Plagued by Shoulder Pain? 3 Signs It’s Time for Treatment

Shoulder pain is a common complaint due to a wide variety of causes, including arthritis, repetitive use, or trauma from a fall, sports injury, or car accident. How do you know when you need expert help for shoulder pain?

Ajay Kumar, MD, and our team at New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center provide diagnosis and effective treatment options for shoulder pain. Here are signs that it’s time to seek professional care.

When you need help for your shoulder pain

Shoulder pain can affect anyone at any stage of life. The shoulder is a highly complex joint that moves in all directions, and there are plenty of parts that can be damaged. You should seek help for your shoulder pain if you show signs of these three common but treatable conditions:

Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis of the shoulder joint happens when cartilage inside the shoulder joint capsule wears away, letting bones rub together and causing pain and inflammation. The most common sign that you need medical attention is pain in the shoulder when you move your arm, especially when doing normal things like putting on a shirt or brushing your hair.

Arthritis treatments include pain relievers, physical therapy (PT), and even surgery to replace the shoulder joint and remove the source of the pain. We can help determine if you have osteoarthritis of the shoulder and make a personalized treatment plan for you.

Frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, usually starts after a period of immobilization of the shoulder joint. This could be due to a sports injury or a surgery. Your shoulder can feel stuck below a certain range of motion. The most common sign that you need treatment is being unable to lift your arm to shoulder height or above.

Frozen shoulder cases usually resolve after one to three years, and they don’t usually recur in the same shoulder. Dr. Kumar can recommend customized range of motion exercises or administer injections to relieve pain and inflammation.

Bursitis

Multiple fluid filled sacs, or bursae, around each shoulder joint and help protect it. Inflammation of these sacs is called bursitis. Bursitis is common in people who make repetitive motions with the shoulder joint, whether for work, such as house painting, or sports like golf or tennis.

The most common sign that you need to seek treatment is when bursitis refuses to go away even with rest. You might experience sudden or disabling joint pain, swelling, redness, or even a visible rash around the joint. The most common treatments for bursitis include PT, corticoid injections, and draining of excess fluid from the affected bursae.

We can help you get relief for your shoulder pain

Have you been plagued by shoulder pain that’s negatively affecting your life? Contact New Jersey Advanced Pain Management Center in Hackettstown, New Jersey, or Matamoras, Pennsylvania, for a consultation with Dr. Kumar. We help patients regain range of motion and minimize pain with a combination of effective medical treatments and at-home wellness tips.