Shoulder Impingement Syndrome or SIS is a quite painful shoulder condition that needs treatment as soon as possible. The shoulder joint is made up of a complex combination of muscles, tendons, bursae, and other supporting structures. These structures provide stability as well as mobility to the shoulder joint. However, if any of these soft tissue structures get inflamed then they swell up and get impinged between the shoulder bones when a movement is performed. The most common movements that cause pain are shoulder abduction (when the shoulder is taken away from the body or in overhead position) and internal or external rotation (when the joint is moved inwards or outwards in activities like zippering or buttoning etc). Dr. Sumit Badhwar is an experienced orthopedic surgeon in Noida who treats shoulder impingement syndrome at his clinic in routine. You can book an appointment with him by clicking here. This article explains the reasons, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome.  

Causes of Shoulder Impingement Syndrome

• Trauma that is left untreated
• Overuse of the shoulder 
• Repeated overhead activities such as swimming, cleaning, etc

Symptoms of SIS

• Pain in the front of the shoulder that sometimes travels to the back or deep inside
• Sudden pain onset that occurs when you try to reach overhead or perform a related activity 
• Night Pain may be present especially in chronic cases 
• A problem in performing specific activities such as hooking the brasier or combing hair etc.

Diagnosis of Shoulder Impingement

• Examination of Shoulder – The orthopedic doctor will examine your shoulder by palpating the painful area and checking any pain-causing or restricting movement. The examination along with history taking gives an idea about the diagnosis of shoulder pain. 
• X-ray – X-ray is the most common diagnostic imaging that helps in ruling out any fractures and other shoulder pathologies from impingement syndrome. Sometimes the impingement occurs due to the formation of a bony spur in the acromion (shoulder bone). The spur traps the soft tissues while performing overhead movements. 
• Ultrasound or MRI scan – The ultrasound or MRI shows the presence of inflammation in the bursa or any tear present in the rotator cuff muscles (the muscles that surround the shoulder joint as a cuff are known as rotator cuff muscles). Ultrasound gives a clear idea about the tear present or just the inflammation, this helps in deciding the treatment protocol and its prognosis.  

Shoulder Impingement Syndrome Treatment in Noida

• Rest – Rest is like the first aid treatment in these types of shoulder disorders as the further activity will irritate the soft tissues further and the inflammation will increase. So the patient is advised to avoid any overhead activity and all types of sports or weight-lifting activities etc. 
• Medicines – NSAIDs or Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs are given to the patient to decrease the swelling and redness present in the inflamed bursae. Some other medicines are also prescribed as per the condition of the patient.
• Physical Therapy – Physical therapy is very important in rehabilitating the joint and adding strength to the weakened muscles over time. So the stretching and strengthening exercises are performed by the patient under the supervision of a qualified physiotherapist along with some pain relieving modalities.
• Corticosteroid Injection – If all the above-mentioned measures fail to provide adequate relief to the patient then the corticosteroid injection is given to the patient in the shoulder joint to relieve inflammation. It has shown quite promising results in shoulder pain treatment.  
• Surgical intervention – Surgeries are rarely performed in SIS cases. However, if acromion spikes are the cause of shoulder impingement then a part of the acromion removed by arthroscopy or open surgery.

Suffering from shoulder pain? Book an appointment with the best orthopedic doctor in Noida today by clicking here.