We have all experienced minor shoulder pain now and then. However, you may have a sudden, piercing, possibly debilitating pain in the shoulder that isn’t responding at all to your home medications – such as topical muscle-pain relieving cream and over-the-counter oral pain relievers.
When that is the case, the situation warrants a visit right away to your orthopedic doctor. Let’s talk about when a shoulder condition or injury might need to be repaired via emergency shoulder surgery, and where you can go in Delray Beach to see an expert shoulder doctor for a swift evaluation and proper treatment to help you get your shoulder back and working again.
Signs that You Might Need Shoulder Surgery
The good news is that if you do need to have emergency shoulder surgery, it will likely be an outpatient operation. Many repairs to sudden joint damage are performed via minimally invasive orthoscopy.
Some of the telltale signs that your shoulder may warrant surgical treatment include the following:
Intense Shoulder Pain
If you have severe shoulder pain, you should see an orthopedic surgeon as soon as possible. Typical causes of acute shoulder pain that need an evaluation and possible treatment by a shoulder doctor are:
- Dislocated shoulder (often displaying an obvious distortion of the shoulder joint)
- Shoulder fracture
- Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
- Torn rotator cuff
- Shoulder impingement syndrome
- Shoulder instability
- Sports injury to the shoulder
- Work-related shoulder injury
- Injury to the labrum (cartilage lining your shoulder socket)
During your appointment, try to give your doctor a detailed description of your pain, such as if it’s sharp, dull, throbbing, or burning. In some cases, you may also experience numbness and weakness in your shoulder.
Limited Movement or No Movement
If the shoulder pain limits your ability to move the shoulder, see your orthopedist for an assessment. Do not assume that the shoulder will get better over time.
Keep in mind that delaying treatment may allow the shoulder problem to become worse. Don’t push through your pain, since you risk damaging your shoulder even further.
Popping Sound
Any sudden force can dislocate the shoulder, which often causes a popping sound when the injury occurs. A car accident, fall, pull (such as when your dog suddenly leaps while on the leash), and sports injury are the leading causes of shoulder dislocation.
When this happens, the upper arm bone pops out of the cup-shaped socket in the shoulder blade. A popping sound may be accompanied by intense pain, swelling, and discoloration. The dislocation can be complete or partial.
Visible Deformity
A dislocated shoulder can appear visibly deformed on the outside. If you notice a shoulder deformity, visit your orthopedic doctor right away. Do not try to force your shoulder back into its normal position, because this can damage the joint even further.
Top-Rated Shoulder Doctor in Boca, Delray, and Boynton Beach
While home remedies can provide relief from minor shoulder pain, visit a shoulder doctor for persistent or acute pain that does not fade within a couple of weeks. If there is a noticeable deformity, swelling, bruising, warmth, numbness, limited movement, weakness, or tingling in the shoulder area, all the more reason to see an orthopedic doctor now.
For top-notch shoulder care, visit Dr. Steve Meadows at South Palm Orthopedics. Dr. Meadows is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon and can treat the full range of upper-extremity conditions.
If you require shoulder surgery, Dr. Meadows can carry out the necessary procedures to relieve your pain and get you back to your active lifestyle. He has extensive surgical expertise in tendon and ligament repairs, joint reconstructions, total joint replacement, fracture treatment, and outpatient arthroscopic surgery.
To schedule an appointment with Dr. Meadows, call us today at 561-496-6622 or use our convenient appointment request form. We serve Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, and the surrounding areas in Palm Beach County and across South Florida, and we look forward to seeing you.
