Most people think that the shoulder is one big joint. The shoulder is actually several joints that work with muscles and tendons to give you wide range of motion with your arm. This range of motion is what allows you to reach behind to scratch your back, stretch your arm to reach that jar of jelly on the top shelf, swing a bat, and perhaps throw a winning pitch.

Many Reasons for Shoulder Pain

With all the moving parts in your shoulder, there could be many possible reasons for developing shoulder pain at some point during your life. However, if you have sudden shoulder pain with no obvious reason or the pain is accompanied by dizziness, nausea or chest pain, it is a good idea to immediately seek medical care to rule out the possibility of a heart attack.

Pain from a shoulder strain or overuse is often not serious and will usually go away with some rest from activity. Other shoulder conditions might require the care of an orthopedic surgeon in order to heal properly.

Conditions That Cause Shoulder Pain

Common conditions that can cause shoulder pain include:

• Bursitis – occurs when the bursae in your shoulder become swollen or inflamed, causing friction between your muscles and bones. This condition may also occur with rotator cuff tendonitis.
• Tendonitis – occurs when a tendon is worn down, whether from excessive overhead activities or a degenerative disease like arthritis.
• Rotator Cuff Injuries – may occur from a sudden injury or degenerative changes from age or wear and tear. Tendons in the rotator cuff may be torn completely or partially.
• Fracture – may occur from a fall or a sudden impact that might occur during a contact sports injury or car accident.
• Shoulder Instability – overuse or sudden trauma can cause the ball of your upper arm bone to slip out of the shoulder socket and cause reoccurring dislocations from the shoulder’s damaged tendons, ligaments and muscles.
• Osteoarthritis – occurs from wear and tear and usually develops slowly with the pain increasing over time.
• Shoulder Impingement Syndrome – occurs when the shoulder blade is putting pressure on soft tissues on rotator cuff tendons and bursa underneath the bone when lifting your arm.

Treating Shoulder Pain with Arthroscopy

Dr. Howard Marans takes a conservative approach when treating shoulder injuries. However, if non-surgical methods fail or surgery is your only option at the onset, Dr. Marans is a skilled arthroscopic surgeon who has treated thousands of patients over the past 20 years.

Many pain-causing shoulder conditions can now be repaired through arthroscopy. Arthroscopic surgery is a minimally invasive surgery that is normally performed on an outpatient basis. Because your incisions are less than an inch in length, there is reduced risk for bleeding, infection and no stitches are needed.

Arthroscopy Surgery to Treat Shoulder Pain

To find out if you are a candidate for arthroscopic surgery to relieve your shoulder pain, schedule a consultation with Dr. Marans by calling 714.979.8981 or by clicking the button below.