Do you feel so much pain in your shoulder that you are unable to move it? If you feel this way, it means you have shoulder tendonitis. In today’s article, we discuss the different methods used to treat shoulder tendonitis.

When does one need treatment for shoulder tendonitis?

Whenever you feel pain, this means that you need treatment, and this applies exactly to shoulder pain, which is usually a clear sign indicating that the patient needs to visit a doctor and undergo medical examinations to diagnose the cause of that pain, which may be tendinitis.

Shoulder tendinitis pain usually does not appear alone, but is accompanied by a number of symptoms, such as:

     Shoulder swelling.

     Inability to lift objects.

     Stiffness of the shoulder joint and restriction of movement.

     Hearing a “clicking” sound when moving the arm.

Methods of treating shoulder tendonitis

The primary goal of treating shoulder tendonitis is to relieve pain and swelling in this area, as this pain restricts the range of motion of the joint and makes the patient unwilling to use it except in limited limits.

The treatment also aims to maintain joint movement and prevent tendonitis from occurring again. To achieve these goals, the doctor relies on the following methods:

     Instruct the patient to get some rest and use cold ice packs if the pain is recent and has not occurred for a long time, or if the bruise to the joint is severe.

     Take pain relievers, such as aspirin, to reduce swelling in the shoulder joint.

     Undergoing physical therapy sessions.

     Cortisone injection if pain persists after doing the above.

Treatment of shoulder tendonitis with surgical intervention

Orthopedists prefer to resort to surgical operations in two cases:

     The tendons of the shoulder joint are completely or partially torn.

     Symptoms do not resolve with previous treatment methods.

Most of the patients who are candidates for treating shoulder tendonitis through surgery are elderly patients, as these patients have a lower rate of healing than other ages, and it is possible that their injury is old and has turned into a tear, so surgical intervention is the ideal solution for them.

It is worth noting that the surgical procedure performed to treat shoulder tendon rupture helps relieve and soothe the pain, while the function of the joint does not improve significantly, due to the slow healing process in the body.

Complications of neglecting treatment of shoulder tendonitis

What awaits the patient if he does not receive treatment for shoulder tendinitis is the development of the disease into a condition called shoulder tendinosis, which is an impingement of the tendon between the two shoulder bones.

When the patient’s shoulder tendons are inflammed, he initially feels difficulty in performing some movements, but then the matter deteriorates and turns into a lack of movement and complete stiffness in the shoulder.

Treatment of shoulder tendinosis depends on undergoing arthroscopic surgery and then doing the following:

     Using laser, ultrasound, and electrical stimulation to strengthen muscles.

     Performing therapeutic exercises to rehabilitate the shoulder joint, ranging from 12 to 24 sessions.

     Avoid carrying a heavy load on the shoulder or straining it with household chores, and rest it as much as possible.

Categories that need treatment for shoulder tendinitis more than others

Of course, only individuals who feel severe pain in this joint will need treatment for shoulder tendonitis, and these individuals usually fall into the following categories:

Sports players

Shoulder tendonitis occurs due to excessive use of the joint beyond its ability to bear, and this may happen when practicing some types of sports, such as:

     basketball.

     Swimming.

     tennis.

     Golf.

Workers with hard jobs

There are also some jobs that require handling heavy equipment or carrying heavy objects, so those working in them are exposed to shoulder tendinitis.

If you are not one of the previous categories, this does not mean that you do not need to visit Dr. Ibrahim Gado – Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon – feeling severe pain in the shoulder joint is sufficient reason to visit a doctor and undergo the necessary tests.