How To Treat Shoulder Impingement In Gymnastics
In gymnastics, the shoulder is extensively used as a weight-bearing joint. With so much use and pressure, it can lead to a variety of wrist, elbow, and shoulder injuries, including shoulder impingement.; that can be treated by orthopedic surgery in New York.
What is Shoulder Impingement?
Shoulder impingements commonly occur when the tendons of the rotator cuff become trapped and compressed under the bones during shoulder movements.
A rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that originate on the shoulder blade and attach as a “cuff” of the tendon onto your arm bone or humerus. You use your rotator cuff when raising your arm over your head and to rotate your arm towards and away from your body. The arrangement of the rotator cuff, as it sits in the small space between two bones in the shoulder, makes the cuff susceptible to being pinched or “impinged” between the bones.
In the shoulder, the bone covers the muscle. The rotator cuff muscle sits between the humerus (arm bone) and the acromion (top of the shoulder. This area is called the subacromial space. The rotator cuff can become pinched between these bones, resulting in injury and inflammation.
Shoulder impingement syndrome can be a result of a cycle of rubbing of the rotator cuff between your humerus and the top outer edge of the shoulder—the rubbing results in further swelling and narrowing of the space, leading to pain and irritation. Orthopedic surgery in New York can relieve the pain and get gymnasts back to work quickly.
How Does Shoulder Impingement Develop?
When your rotator cuff is irritated or injured, it will most likley swells up. Since this cuff is surrounded by bone, that swelling causes other harmful events to occur. The swelling reduces the amount of space around the rotator cuff, resulting in rubbing against the acromion. That rubbing results in swelling, further narrowing the space below the acromion. The vicious cycle continues and causes more and more pain in the shoulder.
Causes of Shoulder Impingement
Shoulder impingement occurs when the tendon in your shoulder rubs against the acromion. It can be caused by:
- A torn or swollen tendon. This may occur due to overuse from repetitive activity in the shoulder, an injury, or age-related wear and tear.
- An irritated or inflamed bursa.Your bursa is the fluid-filled sac between the tendon and acromion. It helps muscles and tendons glide over bones. When you overuse your shoulder or have an injury, the bursa can become inflamed.
- An acromion that is not flat. Some people are born this way or have developed age-related bone spurs.
Symptoms of Shoulder Impingement
When you are dealing with pain in your shoulder, especially as a gymnast, it can become persistent and uncomfortable. There are some common symptoms that indicate shoulder impingement. Symptoms usually develop gradually over a few weeks to months.
- Pain in extending your arms above your head
- Pain in lifting your arm
- Pain in lowering your arm from a raised position or reaching
- Pain and tenderness in the front of your shoulder
- Pain moving from the front of shoulder to side of the arm
- Pain when lying down on the affected side
- Pain at night affects your ability to sleep
- Pain when reaching behind your back
- Weakness and stiffness in the shoulder and/or arm
How is Shoulder Impingement Diagnosed?
If you are seeking care for your shoulder pain, a healthcare provider will perform a physical examination to check for pain. They will assess your range of options in the shoulder and arm and shoulder strength. You should notify them if you are involved in repetitive activities requiring overhead arm movement, how you have previously relieved the pain, any prior injuries to the affected area, and details about what may have caused the injury.
Then, x-rays may be used to rule out other injuries. MRIs and ultrasounds can show tears in the rotator cuff tendons and inflammation in the bursa.
How to Treat Shoulder Impingement in Gymnastics: Orthopedic Surgery in New York
Treatments for shoulder impingement in athletes like gymnasts vary. Rest, ice, over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications, steroid injections, physical therapy, and orthopedic surgery in New York are a few.
Physical therapy will show you exercises to improve the range of motion in your shoulder. As your pain reduces, you can start strengthening exercises to improve the rotator cuff muscles.
You should utilize ice on the shoulder for about 20 minutes once or twice a day. If your doctor approves of it, ibuprofen or naproxen may be taken as needed to relieve the shoulder pain. In more severe cases, a stronger prescription can be prescribed, or, a cortisone injection into the bursa beneath the acromion may be given to you.
Orthopedic Surgery in New York
Orthopedic surgery may be considered if nonsurgical treatments do not relieve the shoulder pain. One surgery, known as a subacromial decompression or arthroscopic shoulder decompression, removes part of the acromion to create more space for the rotator cuff. This procedure can be performed arthroscopically, meaning through small cuts and incisions in the shoulder.
Treating Shoulder Impingement in Gymnastics: Orthopedic Surgery in New York
Gymnastics is a sport that requires lots of use of the arms and shoulders. If a shoulder injury is sustained, it is important not to use the injured area more, which can worsen the injury and recovery time. The New York Sports Medicine Institute offers orthopedic surgery for shoulder impingement and other injuries. Contact us today to request an appointment.