refer to any pain in the shoulder as bursitis. The word bursitis really only means that the part of the shoulder called the bursa is inflamed. Tendonitis is when a tendon gets inflamed. This can be another source of pain in the shoulder. Many different problems can cause inflammation of the bursa and/or tendons. Impingement syndrome is one of those problems. Impingement syndrome occurs when the rotator cuff tendons rub against the boney roof of the shoulder (the acromion).
Rotator cuff tears
The rotator cuff tendons are crucial to the healthy functioning of the shoulder. They are subject to a lot of wear and tear or degeneration as we use our arms. Tearing of the rotator cuff tendons is an especially painful injury. A torn rotator cuff creates a very weak shoulder. Most of the time, patients with torn rotator cuffs are over 30 years old, but rotator cuff tears can happen at any age.
Thoracic outlet syndrome
Thoracic outlet syndrome causes pain along the top of the clavicle and shoulder. The pain may spread along the inside edge of the arm, into the hand, and also into the ring and pinky fingers. Numbness and tingling may accompany the pain, especially in the early hours of the morning before it’s time to wake up. Symptoms tend to get worse when driving, lifting, carrying, and writing. The arms may also feel tired when held overhead, as when using a blow dryer. It may be harder to hold and grip things, and the hand may feel clumsy.
These shoulder issues are very common and we successfully treat them every day in our clinic. If you require treatment for your shoulder problem or you simply have questions, please feel free to call me at my office.
