Shoulder Pain Specialist

Shoulder pain also affects your arm movement and strength, often leading to such limited mobility that it’s hard to engage in daily activities. The experienced physicians at 360 Orthopedics offer comprehensive care for shoulder pain at three offices located in Sarasota, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch, Florida. In addition to exceptional medical care, they provide on-site X-rays and MRIs and medical equipment such as braces and stabilizers. The team is also accessible, scheduling same-day or next-day appointments. Don’t wait to get help for shoulder pain; call one of the offices or schedule an appointment online.

What causes shoulder pain?

Your shoulder, the most movable joint in your body, is stabilized by a group of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff. These soft tissues are vulnerable to traumatic injuries and wear-and-tear activities caused by repetitive movement.

Shoulder pain is frequently caused by conditions such as:

• Rotator cuff tears
• Biceps tendinitis
• Impingement
• Frozen shoulder
• Labral tear
• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Infections
• Dislocation
• Fractures
• Bone spurs 

Rotator cuff injuries are one of the top causes of shoulder pain. Your risk of suffering a rotator cuff injury increases if you’re active in sports or in occupations that require excessive overhead activity.

What additional symptoms develop if I have shoulder pain?

The conditions that cause shoulder pain often lead to other symptoms. You may also experience one or more of the following:

• Difficulty lifting your arm
• Arm weakness
• Shoulder weakness
• Shoulder instability
• Swelling and bruising
• Clicking when using your shoulder
• Limited range of motion
• Muscle spasms

If you continue to use an injured shoulder without getting proper treatment, the underlying condition worsens and leads to chronic problems such as shoulder instability.

How is shoulder pain treated?

After reviewing your medical history and performing a physical examination of your shoulder, your provider at 360 Orthopedics may take digital X-rays and/or perform an MRI. These imaging services are available on site, so your provider can quickly diagnose the cause of your pain and determine the best treatment.

Your treatment begins with the most conservative care possible, which may include:

• Rest
• Ice and heat
• Immobilization
• Activity modification
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Physical therapy
• Steroid injections

Rehabilitation is an important part of restoring optimal strength and recovering from a shoulder injury. If your injury is slow to heal, your provider may inject platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to boost tissue growth.

If your shoulder pain or weakness doesn’t improve with conservative treatments, your provider at 360 Orthopedics may recommend surgery to repair the tissues. Whenever possible, they perform arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive procedure that causes less trauma and helps you recover more quickly.

If your shoulder is severely injured or the joint has advanced deterioration due to arthritis, you may need a total shoulder replacement. The team at 360 Orthopedics often repairs an extensively damaged rotator cuff with a reverse shoulder replacement. 

During a reverse replacement, the positions of the ball and socket are switched, allowing your arm motion to be controlled by the deltoid muscles instead of the rotator cuff.

If you develop shoulder pain with or without arm weakness, call 360 Orthopedics or schedule an appointment online.