Advanced Care for Shoulder Tendonitis

As team physicians for the Cleveland Browns and Olympic athletes, as well as leaders in orthopedic research for the NFL, our team of board-certified and fellowship-trained sports medicine physicians at University Hospitals are experienced in all areas of sports medicine, including shoulder injuries.

Our shoulder specialists are experts in treating shoulder tendonitis and helping our patients prevent it from recurring in the future.

Understanding Shoulder Tendonitis

An inflammation of your rotator cuff or biceps tendon is known as shoulder tendonitis. If you notice instability when you hold your arm in certain positions or pain and tenderness in your shoulder, you may be living with this condition.

Often times, participating in sports such as baseball or volleyball - which require the arm to repeatedly move over the head - can lead to shoulder tendonitis. Strain, overuse, injury or too much exercise may also cause tendonitis.

Conservative Shoulder Tendonitis Treatments

Shoulder tendonitis can usually be treated with conservative treatments including:

• Ice: Applying ice to the shoulder several times a day can be effective in reducing inflammation.
• Medication: Anti-inflammatory medications, in the form of injections or oral medications, may be prescribed to help control shoulder joint pain and swelling.
• Physical therapy: Physical therapy for shoulder tendonitis will initially attempt to reduce inflammation. Eventually, they will be designed to strengthen and prevent the tendonitis in the shoulder from recurring.
• Rest: Avoiding sports or other activities that caused the shoulder tendonitis and worsen shoulder pain is imperative.

In the event shoulder pain cannot be relieved through conservative measures, shoulder tendonitis surgery may be necessary. Whenever possible, our orthopedic surgeons perform arthroscopy, a surgical procedure to limit the number of incisions and reduce healing time.

The goal of arthroscopic surgery for shoulder tendonitis is to repair the damage and relieve pressure on the inflamed shoulder tendons and bursae, small, fluid-filled sacs near your joints.

Prevention is the Most Effective Treatment for Shoulder Tendonitis

Since overuse is the most common cause of shoulder tendonitis, the most effective treatment is prevention. You can prevent this condition by avoiding or modifying sports or other activities that lead to it in the first place.

Always be sure to warm up and practice proper posture and correct techniques while playing sports at any level of play – from weekend warriors to professional athletes. You should also strengthen and condition your tendons on a regular basis so they are less likely to become injured. Lastly, take a break if you feel stiff or tired or stop performing any activity if you experience unusual shoulder and arm pain.

Learn More About Our Services for Shoulder Tendonitis

For more information on shoulder tendonitis or other sports-related shoulder injuries, contact us today. We’re happy to answer your questions about our shoulder services or schedule an appointment with one of our shoulder specialists at any of our convenient University Hospitals locations.