Shoulder Pain Treatment in Nagpur

Treatment for shoulder pain depends on the underlying cause. Rest and over-the-counter pain relievers can help alleviate minor discomfort. Physical therapy can strengthen the shoulder and improve mobility for conditions like rotator cuff injuries. Severe or persistent pain may require prescription medications, corticosteroid injections, or even surgical intervention. It is essential to consult a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and tailored treatment plan for shoulder pain.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of shoulder pain can vary depending on the underlying cause, but common indicators include:

• Pain or discomfort in the shoulder joint.
• Limited range of motion or stiffness in the shoulder.
• Weakness in the affected arm or shoulder.
• Swelling, tenderness, or bruising in the shoulder area.
• Pain that radiates down the arm, often into the neck or upper back.
• Clicking or popping sounds when moving the shoulder.
• Difficulty lifting objects or performing overhead activities.
• Numbness or tingling in the arm or hand.

Risk Factors

• Old age
• Obesity
• Previous Sport injuries
• Genetics

Causes

Several factors and conditions contribute to shoulder pain. These include the following::

• Rotator cuff injury (the group of four muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint) – These muscle provide stability to shoulder joint but any strain or injury or tear(partial or complete) may lead to pain at shoulder joint associated with restricted joint movements. Supraspinatous muscle is one of the most commonly injured rotator cuff muscle mostly seen if there is a fall on outstretched hand or while playing golf, baseball, swimming.
• Arthritis-osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid arthritis of shoulder joint are common although the incidence is less as compared to knee joint. In initial stages of arthritis the pain is less but then slowly progresses to the stage where the cartilage protecting the joint is completely damaged leading to severe pain and restriction of movements.
• Frozen shoulder-The capsule over the joint is protective but when the capsule gets inflamed due to injury or other medical condition like Diabetes Mellitus or other autoimmune conditions, then it becomes a potential source of pain. Slowly it progresses to a stage where the joint movements are restricted and finally a stage comes where the capsule adheres to each other forming fibrotic bands within the capsule eventually leading to joint stuck in one position..
• Bursitis- Housemaid Knee, Pes Anserina Bursitis, Infrapatellar bursitis
• Fracture- Knee cap fracture or stress fracture in old age.
• Shoulder fracture-stress fracture in old age or fracture due to injury or fall
• Ligaments are structures that connects two bones. Any injury to ligaments around the joint will lead to inflammation in the joint
• Bursitis (inflammation in the bursa)- These are cushion like structures present over the bones to prevent friction between two structures. But when these bursa are swollen and inflamed it becomes painful.

Treatment

Minor shoulder pain can be managed and treated at home. Resting the shoulder by avoiding shoulder movement for a few days might be helpful. Surgery may be required to resolve severe shoulder problems. However, in most cases, shoulder pain can be easily treated with non-surgical treatment methods, such as physiotherapy and medications.

• Physiotherapy:Physiotherapy will fix certain problems, such as shoulder stiffness and weakness. It can also include retraining the movements or activities that may aggravate your pain. Applying heat and cold packs may provide temporary relief from pain and stiffness.
• Medications:Painkillers and anti-inflammatory medications are recommended to manage the underlying conditions. NSAIDS, Muscle Relaxants, Opioid are often taken and prescribed for acute onset knee pain. Due to harmful effect of these medicines in long term like gastritis, renal dysfunction, liver dysfunction, they are to be avoided for long term and very harmful if taken without consulting your treating physicians
• Regenerative medicine alternatives for shoulder pain:This approach can heal or replace tissues and organs damaged by age, disease, or trauma by eliminating the need for surgery.

This includes:

• Stem cell therapy: Injecting stem cells at the affected site will completely repair the shoulder injuries and manage the symptoms, including shoulder pain.
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP):This therapy involves usage of part of your blood to heal the damaged tissues, including joint, tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries. Platelets are rich source of growth factors which are capable of regenerating the torn and degenerated tissue. Small amount of blood is taken from your body and is processed in a specialized machine then the concentrated growth factors are injected into the torn tissues with the help of various machines which guide the doctor to reach the exact place of damage. Complete healing of the partial or complete tear of rotator cuff muscles is seen over a period of time.
• Hydro dissection of the joint–This is done in cases of frozen shoulder where a mixture of normal saline or dextrose along with local anesthesia is injected into the joint under ultrasound guidance to expand the capsule and break the fibrosis and also decrease the inflammation around it.
• Arthroscopic Surgeries–These may sometimes be advised if no cause of shoulder pain is identified .
• Shoulder Replacement surgery–Shoulder replacement surgery is a tedious surgery requiring a lot of precision. There are better alternatives yielding better results as compared to it.