About this topic
A tendon is a strong band of tissue that connects muscles to bones. The tendons in your shoulder connect the arm and back muscles to the bones in your shoulder. When these tendons are hurt, you have shoulder tendinopathy. This causes pain and swelling. There is also limited shoulder movement. ‚
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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.
- 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.
- 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 doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits. Ask your doctor if you will need physical therapy. ‚
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Help with pain and swelling
Will physical activity be limited?
You will need to rest your shoulder to let it heal. Do not do activities that cause shoulder pain. Stay away from exercises and work where you must raise your arms over your head. Ask your doctor about exercises that you can do at home. ‚
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Warm up slowly and stretch your shoulder muscles before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to your exercises over weeks to months. Make sure you have good body position when you exercise. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
- Avoid overusing your arm in an overhead position.
- Do not ignore or try to work through shoulder pain.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Pain or swelling gets worse
- Health problem is not better 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.
Where can I learn more?
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons ‚
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00065 ‚
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. ‚
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Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