Swing Past Shoulder Pain

We rely on our shoulders for everyday tasks, such as pushing, pulling and lifting. It’s no surprise then that when shoulder pain strikes, it can be debilitating. Whether you’ve suffered a sports-related injury or normal wear and tear, shoulder pain can keep you from doing what you love most.

At Crystal Clinic, our orthopedic physicians treat a wide range of both common and complex shoulder problems, including these frequently seen conditions:

Arthritis of the shoulder,

which causes inflammation, pain and stiffness that is aggravated by activity and progressively worsens. One of the most common symptoms is limited range of motion.

Shoulder pain,

which can be caused by an acute injury, arthritis, tendon inflammation (bursitis or tendinitis), fractures, instability or shoulder impingement. Also referred to as swimmer’s shoulder, tennis shoulder or rotator cuff tendinitis, shoulder impingement is an inflammation of the tendons and muscles between the bones in the shoulder.

Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis),

which causes pain, stiffness and progressive loss of motion in the shoulder. The dull or aching pain over the outer shoulder area is usually worse early on and when moving your arm.

Fractures or breaks in the bone,

which are caused by injuries or diseases such as osteoporosis or cancer. Another type is a stress fracture caused by overuse or repetitive motion.

Rotator cuff tears,

which are common causes of pain, grating or cracking sounds when moving your arm, limited arm movement and muscle weakness. Rotator cuff injuries may occur from lifting a heavy object or suffering a traumatic fall, but most develop over time due to the wear and tear that comes with aging.

Shoulder instability / dislocation,

which occurs when the upper arm bone comes out of the shoulder socket. This can occur from a sudden injury or overuse. In some people, shoulder instability can become a chronic problem.

Crystal Clinic is on the cutting-edge of the latest surgical and nonsurgical approaches for treating shoulder and elbow conditions, including the latest techniques in total shoulder replacement using computer-navigation.

Our innovative treatments include:

Total shoulder replacement,

which replaces the damaged parts of the shoulder (the ball, socket or both) with artificial components. Total shoulder replacement may be recommended if your shoulder pain hasn’t responded to conservative, nonsurgical treatments.

Computer-navigated shoulder replacement,

which provides extreme accuracy and precision in shoulder replacement surgery. The computer navigation technology used at Crystal Clinic is surgeon-controlled and integrates with innovative surgical instrumentation to allow for precise alignment of the implant. It also helps your surgeon create an individualized surgical plan based on your unique anatomy. This technology may be recommended if you have an extremely small shoulder socket, or your bone has excessively or asymmetrically eroded from severe arthritis or a previous fracture.

Reverse total shoulder replacement,

which is especially beneficial if you have a torn rotator cuff that is too extensive to be repaired. This procedure is also effective if you have a shoulder fracture or previous shoulder surgeries have failed. Unlike conventional total shoulder replacement where the artificial ball and socket joint mimic normal shoulder anatomy, with reverse total shoulder, the ball and socket are switched.

Minimally invasive surgery (arthroscopy),

which uses a small tube-like instrument with a camera so surgeons can operate on the interior of a joint using smaller incisions to promote quicker healing, faster recovery and less scarring. Arthroscopy can treat many conditions such as arthritis, rotator cuff tears, recurrent shoulder dislocations and impingements.

Elbow replacement,

which may be recommended for severe arthritis or an elbow fracture to replace the damaged parts of the ulna and humerus with metal and plastic components.