Shoulder Tendinitis

When your shoulder tightens upon you, you can’t extend your arm without pain. Reaching over your head? Forget about it. Shoulder tendonitis means a tendon in your shoulder joint has developed microtears or has been compromised in some way. The condition limits your range of motion, and the shoulder joint has the widest range of motion of any joint in your body. Subsequently, it’s susceptible to injury. You can treat shoulder tendonitis, but first you require an accurate diagnosis. Call Redefine Healthcare in northern New Jersey for the top pain management doctors in the region, and you get excellent care, including effective treatment.

When you lift your child out of a car seat or throw a baseball toward home plate, you don’t think about how your shoulder works. You just do it. But if the joint stops working or cause shoulder pain whenever you move it, you suddenly want to know all about how it works. Your shoulder is a ball-in-socket joint with three bones:

Your rotator cuff is a grouping of muscles and tendons that holds your arm in the socket of your shoulder blade. This muscular casing envelops the head of your humerus, attaching your upper arm to your shoulder while enabling a full range of motion.

Shoulder tendonitis is the inflammation and weakening of the tendons in your rotator cuff. This shoulder injury makes it painful to raise or pivot your arm. Seek the medical help of shoulder joint experts, like those at Redefine Healthcare in northern New Jersey.

Causes of Shoulder Tendonitis

If others in your family have had shoulder tendonitis, you may have a genetic predisposition to the condition. More often, repetitive strain injuries contribute to shoulder tendonitis. The tendons get pinched by adjacent tissues or cartilage. Ways you may develop shoulder tendonitis include:

Poor posture from walking with your head leaning forward
A direct blow, such as falling hard on your shoulder
Using improper lifting techniques with a heavy object
Not warming up with stretches before exercising
Certain sports, such as weightlifting, swimming, racquetball, tennis, baseball, and volleyball
An untreated shoulder sprain
Thickening of your bicep tendon, although this is rare
Rheumatoid arthritis, which is an auto-immune disorder

As with many medical conditions, age increases your chances of suffering from shoulder tendonitis. The elasticity in your tendons stiffens over the years, and poor circulation is more common as you age, making it harder for you to bounce back after an injury. Even though the injury may occur suddenly, your body has been weakening for years.

When Shoulder Tendonitis Requires Medical Care

While it’s advisable not to diagnose and treat yourself, several of the symptoms may motivate you to seek medical help. Anytime you suffer a shoulder sprain or strain, you know enough to rest your shoulder joint. You don’t want your condition to worsen. Additional symptoms are cause for concern, such as:

Unable to perform the activities of daily life
Tenderness to the touch, along with swelling or redness
Pain, whether throbbing or a dull ache, that continues even when you’re not using your arm
Inability to raise your arm all the way or other impaired range-of-motion movements
Pain that seems to get worse at night, causing difficulty sleeping
Clicking, popping, or grinding sounds in your shoulder
Tingling or numbness in your hands.

The qualified New Jersey pain management doctors of Redefine Healthcare gather a thorough healthcare history during your consultation. During this first visit, your doctor also asks about your family medical history and performs a physical exam. You may need a CT scan for a proper diagnosis. Once you’ve been diagnosed with tendonitis of the shoulder joint, your physician can devise a personalized treatment plan for you.

Effective Treatments for Shoulder Tendonitis

Your treatment depends on several factors, including your medical history, age and the severity of your condition. Recommended treatments usually start with conservative, non-invasive remedies. Some common treatments include:

Rest and possibly immobilization of your shoulder joint
Activity and lifestyle modification to avoid shoulder-threatening practices
Ice or heat therapy
Customized physical therapy and education
Strengthening exercises you can do at home
Anti-inflammatory medications
Corticosteroid injections
Ultrasound therapy
Surgery, for severe cases.

Your recovery period also depends on a range of factors, including the severity of the injury, your age, how long you waited to seek medical care, and other aggravating medical issues. You may need as few as four weeks with proper care to heal, or you may need treatment for up to one year if yours is a difficult-to-heal injury. Once you’re fully healed, you may be instructed to make necessary lifestyle changes to prevent future injuries. Contact this team of pain management experts today to get rid of your pain and return to an active life.

Page Updated on May 19, 2022 by Dr. Freeman (Pain Management Specialist) of Redefine Healthcare

Dr. Eric D. Freeman is a top-rated, best-in-class pain management doctor. He is a nationally recognized pain relief specialist and is among the top pain care doctors in New Jersey and the country. He is an award-winning expert and contributor to prominent media outlets.

Dr. Eric D. Freeman has been recognized for his thoughtful, thorough, modern approach to treating chronic pain. He has been named a “top pain management doctor in New Jersey” and one of “America’s Top Physicians” for advanced sports injury treatments.

Causes of Shoulder Tendonitis

When Shoulder Tendonitis Requires Medical Care

Effective Treatments for Shoulder Tendonitis

Union

Edison

Paterson

West Caldwell

Bayonne

Freehold

Bloomfield

West Orange