Shoulder Pain Treatment Specialist in San Antonio, TX

There is a common cause for shoulder pain which is when the rotator cuff muscles become trapped in the bony area of the shoulder, but this is not the only thing that causes pain in the shoulder. The shoulder is made up of the humorous, scapula (shoulder blade), and clavicle (collar bone) bones, with other small bones creating the ball and socket joint. Since the shoulder is a very used joint, there is potential for injury or pain from overuse of the joint, bursitis which is when the bursa in the shoulder becomes inflamed, bone spurs, arthritis of the joint, current or previous dislocation of the shoulder, nerve injury, tears of the rotator cuff muscles, broken shoulder bones, or poor posture. There is also the chance that you are experiencing referred pain, which is when pain in another area presents in a different area, this can happen with the shoulder when a patient is having lung pains or issues with the neck and neck muscles. Since injuries to the shoulder can occur in different mechanisms, such as falling, throwing motions, or over-extension from holding your arm above your head for extended periods of time it can be important to have the shoulder looked over by a doctor, like those at San Antonio Pain Consultants.
 
If you are experiencing sudden onset shoulder pain on your left side, this can be an indication of a heart attack and you should seek immediate emergency medical care. This pain can present as a crushing pain or sudden pressure, when accompanied by sweating and/or shortness of breath you should call your local emergency number.

Besides the constant discomfort a patient can experience when leaving their shoulder pain untreated, there are health risks that are associated with not managing and treating a shoulder injury soon enough. Those who choose to not seek medical care for their shoulder injury have an increased risk of developing cuff tear arthropathy which is a form of arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis if this is not the cause of your pain, and if the smaller muscles that support the joint are what is injured there is an increased likelihood of dislocation of the shoulder from motions such as throwing, or if you catch yourself while you are falling. Patients will also have a decreased range of motion of their shoulder joint when it is injured, which when left untreated can continue to worsen over time. There is also a risk of developing chronic shoulder pain, that will stay even after treatment, from the injury of the area and the muscles that have had to work to support the joint without the assistance of the injured muscles, cartilage, or bones.

The treatment method for your shoulder pain will be dependent on what is the cause of your pain, as some treatments that work for injuries of the muscles in the shoulder blade area will not work for injuries of the ball-and-socket joint that make up the rotator cuff. This is why seeking medical care when you begin to experience discomfort is very important.
 
The doctor doing your physical exam may request you have diagnostic imaging tests done such as X-rays, MRIs, or CT scans to determine what areas have been injured and if there has been any damage to the bones, or bone spurs that have developed. Once this has been determined your pain management doctor will go over your treatment options, such as corticosteroid injections or pain medications that can be used with physiotherapy. If your injury is more severe and the treatment is less straightforward, your pain management doctor will also discuss more invasive treatment options such as ablation, surgery and in cases where the rotator cuff has been severely damaged they may offer you the option of using a medical balloon inside the joint that will work as a spacer to stabilize the joint until you are able to go for surgery to have a shoulder replacement.

Shoulder pain is considered serious if the pain has lasted for two weeks or longer, it can also be considered serious when moving the joint yourself or with the assistance of another person results in pain, if there is discoloring of the area such as redness or bluing of the area, or the shoulder is swollen. If you have severe bruising present immediately after the injury, deformity of the shoulder, or bleeding you should seek emergency medical care. To find out more contact us or schedule an online appointment today. We are conveniently located at 3903 Wiseman Blvd, Ste 117, San Antonio, TX 78251. We serve patients from San Antonio TX, Balcones Heights TX, Castroville TX, Helotes TX, Alamo Ranch TX, Leon Valley TX, Shavano Park TX, Fair Oaks TX, Fair Oaks Ranch TX, and surrounding areas.