Shoulder Pain Treatment

Dr. Pamela Mehta MD
Shoulder Surgeon in San Jose

Author: Dr. Pamela Mehta, MD

Dr. Pamela Mehta is an experienced shoulder surgeon renowned for her expertise in sports injuries and joint arthritis. She is the founder of Resilience Orthopedics.

With an impressive career and training under leading innovators, she has served as Chief of Orthopedics and National Orthopedic Director for a major orthopedic hospitalist group and advises several publicly traded companies.

About Shoulder Pain

Shoulder problems commonly manifest as shoulder pain and difficulty moving your arm. Pain in your shoulder joint is often associated with difficulty moving. It can also significantly impact your daily life.

The shoulder pain can make it difficult to play any sports which require arm movement. Work which requires you to lift things is also difficult, and it can impact your sleep. Some shoulder conditions heal without any medical intervention. However, it’s important to know when you should visit a shoulder doctor.

Your shoulder joint is a “ball and socket” joint. It is very mobile and allows you to reach for things from all directions. When you have shoulder pain, it could come from any part of the shoulder including:

Bones
Cartilage
Muscles
Tendons
Nerves

Symptoms

Shoulder pain symptoms depend on the condition which is causing it. Symptoms associated with shoulder pain can include:

Pain in your shoulder at rest
Pain when you move your shoulder
Pain when you lift heavy objects
Limited shoulder range of motion
Popping or clicking sounds when you move your shoulder
Weakness in your arm or hand
Numbness in your arm
Your shoulder joint feeling unstable

Some shoulder conditions are due to simple trauma or inflammation. But if you have a serious injury and don’t visit your local shoulder doctor, you might cause lasting damage!

There are certain symptoms such as joint instability which signify a serious problem. If you don’t know the cause of the pain, or it’s not improving, you should ask for professional advice.

Common causes for shoulder pain include:

Dr. Pamela Mehta M.D is a board-certified shoulder doctor in San Jose and founder of Resilience Orthopedics, based in Los Gatos, CA. If you live in the San Jose area and are suffering from shoulder pain, you should book a consultation with us today.

Book a Consultation with Dr. Pamela Mehta, MD

The Best Orthopedic Surgeon in San Jose

Dr. Mehta is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who can help you recover from your joint condition.

We can help if you:

Call On 408-559-3888
or Send a Message

Diagnosis

When you attend our orthopedic clinic, Dr. Mehta will perform a physical examination. The location of pain, any swelling, and an assessment of your joint stability will all help Dr. Mehta. From this, she can determine the likely cause and give her information on tests and treatment options. She will also ask you questions on:

How long the pain has been there
What makes the pain worse
Any associated symptoms
Your medical history

After examination, you will receive an x-ray to look at the structure of your shoulder. This may be followed by an MRI or ultrasound. These imaging tests help to rule out other conditions which can cause shoulder pain. They will help determine which treatment options are most likely to help ease your pain.

Following tests, Dr. Mehta will discuss the diagnosis and treatment options. She can advise on how long the recovery from your shoulder pain will take. She always works with her patients to create a personalized treatment plan.

Treatment

At Resilience Orthopedics, we offer a concierge orthopedic service. We have modern and advanced treatment options for patients suffering from joint conditions. Dr. Mehta is an expert shoulder doctor in San Jose and specializes in minimally-invasive surgical techniques.

Dr. Mehta will never push surgery on you if you’d prefer to explore non-surgical options first. She cares about her patients and wants you to get immediate relief as well as a long-term solution to your pain.

Conservative treatment for shoulder pain can include:

Exercise plans
Physical therapy
Shoulder sling
Hot or cold treatments
Anti-inflammatory medications

Sometimes, surgery is required to view the damage in your shoulder joint directly. Arthroscopy helps to fix the problem while minimizing recovery time and scars.

Dr. Mehta offers a full range of surgical treatments at a first-class surgery center. She will advise on recovery time from surgery and will call to follow up on your condition.

3 Shoulder Pain Symptoms that could be SERIOUS

1. Shoulder Joint Instability

The first reason your shoulder pain symptoms could be serious is when your shoulder is popping in and out of place. This may be a reason to go seek medical attention from your orthopedic surgeon.

