1 | 2 | 3

The first step is a thorough medical history. Your orthopaedist may ask how and when the pain started, whether it has occurred before and how it was treated, and other questions to help determine your general health as well as the possible causes of your shoulder problem. Because many shoulder conditions are aggravated by specific activities - and relieved by specific activities - medical history can be a valuable tool in finding the source of and treating your pain.

Next, your orthopaedist will perform a physical examination, which may include looking for physical abnormalities - swelling, deformity or muscle weakness - or feeling for tender areas, and observing the range of shoulder motion - how far and in which direction you can move your arm.

X-ray studies may be required so your orthopaedist can look closely at the bones and joints in your shoulder. Other diagnostic techniques that may be used include computerized tomography (CT scan), which provides a more detailed view of the shoulder area; electrical studies such as the electromyogram (EMG), which can indicate nerve damage; or an arthrogram, an x-ray study in which dye is injected into the shoulder to allow the orthopaedist to better see the joint and its surrounding muscles and tendons. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound are other valuable diagnostic tools for orthopaedists, because they provide images of the soft tissues without using radiation.

Arthroscopy is a surgical procedure in which the orthopaedist looks inside the joint with a lighted telescope. It is sometimes used to diagnose causes of shoulder pain. Arthroscopy may indicate soft tissue injuries that are not apparent in the physical examination, x-rays and other tests.

1 | 2 | 3