If you swing your arms around or raise them over your head, you realize the incredible range of motion your shoulders provide. So when shoulder pain strikes, it can limit your life in considerable ways. The shoulder specialists at Dr. Louis Keppler & Associates understand the many reasons behind debilitating shoulder problems and help their patients in Independence, Ohio, wave goodbye to the pain. To learn more, call or use the online scheduling tool to book an appointment.

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What is the anatomy of the shoulder?

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that’s made up of three bones:

  • Your upper arm (humerus)
  • Your shoulder blade (scapula)
  • Your collarbone (clavicle)

Keeping these bones in place and providing mobility are a group of muscles and tendons called your rotator cuff.

What’s unique about the shoulder joint is that it’s designed to be inherently unstable, which is what allows you the wide range of motion in your arms. Because of a shallow socket, your arms can go up, back, and around with relative ease.

What causes shoulder pain?

Given its extraordinary range of motion, many problems can arise, namely:

  • Dislocation
  • Fracture
  • Rotator cuff tear
  • Shoulder instability
  • Tendinitis
  • Bursitis
  • Arthritis
  • Impingement

Depending upon the cause of the pain, your discomfort may be localized or radiate down your arm, even as far as your hand. Whether your pain is gradual or as a result of an acute injury, if conservative measures at home, such as rest and icing, aren’t successful, Dr. Keppler can help.

How is shoulder pain treated?

When you first see Dr. Keppler, he sets about locating the source of your shoulder pain. To do this, he reviews your symptoms, performs a physical exam, and then orders advanced diagnostic imaging to provide him with valuable information about what’s going on inside the joint.

Once he has a diagnosis, Dr. Keppler devises a treatment plan that relieves your pain and restores the use of your shoulder as quickly as possible. In most cases, he starts conservatively with:

  • Anti-inflammatory medications
  • Pain relief medications
  • A sling to immobilize your shoulder
  • Physical therapy
  • Corticosteroid injections
  • Stem cell therapy

If you’ve suffered a rotator cuff tear, Dr. Keppler may recommend surgery to repair the soft tissue. As well, if your shoulder pain stems from degenerative issues, he may recommend shoulder replacement surgery.

Using minimally invasive techniques wherever possible, Dr. Keppler can correct most issues in your shoulder, giving you back the use of your arm and eliminating the pain. These advanced surgical techniques also cut down on your recovery time and many of the risks that come with more traditional, open surgery.

If you’re suffering from shoulder pain, call Dr. Louis Keppler & Associates or fill out the online form to request a consultation.