Shoulder Pain

Introduction

The shoulders play a major role in our life, as most of our daily activities are carried out by our arms, which move only if we have healthy shoulders. For the same reason, it is very common for people aged between 15 and 30 to get shoulder injuries, as they are mostly involved in a wide range of activities like sports, intense manual work patterns, and more.

Injuries could be related to shoulder joints, muscles or bones, according to the trauma that occurred. It is very difficult to bear the pain with a broken bone, though. Fractures are the most common shoulder injuries that happen to athletes, traumatic incidents, etc. But at Chennai Orthopaedics you can get the finest treatment for all types of shoulder fractures and recover faster than with traditional methods. Let us look at more details of the same.

Understanding Shoulder Injuries & Fractures

Your shoulders consist of a complex joint structure with bones, tendons and ligaments attached to it for allowing free movements with your hands – lifting, throwing something (like in sports), reaching heights or your back (overhead motion), and rotating. Injuries and fractures are found more commonly in shoulders compared to other joints of your body. 

The shoulder structure is formed by three bones.

• The arm bone (humerus)
• The shoulder blade (scapula)
• The collarbone (clavicle)

These three bones are connected together by muscles, tendons, ligaments and the joint capsule to form a platform that helps your arms to work freely.

Shoulder fractures happen when any of these bones get broken, cracked or chipped, causing pain, swelling and immobility, which need immediate medical attention. You might need surgical intervention to repair the fracture or the adequate amount of rest in some cases.

Large fractures can happen due to several reasons, like trauma or any type of injury from falls, sports, car accidents, or any activity that gives a hard and direct impact on the shoulder area. 

Small fractures are often called stress fractures, which are small cracks in any of the shoulder bones that could happen due to overuse of shoulders with any sports, repeated kinds of the same activities, and similar things.

There could also be some instances where the pieces of bones might get chipped off from the main bone due to some bone conditions like osteoporosis or also from overuse activities.

Common Causes And Risk Factors of Shoulder Injuries

Causes of shoulder fractures or shoulder traumas can be many. 

Sports injuries – This is the most common cause of shoulder fracture, especially with young athletes, as sports activities include applying direct pressure on the shoulder, causing injuries including fractures. Sports like cricket, baseball, rugby, tennis, swimming, hockey, and more are at risk.

Road accidents – This includes car accidents where the hands get a huge impact, especially if you are driving or in the front seat, causing shoulder bones to break. 

Falls – Falling from a height, if you are falling with your hands trying to protect yourself from hitting the ground, can impact the hand and shoulder bones directly. You might fall with an outstretched arm, which makes it even worse. Activities like rock climbing, falling from a ladder, horse riding, etc., are at high risk.

Twisting or abnormal bending – Any kind of abnormal position, bending or rotating of your arms can impact shoulder joints directly, causing the bones to break in extreme situations.

Blunt Trauma – These incidents can be something like getting hit by a blunt object or even car accidents and falls causing the breakage of bones.

Bone conditions – If you are suffering from bone conditions like osteoporosis that eventually weaken the bones, then it is easier to break with even a small impact on bones.

Seizures – If you are epileptic, there are high chances of a shoulder fracture or dislocation during the seizure episode due to violent muscle contractions.

Symptoms of Shoulder Injury or Fracture

You might experience the following symptoms if you have a shoulder fracture. 

• Persistent and excruciating pain in the shoulders following the injury.
• Increased shoulder joint swelling and tenderness.
• Discolouration in the shoulder with some redness.
• Grinding or popping sensation when trying to move the shoulder or the arm.
• Feeling like the shoulder might have gone out of place or an emptiness.
• Stiffness in the shoulder.

There could be different symptoms of a shoulder fracture according to the way it got broken. However, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, then you can consult a shoulder specialist in Chennai who will give a proper shoulder pain diagnosis.

Types of Shoulder Fractures & Injuries

Dr Bharani Kumar Dayanandam and his expert team specialize in treating all types of shoulder fractures and trauma conditions that include:

Proximal Humerus Fracture

This is a fracture occurring at the top part of the arm bone – the humerus – and this can happen to people of all ages but people over the age of 65 are at higher risk due to reduced bone density and weakness due to ageing.

