Shoulder Pain Treatment in Singapore

When you arrive at our Singapore clinic, our specialist will review your symptoms to help determine the cause of your shoulder pain. Here are a few of the common questions that you may be asked about your condition.

• What Is Your Pain Like?
  • Dull or achy
  • Sharp or severe

• When Did Your Pain Start?
  • It was gradual
  • It came on suddenly

• What brings on the pain?
  • Many or most of your daily activities
  • A specific injury
  • Overuse or exercise
  • Painful when not moving

• Are you experiencing any other symptoms?
  • Inability to move your shoulder
  • Muscle spasm
  • Pins and needles sensation of numbness or tingling
  • Weakness in your shoulder or arm
  • Stiffness in your shoulder
  • Swelling
  • Visible deformation

When you go to get treatment for your shoulder pain, the doctor will start with a physical examination. It is important to check your range of motion and look for any sign of deformation, swelling, or other types of abnormalities.

After a physical examination, your doctor might want to move on to one of a few different types of shoulder pain tests (such as X-rays, MRI and CT scans) to take a closer look.

• X-rays: These are a great way to identify causes of shoulder pain like bone spurs, arthritis, or other issues with your bone. In some cases, doctors may recommend an arthrogram, which uses dye in the x-ray process to better highlight issues.
• MRI scan: Using magnetic aids and radio waves offers more detailed images than an x-ray and may be more useful for certain injuries.
• CT scan: This type of scan offers a series of x-rays imagined from different angles. With these different perspectives, your doctor can see potential issues that may not show up on a traditional x-ray.
• Electromyography (EMG): This shoulder testing tool records the electrical activity of your body to look for nerve or muscle issues as well as potential issues with nerve-to-muscle signalling.
• Arthroscopy: This more in-depth surgical procedure uses a small fibre-optic camera to take high-definition images of your shoulder. This is often done immediately before treatment.

While shoulder injuries are an obvious cause of pain, sometimes that pain seems to come out of nowhere. When this happens, self-diagnosis is not a good idea but there are a few potential diagnoses that you may get at the doctor’s office.

One of the most common causes of shoulder pain is an issue with the rotator cuff tendon. This tendon can become inflamed during heavy repetitive workouts or due to long-term wear and tear. This condition is called rotator cuff tendinitis, and it’s one of the most common reasons why people come to our Singapore clinic. 

Inside your joint, you have small sacs filled with fluid. They create a cushion between the soft tissue and the bone to reduce friction. When you overuse your shoulder, these sacs can become swollen and cause subacromial bursitis.

In the case of acute injury, you can be dealing with the splitting and tearing of tendons. This is a common sudden injury or it might gradually come on as you get older. Similarly, shoulder instability can be the result of an injury or it may become an issue with increased wear and tear.

If your shoulder pain has slowly worsened over the years, it could be caused by arthritis. Meanwhile, sudden intense pain could be the result of a fracture to your collarbone, an upper arm bone,  or a shoulder blade.

If you think that you may have a dislocation, separation, or fracture, it is crucial to get to a doctor for urgent care. These issues won’t get better on their own and delaying your treatment can lead to lifelong problems.

However, if you haven’t suffered an acute injury and have annoying but manageable pain, there are a few shoulder home remedies that will help. It is essential to keep in mind that it’s always a good idea to see a doctor for your shoulder pain. If your symptoms don’t go away within a couple of weeks or are continually getting worse, it’s time to book your appointment with an orthopaedic doctor in our Singapore clinic.

If your pain is mild, start with heat and ice, and try to rest your shoulder as much as possible To help with the swelling and discomfort, look to pain-relieving medications like aspirin or ibuprofen.

Is Ice or Heat Better for Shoulder Pain Treatment?

The general rule for ice vs heat for shoulder pain is to base it on the time of onset. When the pain first starts, it’s best to use ice for the first 72 hours or so. While it’s not the most comfortable option, it helps reduce inflammation and pain.

If you’re dealing with an old injury, heat can be helpful. When you apply heat to your shoulder, you can increase the blood flow while relaxing tight muscles. Heat on shoulder pain will relieve nagging aches and pains while improving the range of motion.

While a sudden injury makes it painfully obvious that you’ve got to get to the doctor as soon as possible, things are not so clear when shoulder pain comes on slowly. When you are dealing with shoulder wear and tear that has slowly caused an increasing amount of pain over the years, how do you know when it’s time to see a doctor?

Here are a few common symptoms that will let you know it’s time to get treatment for your shoulder pain.

• Your range of motion is limited.
• Doing everyday movements has become painful.
• There is a dull pain anytime you move your shoulder or elbow.
• You feel pain in the elbow or shoulder even when resting.
• The pain makes it hard to sleep.
• You feel a numbness or tingling in your shoulder or arm.
• The muscles have become unusually weak.
• The pain is getting worse with time.
• The pain is persistent despite pain-relieving medications as well as heat and ice treatments

If you are suffering from any of these common shoulder pain symptoms, it is time to make an appointment with our specialists.

There are times when shoulder pain goes from being an annoyance to an absolute emergency. If you are experiencing any of the following issues, it is time to drop everything and get to the doctor right now.

• The pain is sudden or intense.
• You are feeling dizzy.
• You have shortness of breath.
• The pain is extending across your jaw, neck, or arm.
• You have chest pain or tightness.
• You can’t move your arm.
• There is noticeable swelling or bruising around your shoulder or elbow.
• Your shoulder is dislocated.
• There is an obvious deformity in your shoulder.

Remember, shoulder pain won’t go away on its own. On the contrary, the injuries to your shoulder will only get worse with time. Delaying treatment can cause lifelong complications. Visit the local A&E for urgent treatment or book an appointment in our Singapore treatment centre for less pressing issues.