When to Discuss Shoulder Pain with Your Doctor
If you’re unsure whether or not your shoulder pain warrants a conversation with your doctor, here are a few reasons it might be time to give him a call.
If you’re unsure whether or not your shoulder pain warrants a conversation with your doctor, here are a few reasons it might be time to give him a call.
It can be difficult to bring up the fact that you’re having pain in your shoulder. Shoulder pain can start after having a specific shoulder injury or other times people develop shoulder problems for no specific reason at all. What makes shoulder pain difficult to endure is that it frequently interferes not only with normal activities of daily living such as putting a dish on a shelf, but also can be very debilitating when trying to sleep at night. Night pain is one of the most frequent reasons that patients eventually see a doctor for evaluation of shoulder pain.
Whether the pain has been occurring for a few days, weeks, months or even years, here are a few signs that it may be time to start a conversation with your doctor:
If you’re experiencing one or more of these symptoms, talking to your doctor is a good first step. Your primary care doctor may then refer you to an orthopedic surgeon to determine whether you are a candidate for shoulder replacement surgery, or if you have a different soft tissue injury that could be non-surgically or surgically repaired. Discuss the benefits as well as risks with your doctor.
Depending on the specific condition of the joint, they may recommend other, less invasive treatment options at first. They should also be able to determine if there are uncommon reasons that a shoulder replacement is not appropriate such as an ongoing infection, lack of bone available for the replacement, or the bone is not strong enough to support the replacement.