Clavicle Fracture 

The clavicle or collarbone, is a thin bone that starts from the breastplate (sternum) to the shoulder. The fracture on this bone can happen if you had a fall landing on your shoulder or an outstretched arm and you will find it extremely difficult to move or raise the arms. There will be bumps or swelling when you get this kind of fracture.

Scapula Fracture

The scapula or the shoulder blade, is the large bone located in the upper back. Though fractures in this area are rare, you may still get one if you have to face a huge motor vehicle accident or a high-impact fall that can cause other bones, like in the ribs, also to break.

Other Injuries

Shoulder Dislocation & Instability

This is a condition that happens due to the upper ball-like area of the humerus slipping out of the socket-like glenoid area because of overuse, intense sports activities, etc. This condition can also accompany fractures of the bones or might cause ligament tears too, which are corrected by Dr Bharani Kumar.

Soft Tissue Injuries & Ligament Tears

With an overuse of shoulders, there can be other soft tissue injuries around the shoulder joints like ligament tears, rotator cuff tears, labral tears, or sprains that would need proper diagnosis, and this is precisely done by the doctor.

Diagnosis of Shoulder Injuries

The diagnosis of a shoulder fracture is done in several ways according to the severity, type and location of the fracture. However, the common methods used by doctors to identify a fracture in your shoulders are through 

Clinical methods

The doctor will ask about the incident that might have caused the condition, when the symptoms started or any existing shoulder problems. You will then undergo a physical examination to understand whether there are swellings, discolouration, bruising, deformity or extreme pain when touched or moved.

Imaging methods

This method includes X-rays, CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds to get details of the fracture types, whether any nerves or blood vessels are damaged, tissue injuries, and more specific details.

The doctor might need additional details like blood work to diagnose fractures caused by bone conditions and also to make sure the patient does not have any underlying health conditions that might have caused the bone breakage.

All these methods are very important to diagnose the actual reason for or severity of the fracture. This helps doctors to form a precise treatment plan that will give you a full healing and recovery. At Chennai Orthopaedics, Dr Bharani Kumar makes sure you get a quick and accurate diagnosis and the apt treatment for it.

Advanced Shoulder Injury Treatment Options

Shoulder fracture treatment Chennai depends on the location of the fracture, the type of injury, and its severity. Dr Bharani Kumar offers a wide range of treatment options for shoulder fractures or injuries in both surgical and non-surgical ways.

Non-Surgical Treatments (conservative management)

Not all shoulder fractures or injuries need surgery, especially if the bones remain properly aligned. The non-surgical methods includes

Immobilisation – This is done by using a shoulder immobiliser or a sling to make your shoulder stay in place to let the bones heal in their natural way. The healing might take up to 6 weeks or more depending on the severity of the breakage.

Medications for pain management – Over-the-counter pain-relieving medicines or anti-inflammatory medicines help to manage pain and swelling when the bones go through the healing process.

Physical exercises – Once the bones are partially healed, the doctor might advise you to get physiotherapy to restore muscle strength and mobility. This increases the range of motion after the healing is complete.

Lifestyle modifications – You will be supposed to avoid any intense activities till you get a full recovery from shoulder injuries and fractures.

Ice therapy – Applying ice to painful and swollen areas helps a great deal to control the pain, inflammation and any discomfort in the beginning stages.

Surgical Treatments (Operative Management)

Surgical treatments provided by Dr. Bharani Kumar include

The ORIF Method – (open reduction and internal fixation)

Here your bones will be realigned to their actual positions through internal fixation, where the surgeon will use metal plates, screws or rods to keep them in place and make sure that they heal well.

Shoulder Replacement/Shoulder Arthroplasty 

If your shoulder has got injured or fractured, then the doctor can do a joint replacement surgery. Here the doctor will replace the damaged joint with an artificial joint or a prosthesis.

Arthroscopic Surgery

For some shoulder joint fractures, then the doctor might recommend shoulder arthroscopy as the remedy, as it is the modern way of treatment, instead of doing an open surgery like in the old days. Arthroscopy involves making small incisions in the target area and inserting a camera with lights into the incisions. The doctor will be able to view the inside of the problem area clearly on a computer screen. The surgeon corrects the damages or injuries with the help of additional tools.

