Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
Shoulder impingement syndrome is a condition of compressing tendons during the shoulder movements, which eventually causes an injury of tendons or bursa. A patient with shoulder impingement syndrome feels pain when performing shoulder movements.
What causes shoulder impingement syndrome?
Frequent use of shoulders, such as carrying heavy objects, mopping, using the computer for a long time, swimming, or playing sports that require shoulder movement can cause shoulder impingement syndrome.
What are the symptoms?
A patient with shoulder impingement syndrome may feel pain or weakness in the shoulder when lifting the arms, reaching above the head, or sleeping on the affected side.
What are the treatments?
Resting from aggressive activities, anti-inflammatory medicine, and physical therapy may be the initial treatment for relieving pain. An acromioplasty — a surgical procedure that removes a small piece of the bone surface to prevent it from damaging the tendon — may be necessary if the symptoms persist. Acromioplasty takes 30 minutes on average and requires a short hospital stay afterward.
Normal Shoulder
Shoulder Impingement Syndrome
