Shoulder Pain

What is shoulder pain?

Shoulder pain includes any discomfort you feel in and around your shoulder joint. The pain may be dull or severe and affect the use of your shoulder and arm.

Your shoulder is a complex joint that connects your collarbone, the upper arm bone, and shoulder blade. Ligaments, tendons, and muscles hold the bones together, while cartilage provides cushioning in between the bones.

Any injury or disease that affects any components that make up your complex shoulder joint may cause shoulder pain. 

What causes shoulder pain?

You can develop shoulder pain from an acute injury, overuse, wear and tear, or an underlying disease. Common causes of shoulder pain include:

• Osteoarthritis
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Tendonitis
• Bursitis
• Adhesive capsulitis
• Dislocation
• Rotator cuff tear
• Impingement
• Fracture

Though not as common, you can also develop shoulder pain from problems involving your nerves, such as pinching a nerve root in your cervical spine. 

What happens during a shoulder pain consultation?

When you visit Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine for a shoulder pain consultation, you can expect a comprehensive evaluation. The interventional pain specialists aim to find the underlying cause of your shoulder pain so they can provide the most appropriate treatment.

Your provider performs a physical exam, diagnostic tests, and psychosocial screening. Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine also performs electromyography (EMG) to confirm or rule out a nerve problem. 

How is shoulder pain treated?

Your provider at Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine customizes your shoulder pain treatment plan based on your diagnosis. Your provider may recommend conservative treatments first, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), activity modification, and physical therapy.

However, when conservative care fails to provide relief from your shoulder pain, the interventional pain management experts may recommend:

Interscapular injection

Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine performs an interscapular injection to treat chronic shoulder pain conditions like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and adhesive capsulitis. 

Your provider injects a mixture of anesthesia and anti-inflammatory medication into the space between the head of your upper arm and glenoid, also known as the socket joint. 

Suprascapular nerve block

Your provider may recommend a suprascapular nerve block for shoulder pain from arthritis, bursitis, or impingement of the supravascular nerve in the shoulder joint. 

Using fluoroscopic-guided imaging, your provider injects cortisone into the shoulder, bathing the nerve and tissues to reduce inflammation.

To find relief from shoulder pain, call Michigan Advanced Pain & Spine or schedule an appointment online today.