Shoulder

Why do I have shoulder pain?

The socket of your shoulder joint is shallow so that you can move your arm in many directions. However, the shallowness increases stress on your labrum and rotator cuff, which is made up of tendons, and muscles. It’s easy to injure your rotator cuff or injure, sprain, or strain your tendons and ligaments when you:

• Raise your arms repeatedly
• Throw an object, such as a ball
• Swing an object, such as a bat
• Are in a car accident
• Fall on your shoulder
• Suffer a blow or trauma to your shoulder

You can also develop shoulder pain if you have:

• Arthritis
• A pinched nerve
• A fracture
• A rotator cuff tear

Some types of shoulder pain don’t start in the shoulder but radiate downward from tense neck muscles. Dr. Silva takes the time to do a thorough physical exam and perform a diagnostic ultrasound to determine the underlying cause or causes of your shoulder pain.

What happens if I don’t treat shoulder pain?

Treating shoulder pain as soon as you feel it increases your chances of being able to heal the underlying injury. If you ignore shoulder pain, you can develop complications, such as worsening tears, osteoarthritis or “frozen shoulder,” which keeps you from moving your arm.

How does an interventional orthopedist treat shoulder pain?

Dr. Silva avoids the “band-aid” approach to pain and never attempts to mask it with long-term use of painkillers or steroid injections. Instead, he views the body as a sophisticated machine that relies on the health of its interrelated parts for optimal function.

Dr. Silva’s aim is to identify all of the factors that contribute to your pain, and then heal them with lifestyle changes, supportive therapies, and regenerative medicine.

What kinds of therapies help shoulder pain?

Dr. Silva customizes treatment based on your physiology, the types of injuries you have, and your lifestyle. Therapies or treatments that can help can include:

• Adding to or modifying your exercise regimen
• Acupuncture, massage or chiropractic care
• Beneficial supplements
• Physical therapy
• Adopting a diet that does not promote inflammation
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) can be treated without surgery using a few simples injections

He might also recommend minimally invasive regenerative therapies like:

• Prolotherapy: injections that irritate injured tissues to stimulate healing
• Platelet-rich plasma (PRP): injectable serum with a high concentration of platelets, which contain growth-factors that repair tissues
• Cellular Therapy: your own cells injected into damaged tissue and bone to stimulate a healing response and regrowth

Regenerative therapies stimulate your body’s own healing capabilities to heal injured tissue and restore comfort and mobility. Dr. Silva injects all regenerative injectates (PRP, Prolotherapy, and Cellular therapy) directly into the site of injury, using ultrasound or x-ray to guide him. Rotator cuff tears can heal with cellular therapy or PRP and help you avoid surgery and a slow and painful recovery.

To address the underlying cause of your shoulder pain, contact Interventional Orthopedics of Washington at 425-326-1665 or use the “Book Appointment” button.