What to Do About Shoulder Injuries in Las Vegas, NV

Shoulder pain is not uncommon, and you don’t need to be an athlete to experience it. Simply doing a lot of heavy lifting or small amounts of shoulder movement on a daily basis can lead to chronic shoulder pain. Other reasons for shoulder discomfort in Americans include getting older and being in an accident, whether playing sports, while in a vehicle, at work or at home. Whatever the cause of your injury, don’t let yourself suffer! Below is some information about shoulder injuries in Las Vegas, NV.

Facts about shoulders

Of all the joints in your body, the shoulder is the most flexible. This makes perfect sense, considering the number of daily activities you put your shoulders through, like brushing your teeth and hair, reaching up to cabinets and shelves, carrying kids and even driving. You might overuse your shoulders everyday at work, especially at jobs that require hours of manual labor. Because you rely on your shoulders so much, it’s important to determine the root cause of any joint pain as soon as possible.

The shoulder is made up of the upper arm (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula) and collarbone (clavicle). The top of the upper arm bone is shaped like a ball that fits into a socket in your shoulder blade. Ligaments keep the ball joint in the socket, and the rotator cuff muscles help you lift and rotate your arm. If any of these parts have issues, you’re likely to experience pain in your shoulder.

When to visit a doctor for your shoulder injury

Shoulder pain can be the result of muscle tears, osteoarthritis, tendonitis or impact due to a sports injury, vehicle accident or aging bones. Whether you know the cause of the pain or not, or aren’t sure how to treat it, it’s best to pay a visit to your doctor. Here are some signs you shouldn’t ignore:

• Swelling and redness: Your shoulder might feel sore, but go see a doctor if the joint is visibly red and swollen, or if it’s tender and/or warm to the touch.
• Pain lifting things: Pain resulting from injury is often linked to a hurt rotator cuff. You need to see a physician if you have trouble lifting your arm over your head. This is a simple test, but you can assume there’s a problem if you’re in pain doing daily activities, like getting dressed or washing your hair.
• Prolonged symptoms: Shoulder pain that lasts more than a couple days ought to be looked at by your doctor. The level of pain doesn’t matter—you could have a chronic pain issue rather than a single injury.

Common treatments for shoulder pain

Your doctor will recommend resting the shoulder to allow the inflammation to subside, but you still need to move it a little to avoid a frozen shoulder. Applying heat and cold packs is a good way to reduce swelling and pain from shoulder injuries. Your doctor may also discuss medication or surgery for severe cases.

Bernard Ong, M.D. is experienced in diagnosing and treating all types of shoulder injuries in Las Vegas, NV. Call today to schedule an appointment with Dr. Ong!

Categorized in: Shoulder Injuries

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