Shoulder pain - causes, treatments and diagnosis with Emersons Green Hospital
Shoulder injuries are common and, unlike some other orthopaedic issues, they can affect young and old. The good news is that help is at hand from Practice Plus Group Hospital, Emersons Green.
Orthopaedic surgeon and shoulder expert John Gillooly explained: “If you look around the waiting room of a shoulder clinic you will see a mix of age ranges.
“The common factor is the pain – however, the good news is that there are excellent solutions at hand.”
So how are age groups affected by shoulder injuries?
■ Teens-30s – Tend to fall into two groups – the classic sporting injuries and young people who are overly flexible with loose ligaments that can lead to injury and dislocation.
Mr Gillooly said: “We can offer stabilisation surgery to reduce the risk of further dislocation. This is carried out as day surgery, using keyhole surgery to make the treatment minimally invasive.”
■ 40-60s – Frozen shoulders are as common as they are painful.
Mr Gillooly said: “Although this condition may rectify itself naturally within 18 months to two years, the pain and disruption to daily activities can be too much for many people.
“Fortunately, we can use keyhole surgery to release the capsule causing the issue, getting people out of pain and back to the range of motion they need.
Shoulder impingements are another common problem. Caused by a muscle imbalance, they can be treated with steroid injections and physiotherapy.
However, if left untreated, the tendons can rub on the bone under the shoulder blade and can create tears in the rotator cuff – the group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of the upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder.”
■ 60s-plus – Any tearing that has appeared in the rotator cuff can worsen. If physiotherapy and injections can no longer support the tears, day surgery can see our skilled surgeons repair the damage.
The other common injury in this age group comes from the wear and tear of osteoarthritis eroding the cartilage from the joint.
The pain of bone rubbing can cause sleeplessness as well as lost mobility. Fortunately, there’s no need to shoulder the pain as we can offer joint replacement surgery to help get things moving.
In addition to highly experienced staff and short waiting times, Emersons Green Hospital offers a Covid-secure pathway and treats NHS as well as self-pay patients.
To learn more visit: www.emersonsgreenhospital.co.uk/bristolpost or call 0333 999 7641.
❝ If you look around the waiting room of a shoulder clinic you will see a mix of age ranges. Orthopaedic surgeon and shoulder expert John Gillooly