Collarbone or Shoulder Pain
Find out more about collarbone or shoulder pain and how Torrance Pain Institute can help you manage your pain, improve your quality of life, and get back to doing the things you enjoy.
Considering that the shoulder is a complex joint, numerous factors can cause pain around the collarbone and the shoulder area. Physicians need to go through the layers to understand what is causing the pain.
For instance, the pain could be coming from the numerous bones in the area—the clavicle, scapula, or humerus. It may be coming from the joints, which may inhibit the movement of the sternoclavicular or acromioclavicular joint. There is also the possibility that the fibrous tissues or ligaments that connect the bones are damaged. The muscles may be inflamed or swollen, or you may have a rotator cuff tear.
This is why you need to consult a professional to diagnose your collarbone or shoulder pain accurately and get to the bottom of the problem.
How is collarbone or shoulder pain diagnosed?
A comprehensive analysis of the different parts of the shoulder is required to diagnose the source of the pain accurately. Physicians would have to check for common issues to help identify the cause.
Some steps would be to:
- Check for dislocation, movement ability, pain level
- Check for separation and torn ligaments.
- Rule out bursitis, which occurs with tendonitis and impingement syndrome, and causes inflammation of bursa sacs
- See if the patient has a rotator cuff injury, which involves tearing in one or more rotator cuff tendons
Physicians would also use specific diagnostic tools to determine the cause. These are:
- X-rays, which use electromagnetic beams to view tissue and bone
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which combines large magnets and radio infrequencies to produce detailed images of internal organs and body structure.
- Computed tomography scan (CAT or CT scan), which combines x-rays and computer technology to create horizontal, or axial, images of the body.
What is the treatment for collarbone or shoulder pain?
There are many options available for the treatment of collarbone and shoulder pain. An acromioclavicular joint injection is considered as an excellent form of pain relief treatment. It helps alleviate symptoms of many conditions, including rotator cuff injury, osteoporosis, and traumatic osteoarthritis. To learn more about the effectivity of the acromioclavicular joint injections, contact Torrance Pain Institute.