To find the cause of your shoulder pain you may be required to have a comprehensive examination by an Orthopaedist. This includes a detailed medical history and a physical examination, which may include looking for physical abnormalities - swelling, deformity or muscle weakness - or feeling for tender areas, and observing the range of shoulder motion.
Most shoulder problems involve the soft tissues, muscles, ligaments and tendons, rather than bones. And most of these problems fall into three major categories:
tendinitis/bursitis
injury/instability
arthritis
Other much more rare causes of shoulder pain are tumors, infection and nerve-related problems.
An Orthopaedist can both diagnose and provide treatment and may order one or more of the following to help diagnose the cause of your pain:
X-ray studies
CT scan
EMG (electromyogram) - will indicate any nerve damage
MRI
Arthroscopy - surgical procedure in which the orthopaedist looks inside the joint with a lighted telescope
Treatment may be non-surgical or surgical. Non-surgical care generally involves altering activities, rest and physical therapy to help you improve shoulder strength and flexibility as well as medications to reduce inflammation and pain. Most patients with shoulder pain will respond to this treatment Injections may also be used to treat pain. Surgical treatment may be entirely arthroscopic using pencil sized holes, require open incisions or a combination of the two. Common surgical shoulder problems include partial or complete rotator cuff tears, labral injuries, recurrent shoulder dislocations and arthritis
