When you think of a shoulder throwing injury, the first people that come to mind are probably baseball players. However, it’s important to note that there are countless individuals, athletes and non-athletes alike, that can sustain shoulder throwing injuries, leaving them in desperate need of a solution that doesn’t just provide short-term relief. But, do you know what treatment options are at your disposal when you injure your shoulder?
Nonsurgical Treatment Options
Initially, most Phoenix sports medicine doctors will turn to nonsurgical treatment options to relieve the pain and discomfort that can occur in individuals with shoulder throwing injuries. Left untreated, your shoulder will simply manifest into other, more complicated issues, making it worthwhile to explore options such as:
- Modifying Your Activity – One of the easiest nonsurgical methods for treatment is to change your routine by avoiding activities that result in symptoms.
- Physical Therapy – Specific exercises can help to improve your range of motion while building strength around the joint, allowing you to relieve stress and alleviate pain that you’re experiencing.
- Cortisone Injections or Other Anti-Inflammatories – Reducing inflammation is one of the easiest ways to alleviate discomfort in and around your shoulder, therefore medications, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, or injections, such as cortisone, can truly help your condition.
- Regenerative Medicine – PRP therapy or stem cell injections can help the shoulder injury repair itself. These injections help reduce pain, inflammation and speed up the repair process.
Surgical Treatments Are Also Available
Some individuals aren’t helped by nonsurgical methods, meaning that they need to turn to a surgical procedure in order to help resolve their health condition. Depending upon your injury, age, and past medical history, your treatment option may vary, however some of the most common surgical procedures for shoulder throwing injuries include:
- Arthroscopy – Soft tissues can be easily repaired through an arthroscopy, which involves the use of a small camera to operate miniature surgical instruments within your damaged shoulder.
- Open Surgery – If you’ve sustained a severe should throwing injury, open surgery is sometimes required due to the scope of the injury itself. For individuals who have had issues for a long time and ignored them, or for those who have recently hurt their shoulder in a dramatic way, open surgery is likely going to be your best option.
Explore Your Options Following Your Shoulder Throwing Injury
Your shoulder throwing injury doesn’t have to mean that your career is over, or that your life is permanently interrupted. By familiarizing yourself with treatment options, you too can find the relief that you need from shoulder pain and get back to your normal self as quickly as possible.