Shoulder Sprain/Strain Treatment in NJ

While often referred to interchangeably, there’s a distinct medical difference between the two. A sprain refers to the tearing or separation of your ligaments, which are the soft fibrous tissues that hold your bones together. While the ankle is the most common joint to suffer a sprain, shoulder injury sprains do happen frequently, and we diagnose them as:

• Minor sprain, which is a stretching of the ligament
• Moderate sprain or a partial tear of the ligament, where the joint remains stable
• Severe sprain, which happens when a complete tear of the ligament occurs — you may hear a pop

On the other hand, a strain occurs when the muscles or tendons, made up of the soft tissues that attach muscle to bone, are damaged. Shoulder strains frequently affect the shoulder’s rotator cuff. Sprains and strains lead to shoulder pain that lingers, especially if you continue doing the activity that caused the damage.

The severity of your symptoms can vary widely depending on the extent of the damage to your shoulder. Most of the symptoms of shoulder strain and sprain are similar. However, the onset of shoulder sprain symptoms is immediate, while a shoulder strain usually happens gradually. Some of the most common symptoms include:

• Shoulder pain
• Weakness in the joint
• Swelling
• Inflammation
• Limited mobility
• Frozen shoulder

If these symptoms do not respond quickly to home care with rest, heat, and ice, visit the pain management specialists at Redefine Healthcare to find the exact cause and source of your discomfort. Then your doctor can develop a suitable treatment plan.

The stretching or tearing of a tendon or muscle in your shoulder can result from excessive movement or forcing the shoulder into an unnatural position for an extended period. Some of the most common causes of a strained muscle in the shoulder are:

• Poor posture while keyboarding
• Carrying a heavy load on one shoulder
• Athletic activities that require movement above the head, such as swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and baseball pitching

Sprained shoulders generally result from trauma, such as car accidents or a fall on your arm. However, osteoarthritis can also cause shoulder pain, although the disease is more commonly associated with hip pain and knee pain.