Post-Surgical Rehabilitation & Recovery

Shoulder fracture recovery time depends on several factors, like which bone of your shoulder was broken, the reason for breakage, and the type of treatment the doctor had to administer, the severity of the injury, and if any other injuries occurred along with the fracture (ligaments, surrounding muscles, tendons, etc.).

However, the full recovery usually takes between weeks and months, depending on these factors. Your doctor will be able to give the proper timeline for your injury type.

Recovery of fractures according to bone type

Proximal humerus fracture recovery – The person might have to wear a sling for immobilisation, usually for up to 6 weeks. The complete healing takes place within 12 weeks. It is then followed by physiotherapy and the patient will be able to perform light activities.

Collarbone fracture recovery – Recovery from a broken clavicle or collarbone takes place in 6-8 weeks’ time. Most of them usually take less time to recover, with children having a faster recovery time (3-4 weeks). The patient has to wear a sling for about 2-3 weeks, after which the shoulder should get adequate rest.

Scapula fracture recovery – The healing time for shoulder blade fracture recovery is usually between 6 and 12 weeks. The patient may have to wear a sling for up to 6 weeks or more and after removal, physical exercises will be recommended.

Even though the recovery time is different for specific bones, proper aftercare needs to be followed, like participating in physiotherapy actively and preventing certain activities that might cause injury, like intense sports activities, and also preventing anything that causes stiffness to your shoulders.

Though you recover in a few weeks, rehabilitation might take several months; hence, it is important that you follow proper preventive measures. You should follow up with the doctor regularly to get a clear picture about your improvements.

Dr Bharani Kumar Dayanandam at Chennai Orthopaedics recommends the exercises to help you recover effectively from a shoulder fracture and restore your arm strength and mobility. You will have an improved range of motions that can be performed effortlessly.

Why Choose Dr Bharani Kumar Dayanandam for Shoulder Injury Treatment in Chennai?

Dr Bharani Kumar Dayanandam is an expert senior orthopaedic surgeon and trauma consultant who has over 26 years of experience at Chennai Orthopaedics, Chennai, India. He specialises in shoulder and knee reconstruction and joint replacement. His academics and certifications include an MBBS in 1995 from Dr MGR University, Tamil Nadu; an AFRCSI in 2001 from the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland; a diploma in orthopaedic engineering in 2004 from the University of Cardiff, Wales; and an FRCS in trauma and orthopaedics in 2010. 

He has worked as an SHO at Hereford and Maidstone General Hospitals in the UK, where he treated a wide range of trauma and elective orthopaedic surgical cases.

His fields of interest are arthroscopic knee surgery, ligament reconstructions (ACL, PCL, MCL, PLC), meniscus transplants/implants, patella realignment, cartilage-preserving surgery, joint arthroplasty, osteotomy, arthroscopic shoulder replacement/decompression, rotator cuff repair and shoulder stabilisation.

Cost of Shoulder Injury Treatment in Chennai

The cost of shoulder injury or fracture treatment in Chennai depends on the type of injury or fracture, how it was managed (surgical or non-surgical methods), rehabilitation and physiotherapy requirements, implant type, hospital stay, and other similar factors.

Ideally the shoulder fracture treatment costs range from ₹15,000 to ₹40,000 for non-surgical care and ₹60,000 to ₹250,000 for the type of surgery administered and aftercare.

At Chennai Orthopaedics, we provide flexible pricing and transparency with no hidden costs that helps everyone to access quality treatment at an affordable cost.

Recovery Tips & Lifestyle After Shoulder Injury

If you had to face a trauma resulting in your shoulder fracture or injury – whether big or small – it is very important that you take preventive measures to avoid any repetitions of the same. To ensure a smooth recovery and to prevent any re-injuries, you can take some preventive measures, which include:

• Following physiotherapy properly.
• Taking proper medication for pain management.
• Applying ice packs for any discomfort or swelling in the treated area.
• Eating vitamin-D- and calcium-rich food and drinking adequate amount of water to keep yourself well hydrated.
• Maintaining proper posture during work and rest as advised by the doctor.

Some of the lifestyle improvements include wearing protective equipment while playing sports, wearing a seatbelt while driving, preventing yourself from falling and taking proper medication for any bone conditions.

FAQ’s