Shoulder Pain Discharge Instructions

ball and socket 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. Because of this, the shoulder can move in many ways. Strong bands of tissue called ligaments help hold the shoulder in place. Muscles and tendons also hold it in place. ‚
You can have pain in your shoulder for many reasons. It may be hard for the doctor to tell exactly where the pain is coming from. You can have pain in your muscles, bones, or joints. It can also happen in your tendons and ligaments which connect these together. ‚
Causes of this kind of pain may include: ‚

Overuse or using muscles in the same way over and over
Trauma from falls, accidents, direct blows to muscles, and injuries such as bone breaks, sprains, or dislocations
Strain on your muscles from bad posture

Image(s)

This is a series of images showing how to handle sprains and strains. The acronym RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

View Original

This is a series of images showing how to handle sprains and strains. The acronym RICE stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

View Original

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.
Rest. Allow your injury to heal before you do slow movements.
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.
Your doctor may want you to use a sling, strap, or sleeve to keep your shoulder from moving.
Heat may be used but not right after an injury. Heat can make swelling worse. If your doctor tells you to use heat, put a heating pad on your shoulder for no more than 20 minutes at a time. Never go to sleep with a heating pad on as this can cause burns.
Do range of motion exercises as your therapist or doctor teaches you to do. As your shoulder heals, you will be given more exercises to stretch and strengthen your shoulder.

What follow-up care is needed?

Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep all these visits.
Your doctor may send you to physical therapy or occupational therapy to help you regain use of your shoulder sooner.

What drugs may be needed?

The doctor may order drugs to: ‚

Help with pain and swelling

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?

Your doctor may ask you to rest and limit your activity. Based on how bad your shoulder injury is, this could last for a few days to a number of weeks. ‚

What can be done to prevent this health problem?

Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
Warm up slowly and stretch your muscles before you work out. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
Slowly increase the amount of time you work out. If you are using weights, slowly increase the weight to strengthen your muscles.
Wear protection when playing sports.
Take breaks often when doing things that use repeat movements.

When do I need to call the doctor?

Pain or swelling gets worse
Hand feels cold or numb
You are not feeling better in 2 or 3 days or you are feeling worse

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 more pain or swelling or my fingers are cool or blue.

Where can I learn more?

American Academy of Family Physicians ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/prevention-wellness/exercise-fitness/injury-rehab/shoulder-pain.html ‚
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/PDFs/A00065.pdf ‚
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ‚
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Shoulder_Problems/default.asp ‚

Last Reviewed Date

2015-04-09 ‚

List_set bdysylist

Neuromuscular and Skeletal
Therapy (Occupational, Physical, Speech, etc)

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 provider 's advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚

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