Shoulder pain

What getting ready for shoulder pain involves

A shoulder visit goes best when you know which problem you might be describing. MedlinePlus lists common shoulder problems as sprains and strains, dislocations, separations, tendinitis, bursitis, torn rotator cuffs, frozen shoulder, fractures and arthritis. It adds that health care providers diagnose shoulder problems by using your medical history, a physical exam, and imaging tests. That is the order of the visit, so it is also a sensible order for your preparation. A general overview of pain sits behind all of it.

Seven questions, matched to the common problems

Move through these from what the injury is to how long it takes to settle. The early ones cover causes and structure, and the later ones cover recovery.

1. What causes a rotator cuff injury?
2. What is a labral tear of the shoulder?
3. What is a shoulder dislocation?
4. What kinds of arthritis affect the shoulder?
5. How long does rotator cuff tendinopathy take to heal?
6. How long does shoulder bursitis last?
7. What are the best exercises for frozen shoulder?

What to bring to the first visit

Match the three things MedlinePlus names. Write out your medical history in short form, note which movements hurt so the physical exam has a starting point, and ask the office whether any earlier imaging should come with you. Readers in Bloomfield can run the same checklist for any office. To understand the parts being examined, an anatomy page on how the shoulder joint works is a clear companion. A professional society for pain medicine offers a view of the wider field.