Shoulder ImpingementTreatment in Columbia, SC

What is Shoulder Impingement?

Shoulder impingement happens when the top, outer part of your shoulder blade, called the acromion, rubs against or pinches your rotator cuff underneath it, causing pain and irritation.

Shoulder pain is one of the most common issues in the body. Your shoulder is made up of several joints, tendons, and muscles that make it possible for your arm to move in a lot of ways. Because the shoulder is made up of so many different parts, it can be hurt in many different ways.

Shoulder Impingement Symptoms

Shoulder impingement syndrome usually gets worse over weeks or months, and its symptoms can include:

When your arms are above your head, it causes pain
You feel pain when you raise or lower your arm, or when you reach for something
The front of your shoulder hurts and is sensitive
Pain that goes from the front of your shoulder to the side of your arm
It is painful to lie on the affected side
You have pain or aches at night, which makes it hard to sleep
When you reach behind your back for something, like your back pocket or a zipper, it causes pain
Weakness and stiffness in the shoulder and/or arm

At Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, our team of physicians and physical therapists are dedicated to finding the best treatment plan for your shoulder impingement.

Schedule Now

Shoulder Impingement Treatment

The goal of treating shoulder impingement syndrome is to get rid of the pain and get your shoulder to work again.

The best treatment for shoulder impingement is physical therapy. Most of the time, you’ll only need one or two visits to the office to learn how to keep doing physical therapy on your own at home. You’ll learn how to stretch your shoulders so they can move more freely. As your pain goes away, you can start working on building your rotator cuff muscles.

Other non-surgical treatments include:

Once or twice a day, ice should be put on the shoulder for 20 minutes
You can take ibuprofen as needed to ease the pain
For more intense pain, a stronger anti-inflammatory prescription drug may be given, or a steroid injection may be given into the shoulder joint
Don’t do things that require you to reach over your head or behind your back a lot. Shoulders with impingement syndrome tend to hurt more when they are moved in these ways. Stop doing things that make these movements until your pain gets better

If non-surgical treatments don’t help lessen your pain, you may need shoulder surgery. Part of the acromion is removed during a procedure called subacromial decompression or arthroscopic shoulder decompression to make more room for the rotator cuff and stop the pinching and rubbing that causes impingement.

Shoulder Impingement Care in South Carolina

At Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery, the doctors and physical therapists will make sure you get the best care so you can feel better as soon as possible. Please call 803-256-4107 to make an appointment if you are experiencing shoulder pain that is affecting your everyday life.