It’s important to note that if your shoulder is dislocated, you should head straight to the emergency room. If, however, the joint doesn’t feel unstable or feels like it’s going to pop out of place, there’s time to book an appointment.

When your shoulder feels like this, it may be one of three shoulder joints;

The glenohumeral joint (GH joint)
The acromioclavicular joint (AC joint)
The sternoclavicular joint (SC joint)

You should go see your doctor for evaluation if:

You feel your joint is coming in and out of place
It feels like certain movement will make it come out of place

A shoulder doctor can evaluate the structural integrity of your ligaments. They can also test the functioning of your shoulder capsule.

2. Shoulder Pain and Weakness on Certain Movements

Pain caused by movements such as reaching overhead or behind your back is concerning. If you’re experiencing symptoms or weakness in these movements you should see a shoulder doctor.

Maybe you’re working out in the gym and doing some overhead press. Or you’re putting dishes away in your cabinet – anything where that arm is up above the shoulder and causing some pain and weakness.

Perhaps you’re reaching behind you – like if you’re reaching for your wallet behind you in your back pocket. Or you’ve got some kids in the car seat behind you and you’re trying to give them a snack.

If any of those movements that cause pain and weakness, you need to see a doctor. If it’s getting worse, you should get evaluated and make sure you don’t have any nerve damage or impingement.

3. Struggling to Move Your Shoulder

The most important worrying sign is losing shoulder motion. Maybe one day you wake up and you notice your shoulder isn’t quite moving as well as it was before. After a little while you realize it’s moving less and less and it’s getting stiff and painful. This is definitely a reason to go see your doctor.

The shoulder joint can get very stiff, or it can have a diagnosis called frozen shoulder. We need to evaluate why that’s happening and get you treatment options, including physical therapy, to get that motion back.

So What Happens When I Get an Evaluation For My Shoulder Pain Symptoms?

The first thing that will likely happen is for you to have a physical exam and some x-rays. X-rays are extremely important and are the single best initial diagnostic test for bone and joint problems. They tell us about the alignment of your bones and the different joint spaces.

I’ve already mentioned in the shoulder that you have two very important joints, the GH joint, and the AC joint. There’s also a space called the subacromial space. All three of these can be seen very well on X-ray.

After getting an x-ray, your doctor may ask for you to get an MRI. An MRI is excellent for seeing what’s going on with your rotator cuff, and possibly the inflammation that might be in your shoulder. While some parts, such as the shoulder bursae, can’t be seen on x-rays, they can be seen on an MRI scan.

After we have all the diagnostic tests in hand, we can develop a great treatment plan for you . This may include physical therapy, injections, or surgery for your shoulder pain symptoms.

Testimonials

This review is long overdue from a very happy and ever so grateful patient! I was having major shoulder pain to the point where I couldn't raise my left shoulder. I decided to go to Dr. Mehta after a friend recommended me to her. Dr. Mehta was very attentive during our initial apt. She was quickly able to diagnose the root cause of my shoulder issue and explained the how and why I ended up with this pain. Her treatment plan involved me doing various mobility exercises and after two weeks I can honestly say I am at least 50% better. I think a few other Yelp reviewers mentioned this but I have to say it again, Dr Mehta truly cares about her patients and it was very apparent from how she followed up with my recovery. She called and emailed me to make sure I was following the plan and kept up with all my progress. I'm not sure how Dr Mehta finds the time to do all this but after my experience with her, I can say with certainty that she is a very skillful doctor and I have 100% trust in her.

Dr. Mehta is an exceptional surgeon who is both easily approachable and honest. It’s hard to find doctors with such integrity. She saw both of my parents for their knee and shoulder issues and was able diagnose and treat their issues.

Ready to Recover?

Take the first step in getting back to your normal self, and book an appointment with Dr. Mehta today.

We’re ready when you are!

What Shoulder Services Do We Offer?

Shoulder Pain Assessment

Shoulder Pain is frustrating and can impact both your sleep and your mental health. Dr. Mehta is a shoulder doctor and can diagnose your pain, offering various surgical and non-surgical treatments.

Shoulder Surgery

If your shoulder condition is severe, or nothing you have tried has helped, Dr. Mehta can advise you on the options for surgery. She is a shoulder specialist and can offer expert opinion and care.