If you’re getting older, you’re probably familiar with shoulder pain. It’s not always debilitating. You can still function and do most of the essentials to get through the day, but the aches and pains may keep you from deep sleep, or you may not be able to throw a ball.
The shoulders are the most complex and mobile joints in the body, and that relationship is connected. No other joint in the body depends as much on soft tissue for stability as the shoulder.
Many shoulder aches and pains can be managed with your primary care physician and a home care routine. The doctors at Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, point to three signs that it’s time to see an orthopedist for your shoulder issues.
Shoulder pain that gets worse over time won’t spontaneously improve. There’s something wrong, and your body is trying to tell you. The same is true for pain that won’t go away, despite your home care efforts.
Pain that persists or worsens could be the sign of a structural problem, such as a rotator cuff tear or tendinitis. Pain that’s severe enough to wake you at night and not improving is perhaps the most common sign you need to visit our specialists.
Visit us when your shoulder shows physical changes, including:
These typically follow a shoulder trauma, so the changes likely connect with an event like an auto accident, fall, or sports injury.
You may not always see physical changes after a trauma. For example, ligament damage may present as instability, a feeling that your shoulder may give out in circumstances where it would normally support an activity or load.
An inability to use your arm as usual could indicate an orthopedic problem that requires medical attention. Movement restrictions might include an inability to:
You may retain mobility, but can no longer apply the same strength to these motions as you could previously. When you no longer have the strength to lift common weights like a bag of potatoes or a jug of milk, it’s time to visit our offices.
Contact Bahri Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Clinic when shoulder pain meets any of these criteria. Call or click to request a consultation today.
