Shoulder & Arm Injuries

Shoulder Injuries

Shoulder injuries are frequent, in 2006 approximately 7.5 million people saw a medical professional for a shoulder problem, including strains and sprains.  More than half of these visits were for problems involving the rotator cuff.  Shoulder injuries can be caused by many different types of activities from motor vehicle crashes to hanging curtains.

In our office we have handled many different types of shoulder injuries arising from things as common as work related injuries, vehicle crashes, falls caused by dangerous conditions on property, to improperly filled prescription drugs causing rotator cuff tears.  A frequent cause of shoulder injuries is athletic activities such as weightlifting, pitching, tennis, and swimming.  Injuries that are caused by athletic activities are rarely the fault of others with some notable exceptions see our page on sports injuries.

Warnings Signs of a Potential Shoulder Injury

Pain in shoulder associated with:

* strength – has the strength in your shoulder suddenly changed?  Do you lack the strength in your shoulder to perform your daily activities?

* looseness- does your shoulder feel like it could slide or pop out of the socket?

* stiffness – unable to rotate your arm in all of the normal ways without pain, grinding popping or clicking

Medical professionals say that if you answered yes to any of those questions you should consult with an orthopaedic surgeon for help in determining the gravity of the problem and your treatment options.

Orthopaedic surgeons (bone & joint doctors) generally identify shoulder problems into the following ways:

Impingement injuries

This is generally caused by too much friction between the acromion (the top part of the scapula or shoulder blade) and the shoulder muscles.  These types of injuries can be treated relatively easily with success.  Ignoring this type of injury could ultimately lead to a more significant injury.

Instability

This generally occurs where one of the three shoulder joints (glenohumeral joint, acromioclavicular joint, and the sternoclavicular joint) is forced or moves out of its ordinary position.  People suffering from instability generally have pain on lifting their arms arm and frequently feel that their shoulder is slipping out of place.

Rotator Cuff Injuries - The rotator cuff is made up of several muscles and tendons that enclose the Glenoid process (shoulder socket) and he head of the humerus (knob on the top of the bone making the upper arm).  The bones and tendons making up the rotator cuff are responsible for holding the ball and socket joint (glenohumeral joint) of the shoulder in place.  Rotator cuff injuries are common and range from minor needing only rest, ice, compression and, elevation, (RICE) to requiring surgery.  Our office has encountered cases where people have suffered rotator cuff tears from using Levaquin (Levofloxacin, fluoroquinolone antibiotics), however most commonly we see these injuries as a result of auto crashs.

Fractures - Fractures can occur in any of the three bones that make up the shoulder joint (the clavicle - collarbone, the scapula - shoulder blade, and the humerus - upper arm bone).  The most common shoulder fracture is to the clavicle as a result of a fall onto the shoulder.  Other types of trauma such as motor vehicle crashes are a common cause of shoulder fractures.

If you or someone you know have suffered a shoulder injury as the result of the conduct of someone else please give our office a call for a free consultation.

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