Treatment for Shoulder Impingement in Los Angeles, CA

Frequently found in both young athletes and middle-aged adults, shoulder impingement is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. This injury comes from pressure on the rotator cuff (four muscles making up the shoulder) from part of the shoulder blade as the arm is being lifted.

What is Shoulder Impingement?

In the shoulder, the acromion is the front edge of the shoulder blade. It sits over and in front of the head of the humerus and as the arm is lifted it rubs or “impinges” the surface of the rotator cuff. This causes pain and limited movement. Shoulder impingement injuries are often found in athletes and adults who use their arms for overhead movements including baseball players, swimmers, tennis players and construction workers.

Treatment for Shoulder Impingement

Depending on the injury, a partial tear in the rotator cuff may also cause shoulder impingement problems and sometimes pain may be due to a bursitis, inflammation of the bursa covering the rotator cuff. If conservative treatment such as physical therapy does not improve your condition or help relieve the pain, Dr. Vangsness may highly recommend surgery.

Shoulder impingement surgery is designed to repair or tighten the capsule and ligaments that hold the shoulder in place. The procedure is done arthroscopically, a less invasive procedure offering a quicker return to full activity. Dr. Vangsness performs shoulder impingement surgery with a miniature lighted telescope (arthroscope) and very small instruments, allowing him to remove bone and soft tissue from the affected area.

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Thomas Vangsness, offers surgery and treatment options for shoulder impingement problems. Contact our office at (323) 422-5800 for more information on shoulder impingement surgery and make your appointment today. Discover the road to better health with Dr. Thomas Vangsness.