If you’ve been battling a shoulder issue for months or longer, you may assume that you’ll only find relief with the help of a surgical procedure. While surgery does tend to produce fantastic results when addressing many common shoulder issues, you may not need to jump right to an operation, even if symptoms have been present for a while now. Below, we explain how Dr. Holloway and his team work to address chronic shoulder issues without surgery.
Treating Chronic Shoulder Pain Without Surgery
In order to ensure you are pursuing the right type of treatment for your chronic shoulder discomfort, it’s imperative that you figure out what’s causing your symptoms. The easiest way to do this is by consulting with a shoulder specialist like Dr. Holloway. He’ll begin by reviewing your medical information and asking you about your symptoms. From there, he’ll conduct a physical examination that may involve gentle manipulation or patient-led movements to see how the area responds to stress. In the event that a more thorough assessment is needed, imaging tests like an X-ray or MRI may be ordered to give an inside look at the shoulder joint and nearby structures.
Once the cause of your chronic shoulder pain has been pinpointed, your doctor will walk you through some common treatment options. In most instances, your specialist will recommend that you pursue a combination of treatments in order to achieve the best recovery results. Your specific course of care will be dedicated by your treating physician after an examination and a conversation about your daily habits and long-term goals, but the most common treatments for chronic shoulder pain typically include:
- Rest – Short-term rest can protect an injured and damaged shoulder area from additional stress. Rest alone won’t get you back to full strength, but it can help to prevent additional structural damage that could further complicate treatment success.
- Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is an essential component for any patient looking to overcome a chronic shoulder issue. PT focuses on restoring strength, function and mobility in the affected joint without overloading the area with stress during the crucial recovery period. Best of all, a physical therapy routine can be tailored to your specific injury and lifestyle habits. If you want to return to your physically-demanding job or heal your shoulder before next baseball season, your PT can develop an individualized recovery program for your needs.
- Anti-Inflammatories – Anti-inflammatory medications can help to resolve swelling and inflammation in the shoulder joint that may be contributing to your symptoms. Similar to the first point about rest, you should not make a passive treatment technique like medications your primary course or treatment. Active treatments like PT and movement-based treatments are best.
- Posture/Movement Adjustments – Improvements to your seated or standing posture can help to limit static stress on your shoulder, which may help to reduce symptoms. Small tweaks to your athletic form or to the movements that put the most strain on your shoulder (like reaching or overhead motions) can also help limit stress and shoulder symptom onset.
- Corticosteroid Injections – For patients with more severe discomfort, a corticosteroid injection can provide more direct inflammation relief. This can be especially helpful if discomfort is too severe to pursue physical therapy. Make the most of the short-term pain relief provided by a shoulder injection.
- Exercise – Finally, many patients find that certain exercises and workout routines can serve to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint, which in turn improves function and decreases discomfort. Your doctor can help you develop an exercise routine based on your needs and specific shoulder issue, but water-based workouts or a flexibility-focused activity like yoga can do wonders for chronic shoulder pain.
We’ve helped countless patients find relief from their chronic shoulder pain without surgery, and we’d love to try to do the same for you. For more information, or for answers to questions you have about your shoulder discomfort, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
