Who is The Right Doctor to Treat Your Shoulder and Elbow?

The shoulder and elbow are critical joints in the upper extremity. These joints support mobility across various ranges, depending on a patient’s flexibility. For this reason, shoulder and elbow pain patients have limited mobility, contributing to reduced productivity and lesser standards of living among community members. It is essential to collaborate with qualified and experienced physicians who appreciate the complex mechanisms of these joints and can thus perform tests to detect abnormalities. Upper Extremity Specialists has the best La Jolla, CA orthopedic shoulder & elbow surgeon who comprehensively evaluates a patient’s symptoms to determine the root cause of shoulder and elbow pain. Understanding what may be hindering movement will help your doctor develop an appropriate treatment to restore joint structure and function.

What are the leading causes of shoulder and elbow pain?

• Bone spurs: Another name for these extra bone growths is osteophytes. Patients who have undergone trauma to the bone develop these smooth, hard bumps at the ends of the bones as replacements.
• Frozen shoulder: This condition causes patients to experience stiffness and pain in the joint. A frozen shoulder occurs when the joint’s extended immobility is due to recovery from injury or treatment. Fortunately, a patient can perform specific activities to enhance the joint’s range of movement.
• Fractures, including those that do not heal (non-union) or heal incorrectly (malunion): Fractures are bone breaks. Bones are delicate and can break partially or entirely, incredibly if weak.
• Labrum tears, including SLAP tear (injury at the top of the labrum): The labrum is the soft tissue surrounding the joint sockets. However, degenerative diseases may cause labrum tears, thus resulting in pain and inflammation in the shoulder and elbow.
• Instability, separation, or dislocation: This condition is serious because it can cause the shoulder and elbow joints to slip out of place during movement. The leading cause of instability is looseness in the joint.
• Nerve dysfunction: The main symptom of nerve dysfunction is loss of sensation in the shoulder or arm.
• Repetitive motion injuries: Physicians encourage patients in specific occupations, especially those involving manual labor, which requires repeated motions to preserve joint function by staying within their limits. It is essential to let your joints rest to release any tension.
• Rotator cuff injury or tear/impingement syndrome: The rotator cuffs are a group of muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. Any tissue complications like tendons supporting the rotator cuffs cause shoulder and elbow pain.
• Scapula winging and abnormal shoulder blade movement: This condition can have self-esteem consequences because it causes the shoulder Jones to stick out even during rest. Another concern of winged scapula that patients complain about is pain and stiffness.
• Shoulder and elbow arthritis: Arthritis is a degenerative condition that affects most joints in the body. This condition involves wear and tear of cartilage, causing pain and inflammation when a patient moves because bones rub against each other.
• Shoulder muscle injury: Trauma to the shoulder and arm muscles can affect the joint and is why to seek medical intervention.

Contact Upper Extremity Specialists if you have shoulder and elbow pain to receive an accurate diagnosis of the severity and type of condition. Thus, start on an ideal treatment plan to restore your mobility.