Every time you lift an object, reach up to your cabinets to put the dishes away, swing a tennis racket, swim, or even drive your car, you’re using a very important joint in your body—your shoulder. Your shoulder joints actually have the largest range of motion of any of the joints in your body. While your shoulder seems pretty simple when viewed from the outside, it is actually a complex set of joints that all work together to make your shoulders move as they should.

How Is The Shoulder Constructed?


Your shoulders are made up of two main joints that are responsible for proper movement and flexibility, the glenohumeral joint and the acromioclavicular joint. The glenohumeral joint contains the socket of your shoulder blade as well as the top of your arm bone. The top of your arm bone is shaped like a ball and is actually twice the size of the socket, which is unique to this part of your body. The acromioclavicular joint is found between your shoulder blade and collarbone. In addition to these bones and joints, your shoulder also has many muscles and tendons which help in the full range of motion.

What Are Common Shoulder Injuries?


Here at Capital Ortho, we see and treat a number of common shoulder injuries. Anyone can suffer from these injuries, although they’re often seen in athletes or skilled workers since repetitive motions and routines can lead to long-term injury.

One common injury that we treat is an injury to the rotator cuff. Your rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons which are responsible for keeping the ball of your upper arm in the socket. A rotator cuff injury can either be a tear or a weakness and usually presents itself as a pain deep in the shoulder that can be worsened by sleeping or reaching behind your back.

We also treat injuries such as shoulder impingement or instability, as well as a condition known as frozen shoulder. These injuries present themselves with pain and discomfort, frequent dislocations, or even the inability to properly use your shoulder due to inflammation.

How Are Shoulder Injuries Treated?


Our treatment plans vary based on many factors including the severity of your condition and the cause of the injury. Our entire team of doctors are general orthopaedic surgeons, qualified to treat all areas of the body. However, we also have teams of special interests and training which means that certain injuries are best addressed by particular doctors in our practice. If you have been experiencing shoulder pain or pain within any of our other specialties, book an appointment today for an evaluation and treatment plan by a member of our team.