Shoulder Injuries

Normally, the tendons and ligaments in your shoulder move without bumping into your bones. But when shoulder impingement occurs, your rotator cuff becomes inflamed or irritates and catches, rubs, or “impinges” against the top of the shoulder, or the shoulder socket itself resulting in painful arm/shoulder movements. The injury is particularly common among swimmers and baseball players and is also known as swimmer’s shoulder or thrower’s shoulder.

Symptoms

• Pain or difficulty when reaching above your head or behind your back
• Weakness in the shoulder
• Pain while sleeping on the injured area.

Average recovery time

A few weeks to a few months, usually treated without surgery.

A SLAP tear (short for Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior) is an injury to your shoulder’s labrum — the thick band of tissue that surrounds your shoulder socket attached to the biceps tendon. A SLAP tear occurs in the top (superior), the front (anterior) and back (posterior) of the point where the biceps tendon attaches to the labrum.

Symptoms

• Low range of motion
• Pain when reaching overhead
• Loss of strength in the shoulder

Average recovery time

About eight to 12 weeks, may require surgery.

The rotator cuff is responsible for keeping your arm in your shoulder socket. Rotator cuff tendinitis occurs when the group of muscles that make up the rotator cuff in your shoulder are irritated or inflamed. This is often caused by falls or repeated motions like lifting things above your head.

Symptoms

• Swelling and tenderness in the front of your shoulder
• Clicking in your shoulder when you raise your arms above your head
• A loss of strength or range of motion.

Average recovery time

Two to four weeks, no surgery required.

A torn rotator cuff occurs when one of the tendons attached to the shoulder joint is torn from the bone. Partial and complete tears typically occur in two ways: 1) A sudden acute tear, caused by a fall on your arm or after a sudden jerking motion when trying to lift a heavy object 2) A tear that occurs slowly over time, often due to overuse.

Symptoms

• A dull ache in the shoulder
• Difficulty raising your arm above your head or behind your back

Average recovery time

About four to six months, tears from an injury usually need surgery where overuse tears can usually be treated with therapy.

A frozen shoulder — also known as adhesive capsulitis — occurs when the shoulder capsule thickens and becomes stiff and tight, sometimes to the point where you can’t move your shoulder on your own or with the help of a doctor.

Symptoms

• A gradual increase in pain
• Followed by a loss of range in motion
• A stiff shoulder

Average recovery time

Anywhere from a few weeks to several months, usually does not need surgery.

In patients with shoulder instability, the upper arm bone comes out of the shoulder’s socket. This can result in a partial dislocation (called subluxation) and may feel as if the shoulder has slipped out of place. For others, shoulder instability can result in a full shoulder dislocation (or frequent, multiple dislocations), which can lead to damage of the nerves around the shoulder.

Symptoms

• Shoulder pain
• Repeated dislocations
• A “loose” feeling in the shoulder

Average recovery time

A few weeks to several months. Sometimes athletes can get back in the game after a few weeks treatment but most will need surgery, especially contact athletes.