Elbows & Shoulders Conditions and Treatments in Central IL
You may not realize it, but your elbows and shoulders are vulnerable to stress and injury due to their use for many tasks throughout the day. Arthritis is the leading cause of pain in both elbows and shoulders, which causes limited mobility, pain, stiffness and weakness. At our office, we diagnose and treat a wide variety of shoulder and elbow injuries including trauma, athletic injuries, degenerative diseases, fractures and other painful conditions. Read below about some of the conditions we treat.
Elbow/Shoulder Arthritis
What is it?
Arthritis is a general disease that can affect multiple tissues inside the body’s joints. The joint is where two bones meet, and arthritis occurs when the tissues that protect that joint become inflamed or begin to wear away. The affected tissues could be cartilage, tendons, ligaments, muscles or synovial membranes.
Symptoms
Symptoms of arthritis can include pain in the joints that comes and goes but increases over time and when being used. Another symptom may be a loss of range of motion in the joint accompanied by swelling or grinding and cracking noises.
Treatment Options
Arthritis is treated in a number of ways including steroid injections, anti-inflammatory medicine and even surgical treatments.
Tennis Elbow (Overuse Syndrome)
What is it?
Tennis Elbow isn’t just for tennis players. Actually, this refers to the pain associated with overuse syndrome of the elbow. Many times, tennis players will get this problem, but it’s not limited to just tennis players. It occurs when tendons begin to detach due to overuse.
Symptoms
Tennis elbow can cause pain starting in the elbow and spreading to the wrist and fingers. Additionally, it can affect one’s ability to grip things, lift things and perform other activities.
Treatment Options
The list of treatments for this injury includes rest, anti-inflammatory medication, braces, physical therapy, steroid injections, shockwave treatment and surgery.
Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)
What is it?
Golfer’s Elbow is not the same as tennis elbow. It involves the tendons that connect the forearm muscles to the forearm bones and occurs after repetitive injuries.
Symptoms
The symptoms of this injury include pain in the elbow and into the forearm that increases with use and when gripping things.
Treatment Options
The list of treatments for this injury includes rest, anti-inflammatory medication, braces, physical therapy, steroid injections, shockwave treatment and surgery.
Tennis Elbow (Overuse Syndrome)
What is it?
Cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when too much pressure is placed on the ulnar nerve in the elbow. When this nerve is compressed, it prohibits proper nerve function, leading to pain.
Symptoms
The symptoms of this injury include pain, numbness or a tingling sensation in the elbow. It can feel similar to the symptoms of having your “funny bone” hit.
Treatment Options
Most of the time, this injury will subside with non-surgical treatments. However, surgery may be required in severe cases.
Rotator Cuff Repair
What is it?
The rotator cuff consists of the four main shoulder muscles and their attached tendons. An injury occurs when one or more of the tendons is torn, strained or ruptured.
Symptoms
Rotator cuff injuries are common among athletes such as baseball or tennis players. The injury can cause pain and discomfort in the shoulder, especially when lifting hands over the head.
Treatment Options
These injuries are treated in a number of ways including steroid injections, anti-inflammatory medicine, and even surgical treatments.
Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement
What is it?
This is a new surgical treatment available for damaged shoulders. It replaces the shoulder with a new, artificial joint.
Symptoms
You may need reverse total shoulder replacement if you’re suffering from a complex shoulder condition or degenerative illness.
Treatment Options
There are two surgical options for shoulder replacement. However, shoulder pain can be treated in other ways as prescribed by your doctor.
