Shoulder and elbow treatment

Shoulders and elbows help power just about every movement of your upper body. When pain makes daily tasks or athletic pursuits difficult, count on Aurora BayCare Medical Center for expert, personalized orthopedic treatment.

Care for shoulder and elbow injuries: Why choose Aurora BayCare Medical Center?

Our specialists have extensive training and education in treating all injuries of the shoulder and elbow. We develop treatment plans tailored to your unique needs that help you heal and return to activities. Program highlights include:

• Demonstrated expertise We do more shoulder surgeries than other orthopedic groups in the region, meaning our surgeons have proven experience.
• Shoulder and elbow care specialists: Our fellowship-trained providers have extra education and training in their chosen specialty. You can count on your doctor to offer state-of-the-art shoulder and elbow care.
• Same-day diagnosis: We offer on-site musculoskeletal ultrasounds by our orthopedic specialist. We pinpoint your injury and begin treatment right away.
• Workplace readiness: Our specialists work with your employer to identify tasks you can do while recovering from injury, getting you back to work quickly.

Nonsurgical shoulder and elbow services

Our orthopedic experts often start by treating minor shoulder and elbow issues with the RICE method:

• Rest your shoulder or elbow
• Ice the affected area
• Compress the shoulder or elbow tissue
• Elevate the affected area

Your doctor may recommend non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, to help reduce swelling. Specialists may also prescribe other medications to reduce inflammation.

Your doctor may also recommend immobilization with a splint or brace and other nonoperative orthopedics such as:

Physical therapy

Our fellowship-trained orthopedic rehabilitation specialists have extra education and experience in therapies to strengthen and heal the shoulder and elbow.

Shoulder and elbow surgery

Our surgeons use advanced surgical techniques to treat shoulder and elbow conditions that don’t respond to more conservative treatment. We provide:

Elbow surgery

Our doctors are experts in surgical techniques to repair and heal damage and injuries. We offer a range of elbow surgery services, including arthroscopy and elbow replacement.

Shoulder surgery

Our orthopedic experts use the most advanced shoulder surgery methods to repair tears and remove loose cartilage and other debris. We reconstruct the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, where the shoulder blade and clavicle meet, and offer shoulder arthroscopy.

Shoulder replacement

When you need shoulder replacement surgery, our orthopedic surgeons bring proven expertise to healing the shoulder with artificial joints. We offer total shoulder replacement and reverse total shoulder replacement to relieve pain and other symptoms and increase your range of motion.

Getting you back in the game

You’ll find the sports medicine services you need to get you back to the athletic pursuits you love. Our specialists help reduce pain and improve your performance.

Workplace injuries

Our specialists understand workers’ compensation requirements. We offer appointments with no waiting and work with your employer to find the right work tasks to accommodate injury restrictions.

Shoulder conditions we treat

Your shoulder is a complex combination of two joints. The scapula (shoulder blade), clavicle (collar bone) and acromion (end of the scapula) come together to form the AC joint.

The end of your upper arm bone, the humerus, forms the ball part of the glenohumeral joint. The glenoid (part of the scapula) forms the socket. The shoulder joint also includes:

• Joint capsule: A sac filled with lubricating fluid that allows the joint to move freely
• Labrum: A cartilage ring surrounding the socket (glenoid)
• Rotator cuff: A group of muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder joint together
• Tendons and ligaments: Strong bands of connective tissue that attach bones and muscles

If you have stiffness, weakness or pain in your shoulder, our orthopedic specialists offer expert diagnosis and care. We treat:

Arthritis

Arthritis causes protective cartilage to wear away (degenerate). Our specialists treat osteoarthritis, which happens as you age, and rheumatoid arthritis, an condition where your immune system attacks cartilage.

Bursitis and tendinitis

Bursae, fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints, and tendons sometimes become irritated from overuse, especially if you make repetitive overhead arm motions.

Fractures and dislocations

Broken shoulder, or fractures, occur after traumatic contact, such as a fall or a hit during sports. Dislocation, in which the shoulder bones move out of place, can also occur on contact.

Shoulder impingement

When muscles rub against the top of the shoulder blade repeatedly, irritation and inflammation can occur. This irritation, known as shoulder impingement, causes pain.

Instability

Pain when you raise your arm overhead or a feeling that your shoulder isn’t in the right place can signal shoulder instability. This instability can lead to shoulder bones slipping out of place (dislocation).

Rotator cuff injuries

Inflammation and tears can occur in the rotator cuff from overuse, traumatic injury or age-related wear on the tendons. With rotator cuff injuries, you may have:

• Difficulty lifting your arm over your head
• Trouble sleeping due to shoulder pain
• Weakness or cracking when your shoulder moves

Tears

Tendons, ligaments and muscles may tear from overuse, injury, or wear and tear over time. Torn biceps tendon (which connects the biceps to bones in the shoulder) and rotator cuff tears are the most common shoulder tears.

Elbow conditions we treat

Three bones come together to form the elbow joint. These bones include the:

• Upper arm bone, known as the humerus
• Forearm bone on the outside of the arm, or ulna
• Forearm bone on the inside of the arm, or radius

Cartilage surrounds the surfaces of the bones where they meet to form the elbow. Inside the elbow, the synovial membrane protects and lubricates cartilage, allowing the hinge joint to bend and rotate.

Elbow conditions

Sometimes, degenerative conditions that happen over time cause elbow pain. These conditions include:

• Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Tendinitis

Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) is inflammation and tearing in the tendons of the outer elbow. Repetitive motion, such as swinging a racquet, causes damage to tendons and muscles in the forearm.

Elbow injuries

Elbow pain can result from sudden injuries or injuries that happen over time. We treat:

• Fractures (broken bones)
• Dislocations, or bones that move out of their proper position
• Tears to ligaments and tendons