- You can’t sleep at night because of a shoulder problem, or every time you roll over onto it, it wakes you up.
- Your shoulder “pops out” in certain positions, or even when sleeping at night.
- You had an injury at work, at home, in a car accident, or otherwise, and now you can’t do some or all the things you normally would.
- You must use the other arm to lift the “weak” arm. This is often a sign of a big rotator cuff tear, although it can have other causes. It’s at least worth having it evaluated, right?
- You’ve tried all the things your parents, coaches, and primary care providers have suggested, but they just aren’t working, or aren’t working enough. You have rested, elevated, iced, stretched, taken anti-inflammatories, massaged, wrapped, applied gels and creams and every other idea that came to you.
- You are having problems or concerns that remain unaddressed or came on after a shoulder surgery. While 100% recovery is not always possible, if you haven’t been able to get back to doing what you love, a visit and evaluation can at least inform you of what options might be available and what expectations might be reasonable.
- You’ve tried physical therapy, but it’s just not getting there. Remember, patients in Oklahoma have direct access to physical therapy, so you can start a therapy program without a referral. However, involving your physician to help direct the specifics of the program and evaluate your response to it, as well as provide other options when needed, can be of great benefit.
- Your family and/or friends are concerned about you. They care and keep reminding you that you keep complaining about your shoulder pain or avoiding the church baseball league or asking them for help with reaching items in overhead cabinets. It can be easy to think, “it’s not that big of a deal”, “it will get better”, or “I don’t want to trouble anyone.” Think of it as your gift to them to finally get it checked out and see what can be done.
- You have been told you have arthritis, but that nothing can be done about it, or you just have to live with it.
- It is not normal that you can’t reach your bra clasp in the back or get your wallet out of your back pocket. Stiffness can be an indication of an underlying shoulder condition like a frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, or arthritis. It’s at least worth a visit to learn more about what’s going on and how to make it better.
By Oklahoma Shoulder Center PLLC
October 1, 2019
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