It’s difficult to imagine what life would be like without a shoulder
that works properly. There are so many things you couldn’t do anymore,
like throw a ball, lift a grocery bag, open a door, or brush your teeth.
The list is endless because this joint can complete a wider range of motion
than any other joint.
Your shoulder contains two joints, the acromioclavicular joint and the
glenohumeral joint. The acromioclavicular is the juncture of the shoulder
blade or scapula, with the collar bone or clavicle. The second, the glenohumeral,
is the location of the ball or humeral head, and the socket or the glenoid.
Your shoulder does lots of great work for you because it performs: abduction,
meaning it moves away from the body; adduction, as it moves toward the
body; as well as flexion, extension, and internal and external rotation.
This multifaceted taskmaster connects your upper arms to your torso, allowing
you to move your arms. It is the body’s most flexible joint—as
well as the most complex.
Assessing Your Shoulder
In addition to taking your medical history, your orthopedic surgeon will
do a physical exam that
Includes the following:
Palpation, or touching and feeling your shoulder
Evaluation of your range of motion
Assessment of your rotator cuff, muscles and tendons that keep your shoulder
in place, and other shoulder components, also your biceps
Testing for instability
Ensuring the pain doesn’t come from your neck
Your orthopedic surgeon may decide to do the following diagnostic imaging
tests to learn more about what’s causing your shoulder problem.
X-ray
Computerized tomography or CT scan
Ultrasound
Magnetic resonance imaging or MRI
Electrical studies such as an electromyogram that evaluates nerve function
Arthrogram that uses dye injected into the shoulder
Shoulder Symptoms and Conditions We Treat
At the Orthopedic Institute at Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center, our
experienced orthopedic surgeons can help if you have:
Acromioclavicular (AC) joint separation
Axillary nerve dysfunction
Bursitis
Bone and joint infections
Clavicle fractures
Degenerative conditions such
Frozen shoulder as arthritis
Humerus fractures
Labral tears
Ligament injury or sprain
Nerve dysfunction, including long thoracic nerves and spinal accessory
nerve dysfunction
Osteoarthritis
Osteonecrosis
Prior shoulder replacement issues
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rotator cuff injuries
Scapula fractures
Scapular winging
Nonsurgical Treatments for Shoulder
From athletes, to aspiring athletes, to people who just want to regain
shoulder mobility, our orthopedic surgeons welcome the opportunity to
help you feel better and function better. Before recommending surgery,
your physician may recommend these nonsurgical options:
Splinting or immobilization: These restrict movement that allows you to heal faster.
Over-the-counter pain relievers: Those most often used include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs),
such as naproxen or ibuprofen. Acetaminophen can ease pain but not inflammation.
Corticosteroids: These may be injected into the shoulder joint to provide temporary pain
relief and reduce swelling but are not always successful. Injections are
usually limited to four times annually.
Platelet-rich plasma: This injection is made from your blood cells called platelets, that contain
growth factors to help injured tissue heal faster. The blood is taken
from your arm.
Physical therapy: Committing to a program and following directions may increase shoulder
and elbow range of motion and flexibility and diminish pain.
Shoulder Surgeries We Offer
If you experience severe pain when trying to complete your daily activities,
or even moderate pain when you rest or relax, you may want to consider
surgery. If you’ve lost motion or have weakness in your shoulder,
or the nonsurgical treatments you’ve tried just aren’t helping,
surgery really may be the right choice for you. Consider these types of
shoulder surgery:
Shoulder replacement
Reverse shoulder replacement
Revision joint replacement
Rotator cuff repair
Arthroscopic repair
Fracture fixation
Minimally Invasive Surgery
If your surgeon performs a minimally invasive procedure such as arthroscopy,
that means less of the tissue in the shoulder will be cut, using smaller
incisions that disturb less of that tissue. Your surgeon will determine
if you are a suitable candidate for this type of procedure, which provides
you these advantages:
Shorter recovery time
Less postoperative pain
Less trauma to the tissues around your joint
Less scarring and less blood loss
Quicker rehabilitation
After Your Surgery
The joint replacement team at the Orthopedic Institute at Pomona Valley
Hospital Medical Center has lengthy experience helping many patients return
to a normal routine after shoulder surgery, and they will help you, too.
Our orthopedic surgeons, and our care team, are here to guide you from
start to finish, to ensure you have the most pleasant and beneficial experience
possible any time you undergo surgery at our hospital. We know that aftercare
is so important to your complete recovery, so rest assured we are here
for you, your questions, and for the accomplishment of your goals following
your procedure.
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