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Dr Tabane MoagiSpecialist Orthopaedic Surgeon

Condition

Shoulder pain

Pain in the shoulder or upper arm, often worse reaching overhead or lying on that side.

What it usually feels like

  • Pain lying on that shoulder at night
  • Difficulty reaching a high shelf or behind your back
  • Weakness lifting the arm

Common causes

  • Rotator cuff irritation or tearing
  • Impingement under the bony arch
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Arthritis of the shoulder

Treatment

How this is treated

Treatment starts with the least invasive option that is likely to work.

  1. Step 1

    Physiotherapy for the rotator cuff and shoulder blade

  2. Step 2

    An injection to settle inflammation

  3. Step 3

    Arthroscopic surgery or cuff repair when a tear is confirmed

See related treatmentsBook a Consultation

Do not wait

When to be seen urgently

  • The shoulder is out of joint after an injury
  • You cannot lift the arm at all after a fall

This page is general health information, not a diagnosis. Only an examination can tell you what is wrong with your joint.

If you need help now

Outside consulting hours, report to the Casualty Department at Netcare Ferncrest Hospital or Life Peglerae Hospital in Rustenburg. If the injury is life-threatening, call 10177 immediately. Please do not use the enquiry form for an emergency.

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