Shoulder tendonitis occurs when your rotator cuff or biceps tendon becomes inflamed. The inflammation can cause a lot of pain in the shoulder. Fortunately, many people do not need to suffer from long-term shoulder tendonitis pain. There are treatments for shoulder tendonitis that might let you get back to living your life.
What Are the Symptoms of Shoulder Tendonitis?
Shoulder pain or soreness is one of the most common symptoms of shoulder tendonitis. Many people with shoulder tendonitis also cannot keep their arms in certain positions. While these are some of the most common symptoms, everyone’s body is unique, so your shoulder tendonitis may manifest differently. If you believe you have shoulder tendonitis, you may want to talk to your doctor, especially if your shoulder pain worsens or hinders your everyday functions.
How Is Shoulder Tendonitis Caused?
In many cases, shoulder tendonitis is caused by repetitive overhead arm motions like throwing a ball. If your rotator cuff muscle frequently rubs against your shoulder bone, it can begin to cause wear and even lead to tearing. This type of damage can lead to inflammation.
How Do I Treat Shoulder Tendonitis?
Surgery
Many doctors consider surgery as a last resort option for treating shoulder tendonitis. Since surgery is more invasive than some of the alternative treatments, doctors tend to exhaust other options before recommending surgery to their patients.
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy is a great non-invasive treatment for shoulder tendonitis. It can help relieve pain so people can return to their regular lives. Physical therapy can often help patients improve their range of motion and strengthen their shoulders.
Working with a physical therapists can help patients eventually resume work and other activities with a reduced risk for reinjury. For instance, if a baseball pitcher injures his or her shoulder, therapists can offer advice to protect the pitcher’s shoulder in the future.
Cortisone Injections
Cortisone is a type of artificial steroid that has a similar effect on the body as cortisol, a hormone your body produces naturally. Cortisone reduces inflammation and, as a result, the pain in your shoulder. By relieving the pain and inflammation, cortisone injections make it easier to rehabilitate your shoulder.
If patients are in pain, stretches and other exercises could be unbearable. Unfortunately, physical therapy often requires at-home follow-through. Stretching one’s own shoulder is already tricky. The combined pain and limited range of motion can further complicate the recovery process.
That’s why it’s not uncommon for doctors to recommend a combination of cortisone injections and physical therapy to patients recovering from shoulder tendonitis.
How Are Cortisone Injections Given?
Cortisone injections are pretty simple and only require a few steps:
- Your doctor will position you so he or she can easily inject your shoulder
- Your doctor will sanitize the injection site
- Your shoulder will be numbed with numbing spray
- Your doctor will administer the injection
What Should I Expect from a Cortisone Injection?
You might feel some discomfort after you are injected with cortisone, but it is usually fairly painless. The needle looks more intimidating than it feels. The results vary for each patient. Some patients feel immediate pain relief while others do not feel relief for a couple of days.
Cortisone injections typically last for a couple of months. Your doctor will be able to give you the best answer, but you should not expect to use your shoulder for any substantial activity for a few days following a cortisone shot.
What Are the Risks of Cortisone Injections?
Some risks of getting a cortisone injection are bleeding if you have a bleeding disorder or are on blood thinners. If you take blood thinners, your doctor might advise against taking them for a period prior to your shot.
Schedule a Cortisone Shot in Georgia
If you are a Georgian who suffers from shoulder tendonitis, cortisone injections might be the pain-relieving solution for you. Consider calling AllSpine Laser and Surgery Center at (770) 997-0600 to schedule an appointment and learn more about cortisone shoulder injections.