Shoulder pain is something I’ve dealt with myself for a long time.  So believe me when I tell you that I understand how bad that pain can be!

Let’s get right to it, shall we?  If you’ve injured your shoulder, but don’t think it’s an emergency you can take ibuprofen (if you can), put some ice on it, rest and nurse it for a few days.  If it isn’t any better, go see your doctor.  Or if you think it’s serious enough that you might need to go to the emergency room, you can always call your doctor for advice.

That said, many people only come to see their doctor after they’ve had no improvement with their pain or it’s starting to affect their mobility.

  1. It helps, as always with injuries, if you can tell the doctor how you injured your shoulder.  The mechanism of injury will help the doctor narrow down what structures are involved in the injury.
  2. Also tell the doctor what medications you have tried, whether you’ve had previous injury to that shoulder, in you have night time pain, or if you have weakness, numbness, or tingling in your arm.
  3. Your doctor will evaluate your shoulder and the upper extremity involved.  If you have significant findings, the doctor may send you immediately for an x-ray.
  4. You might simply be prescribed some anti-inflammatory medications and a course of physical therapy.
  5. In some cases, your doctor might offer you a cortisone injection for your shoulder.  I have to say that I finally had this done earlier this year.  It’s awesome!  I’ve not had any problems with my shoulder since.  Obviously, the results will vary for different patients but if you’re lucky, you’ll be pain free for many months.
  6. If the exam suggests that you might have a rotator cuff injury, your doctor will likely send you for an MRI in order to assess the specifics of the injured structures.  Depending on the results, you may need to see an orthopedic doctor for further treatment.

If you are an athlete who is needing to return to your activities, you may want to talk to your doctor about seeing a sports doctor or orthopedic doctor sooner rather than later.  And of course, when in doubt, just go talk to your doctor.  Bring in all your questions and make sure you understand all your doctor’s instructions before leaving the office.

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