Dear Medical Solution Team,
I recently went ice skating, fell and injured my right shoulder. I went to my medical doctor, he examined me, took x-rays, told me that it wasn’t broke, gave me medication and told me that it should get better in a couple of days. It has been two weeks now and the pain is a little better, but my shoulder is real stiff. I can’t lift my arm above my head when I try to fix my hair. What do you think I did to my shoulder? Is there anything that I could do for this besides taking medication?

Answer:
There are several things that could be going on with your shoulder, and without examining you, one can only speculate. However, it sound like that you may be suffering from one of the three conditions; shoulder bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, or a rotator cuff syndrome. Lets first of all consider the shoulder bursitis. The shoulder is a ball and socket joint, similar to the hip joint which allows for maximum range of motion. Surrounding the joint is a sack, which contains fluid to lubricate the joint, called the bursa. When a person sustains an injury to the joint, it is not uncommon for the joint to have excessive swelling in the fluid sack, which exerts pressure on the exterior walls, producing pain and limiting motion. Adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder is a condition in which adhesions form in the capsule of the joint and restrict movement. When a person has this, they are unable to lift their shoulder even with assistance until the adhesions are released through rehabilitation. A rotator cuff tear is a tear in one of the four muscles in the group that controls the shoulder. The rotator cuff is a shoulder depressor, that is, when working properly these muscles hold the shoulder down and enable it to move freely.

There are other conditions to consider such as a capsular tear and shoulder impingement syndrome. There are several Chiropractic –Orthopedic and rehabilitative treatments that could be helpful for your condition. If your condition persists, I suggest that you consult with a Chiropractic – Orthopedist for an evaluation.