SHOULDER IMPINGEMENT SURGERY
Shoulder impingement is the most likely cause of shoulder pain, resulting in the tendon catching on surrounding tissue or bone as you raise your arm. Often, shoulder impingement resolves within weeks, or sometimes longer, over a few months. By implementing shoulder exercises, an impinging shoulder may resolve on its own, but most of the time, this can be a long-term problem.
Symptoms of shoulder impingement include:
- Pain at the top of the shoulder
- Pain that worsens when you raise your arms
- Pain at night causing sleeplessness
- Arm fatigue
There are ways to prevent the pain from shoulder impingement from getting worse, including avoiding raising your arm at least for a few weeks. Although you cannot lift your arm, it helps to move your arm regularly to prevent shoulder stiffness. Also, applying an ice pack to your shoulder for twenty minutes occasionally throughout the day minimises any discomfort. Sometimes, anti-inflammatories relieve pain, but this is not meant for long-term use.
Conservative treatment for shoulder pain caused by impingement includes physiotherapy and steroid injections, which provide temporary pain relief. A physiotherapist will assist in assigning shoulder exercises to help increase your shoulder’s range of motion and treat unbearable pain. In the beginning, you have to practice personalised exercises with your physiotherapist, which you can continue doing alone at home.
Should the pain from shoulder impingement worsen, Dr Gupta will carry out surgery known as subacromial decompression to create enough space for the rotator cuff tendon so that it does not press (impinge) on surrounding tissue or bone. Subacromial decompression is performed through minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery whereby only tiny surgical instruments are inserted through small incisions to treat impingement. You can return home after the procedure once the anaesthetic wears off, and within a few weeks, your shoulder's mobility should return.
FAQ
Shoulder impingement occurs when the tendon in the joint begins to swell and thickens or tears unexpectedly. This injury occurs due to a sudden accident or repetitive shoulder use.
Shoulder impingement is, in most cases, the primary cause of shoulder pain. Often, it proves challenging to raise your arm when diagnosed with this condition because the shoulder’s tendon gets caught on surrounding tissue and bone as you lift your arm.
The most obvious signs include the following:
- Pain at the top and outside the shoulder
- Pain at night, affecting your sleeping patterns
- Arm weakness