The shoulder is one of the most versatile joints in the body, providing a wide range of motion with interaction of over 20 muscles effecting shoulder function. Because this joint provides so much motion it is at an increased risk of injury.
The shoulder is commonly affected by the demands of active lifestyles. Pain and soreness caused by overuse, trauma, or degenerative conditions (such as arthritis) can decrease activity and quality sleep.
ValleyOrtho’s physicians have decades of experience diagnosing and treating all kinds of shoulder injuries and conditions, and utilize the most advanced surgical and nonsurgical techniques.
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that help provide stability and mobility to the shoulder. The four muscles include the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor and subscapularis.
The tendons of these four muscles come together to connect the upper arm bone, or “humerus”, to the shoulder blade, or “scapula.” The tendons form a “cuff” around the shoulder joint. The supraspinatus tendon is the most frequently torn tendon in the shoulder.
The shoulder is a shallow ball-and-socket joint. The humeral head is the ball, located at the top of the upper arm bone (humerus), the glenoid is the shallow socket located on the shoulder blade (scapula), and the labrum is a firm cup-like structure that helps deepen the glenoid socket. The outside areas of the labrum are thick but the inner regions are much thinner. The labrum expands the depth of the socket by approximately 50 percent to allow for increased motion and stability.
The glenoid labrum is divided into four sections:
The term SLAP stands for Superior Labrum Anterior and Posterior and describes the location or pattern of tearing in the labrum.
Adhesive capsulitis is a term used to describe a significant loss of motion in all directions in the shoulder joint, which also may be referred to as “frozen shoulder.” This is a condition where the shoulder capsule becomes contracted and thickened.
The loss of motion is apparent when attempting to move the shoulder, as well as when someone else attempts to move the shoulder and the muscles are relaxed. The cause of adhesive capsulitis can be unknown or related to an injury.
Impingement is a common overuse injury in sports such as baseball, softball, tennis, golf and swimming. This common shoulder disorder is caused by improper alignment of the bones and tissues in the upper arm. The rotator cuff tendons, the biceps tendon and subacromial bursa may be inflamed from repetitive microtrauma when the upper arm bone and tip of the shoulder blade get “impinged” or pinched together.
If the rotator cuff becomes inflamed from overuse, the space between the upper arm bone and tip of the shoulder blade is narrowed. This causes the rotator cuff and its fluid-filled bursa to pinch together. This impingement results in irritation and pain when the shoulder is raised.