Shoulder Sprain

OPA treats a wide variety of shoulder conditions and offers comprehensive treatment options — including many non-surgical solutions.

What is a Shoulder Sprain?

The shoulders flexibility can make it prone to injury. This often happens when stress is placed on the tissues that stabilize the shoulder. There are many types of shoulder sprains:

Common Causes:

    • Sport injury
    • Fall
    • Trauma
    • Motor vehicle accident

Symptoms of shoulder impingement syndrome may include:

    • Pain
    • Limited range of motion
    • Joint stiffness
    • The sensation of a tear or pop followed by swelling and bruising

When you arrive for your initial consultation, one of our team of shoulder specialists will evaluate your areas of concern, discuss your symptoms, and develop a customized and comprehensive treatment plan tailored to your unique needs. This evaluation is a necessary part of diagnosing your condition and providing the best possible care.

There are multiple grades of a shoulder sprain. These include: 

    • Grade 1: the ligaments of the AC joint stretch or partial tear, but the bones don’t separate. Mild pain and swelling may interfere with normal daily activities.
    • Grade 2: ligaments tear, causing pain and swelling.
    • Grade 3: In a Grade 3 sprain, the AC joint becomes completely separated. This leads to bruising, pain, and swelling that can prevent you from performing your usual activities. The dislocated collarbone usually appears as a bump on the shoulder.
    • Grades 4, 5, and 6: sprains are more severe and less common. In these injuries, ligaments tear, the AC joint separates, and muscles detach from the collarbone.

When diagnosing a shoulder sprain, The OPA Shoulder Specialist:

    • A medical, injury, and symptom history review
    • A physical examination
    • Multiple view x-rays

Once an official diagnosis is made, a customized treatment plan is prescribed. Treatment plans decrease symptoms as quickly as possible.

Common Treatments:

Nonsurgical treatment options may be used to treat shoulder sprains that do not involve serious bone displacement or tendon tearing. A combination of the following is prescribed:

Immobilization
Use of a sling or brace gives bones and tendons time to heal.
Physical Therapy

One of OPA’s onsite physical therapists prescribes and monitors strengthening and stretching exercises.

Rest & Ice
Temporarily stopping or slowing down activities that cause shoulder tendonitis gives inflammation a chance to calm down.

Schedule Appointment with Our Shoulder Team

Questions?

The OPA team includes Alaska’s leading specialists and offers some of the latest, most advanced treatment procedures available today.

OPA treats a wide variety of conditions and offers comprehensive treatment options — including many non-surgical solutions, minimally invasive arthroscopies (repairs) and total joint replacement.

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