joint. The "ball part of the joint is the top part of your upper arm bone. The "socket" part of your joint is a cup shaped indentation in your shoulder blade. Strong bands called ligaments and muscles hold these bones together.
Four muscles called the rotator cuff surround the joint. They help with movement and support. The four rotator cuff muscles hold the arm in the socket. These muscles are attached to the bones by bands of tissue called tendons.You also have bursae in your shoulder joints. A bursa is a small, fluid-filled sac. It acts as a cushion between your bone and tendon. Bursae help the tendons glide and let your joints move easier.
When you raise your arm up to shoulder level, the space between the rotator cuff tendons and the tip of the shoulder blade gets smaller. If there is any irritation or swelling to any of these tissues, it can make the space even tighter. Shoulder impingement happens when the rotator cuff tendons and bursa get pinched when raising the arm. ‚
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What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you ask questions if you do not understand what the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Use drugs to help lower pain and swelling or fight infections if your doctor orders them.
- Rest and avoid activities that make your problem worse.
- Place an ice pack or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a towel over the painful part. Never put ice right on the skin. Do not leave the ice on more than 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
- Prop your arm on pillows to help with swelling.
- Use a sling to support your shoulder if your doctor tells you to use one.
- Do exercises for stretching and strengthening that your therapist or doctor teaches you to do.
- Heat may be used later but not right away. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on the painful part for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
What follow-up care is needed?
Your doctors may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Your doctor may send you to physical therapy (PT) or occupational therapy (OT) for treatments and exercise to make you heal faster. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
- Fight an infection
The doctor may give you a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid. This will help with swelling. Talk with your doctor about the risks of this shot. ‚
Will physical activity be limited?
You may need to rest your shoulder for a while. You should not do physical activity that makes your health problem worse. If you work out or play sports, you may not be able to do those things until your health problem get better. You may need to go to therapy for a few weeks. ‚
What problems could happen?
- Infection
- Less shoulder motion
- Shoulder weakness
- Ongoing pain and stiffness
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Stay away from doing things that cause pain in the shoulder.
- Take breaks often when doing things that use repeated movements.
- Use good posture and avoiding slouching.
- Avoid doing prolonged overhead motions for long periods of time.
- Stay active and exercise to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Numbness or tingling down the arm
- Hand feels cold
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Helpful tips
Do not lay on the side where you have your shoulder problem. This will keep pressure off the bursae and tendons. ‚
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what may help ease my pain.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have numbness or tingling in my arm or my fingers are cool.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00032 ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