Dr Philip Allen Orthopaedic Gold Coast

	Home	Advanced Shoulder Clinic	Contact Us


	Orthopedics is a medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of injuries and diseases of the musculoskeletal system. This includes bones, joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and nerves. The specialty of Orthopaedic surgery is devoted to the care for all ages, from newborns with birth defects through to senior citizens with arthritis and fractures. Sports injuries are also an important part of Orthopaedic surgery. more

Shoulder impingement (rotator cuff impingement syndrome) is a commonly encountered problem in the shoulder. It causes pain, stiffness and weakness in the shoulder. Causes of impingement pain include acromioclavicular joint arthritis, subacromial bursitis and tendonitis of the rotator cuff. These will be explained below. Conservative treatment (non-surgical) includes rest, ice packs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone injections, home exercises and physiotherapy. When these measures fail surgery may be required.

Symptoms

Early symptoms of Impingement Syndrome include generalised aching of the shoulder and pain when raising the arm out from the side or in front of the body. Most patients complain of difficulty sleeping due to pain, especially when they roll over on the affected shoulder. A very reliable sign of impingement is a sharp pain when trying to reach into your back pocket or overhead. As the process continues, discomfort increases and the joint may become stiffer. Sometimes a “catching” sensation is felt when the arm is lowered. Weakness and inability to raise the arm may indicate that the rotator cuff tendons are actually torn.

Home | About Your Condition

The information on these pages is presented as a rough guide to help you understand your condition better. The information is in no way intended to be a comprehensive coverage of the subject. As all patients and their conditions are different, the treatment may vary from time to time. All patients are encouraged to take steps to ensure that they are as well educated about their conditions as possible. Other sources of information inc

Philip Allen Orthopaedic
P PO Box 1089, Coolangatta, QLD, 4225, Australia
T +61 7 55980977 F +61 7 55980016 E allen@bonedoctor.com.au
www.bonedoctor.com.au