The first thing you have to know is what the shoulder exactly is. It is made up of three bones, the collarbone, shoulder blade, and the upper arm bone (humerus), two tendons, and three ligaments. The shoulder has the largest range of motion of all joints in the human body which makes it an unstable joint.
Most shoulder injuries can be treated with at home care, ice, and relaxation. The key is to know what symptoms to look for that require more than just resting at home. Symptoms that may require medical attention are:
Swelling around your shoulder
Severe pain and inability to move the shoulder for extended periods of time
Audible pops from the shoulder joint when you move
Numbness in the shoulder, arm, or hand
Debilitating pain or inability to live normal life
If you are unable to live your normal life because of shoulder pain, it is time to call the shoulder experts at Prairie Orthopaedics. Dr. Patrick Hurlbut is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon with advanced fellowship training in Upper Extremity Surgery. He specializes in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder and elbow and has a Certificate of Added Qualification in hand surgery. He has over 20 years of experience in managing all types of upper limb injuries. Dr. Matthew Byington is a Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon with advanced fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery. He specializes in the non-operative and operative treatment of sports-related injuries as well as Knee, Shoulder and Elbow conditions. He has comprehensive training in meniscus repairs, ACL reconstruction, multi-ligament reconstruction, cartilage restoration, patella instability procedures, partial and total joint replacement, as well as revision surgery. Both Dr. Hurlbut and Dr. Byington have developed an emphasis on Shoulder rotator cuff tears, labrum injuries, instability and arthritis in their practices. They have extensive experience ranging from minimally invasive arthroscopic repairs to fracture care to reverse and total shoulder replacement.