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Shoulder Pain

Manhattan Orthopedics

Orthopedic Surgeons located in Midtown Manhattan, New York, Astoria, & Brooklyn, NY

Your shoulder is a complex joint that gives you the mobility to throw a football, raise your hands over your head, and scratch that hard to reach the spot in the middle of your back. This mobility, however, can lead to an injury or damage to the joint that results in shoulder pain. Board-certified orthopedic surgeon Edmond Cleeman, MD, specializes in diagnosing and treating shoulder pain at Manhattan Orthopedics, with locations in Midtown Manhattan, Brooklyn and Astoria in New York. To schedule an evaluation for your shoulder pain with the sports medicine and arthroscopic surgical expert, call your nearest New York City office or book online today.

Shoulder Pain Q & A

What causes shoulder pain?

You can develop shoulder pain from an injury, overuse, or degenerative changes that occur with age. Some of the conditions that lead to shoulder pain include:

Tendon tears

Tendons are the tissues that connect your muscles to the bone. A tendon tear in the shoulder may occur after an injury or degeneration of the tissue. A rotator cuff tear is the most common type of tendon tear in the shoulder. Shoulder pain can also develop from pectoral tendon tears, which are painful injuries that affect the muscles and tendons in the chest and upper arm. 

Impingement

Impingement occurs when the top of your bursa and rotator cuff tendon rubs between the bones in your shoulder blade rubs on the soft tissue when you lift your arm, causing pain.

Arthritis

Arthritis refers to wearing away of the cartilage surface that coats the ends of the bones in a joint, referred to as osteoarthritis. Arthritis shoulder pain occurs from the bones rubbing on each other in the joint and the resulting inflammation. Arthritis in the shoulder most often develops from aging or prior injury such as a dislocation. 

Separated shoulder

A separated shoulder occurs when the ligaments that attach your shoulder blade to your collarbone are stretched or torn. A fall directly on the shoulder or a blow to the shoulder may result in the separation. 

Fractures

A break in your clavicle, humerus, or shoulder blade can result in shoulder pain.

When should I see a doctor for my shoulder pain?

If your shoulder pain is severe or occurs after an injury, you should have it evaluated by Dr. Cleeman as soon as possible. 

While you can often manage mild shoulder pain with at-home care, if your pain doesn’t improve, it’s time to visit Manhattan Orthopedics to determine the underlying cause of your discomfort.


During your evaluation, Dr. Cleeman conducts a comprehensive evaluation of your shoulder, which may include a physical exam and functional tests, as well as diagnostic imaging to determine the cause of your pain.

What are the treatments for shoulder pain?

Dr. Cleeman creates individualized treatment plans for the management of shoulder pain. Your treatment depends on the underlying cause, and may include:

  • Activity modification
  • Medication
  • Physical therapy
  • Injections, such as cortisone or platelet-rich plasma (PRP)

For severe shoulder injuries, such as rotator cuff tendon tears, pectoral tears or a separated shoulder, Dr. Cleeman performs arthroscopy. This is a minimally invasive procedure that allows him to evaluate your shoulder and make any necessary repairs using a surgical camera and small incisions. 

Physical therapy is needed following arthroscopy, and Dr. Cleeman sometimes includes cortisone or PRP injections to help with healing and inflammation following the surgery.

For expert management of your shoulder pain, contact Manhattan Orthopedics by phone or online today.

This website and content contained herein (including articles, blogs, images, text, graphics, videos, etc.) is not designed to, and does not, provide medical advice. It is NOT intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment but is for general informational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health, medical condition or treatment options. Never rely on information in this website in place of seeking medical advice and treatment. Never disregard or delay seeking medical advice because of something you may have read. If you think you may have a medical emergency you should seek immediate medical treatment. The practice does not endorse any specific tests, products, procedures, opinions or other information that may be mentioned in this website.

 

 


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