Suffer from Shoulder Pain?

Free Health Seminar Focuses on Causes and Treatment Plans

Most of us take our shoulders for granted, but think about everything they do for you. If you are one of the many people who have experienced shoulder pain, you know how important they are.

“The shoulder is a pretty remarkable joint,” said Dr. Russell Nord, medical director of Washington Sports Medicine and an orthopedic surgeon with Washington Township Medical Foundation. “It has a phenomenal range of motion while still providing stability. But it’s also a complex joint, so a lot can go wrong that could cause pain. Shoulder pain is a common issue and can affect people of all ages,”

Dr. Nord will present “Shoulder Pain: Causes and Treatment Plans” on Thursday, Jan. 19, at 3:30 p.m. The free online seminar will take place on Facebook and YouTube. For more information or to register, visit www.whhs.com/events or call 800.963.7070.

Dr. Nord will first explain the anatomy of the shoulder. “You really need to understand how the shoulder works before you can understand what causes shoulder pain,” he said.

The shoulder has more range of motion than any other joint in your body, notes Dr. Nord. It is a ball and socket joint surrounded by muscles that give it strength, stability and shape. Tendons attach these shoulder muscles to bone.

“These muscles and tendons can become damaged, injured, torn, diseased or inflamed, causing shoulder pain,” he explained. Some of the most important muscles in your shoulder are the four rotator cuff muscles. Together with their tendons, they help you raise and rotate your arms and provide structural support to your shoulder joint.

“The rotator cuff is the heavy hitter,” Dr. Nord said. “I’ll teach everyone what it is, what it does and how it can become problematic. The rotator cuff is a common source of shoulder pain.”

Before treating shoulder pain, it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis. He said there is a standard battery of tests to determine what is causing the pain.

“A physical exam along with understanding the patient’s history helps with the diagnosis,” Dr. Nord added. “MRI scans and X-rays sometimes show old injuries that aren’t actually causing the current issue, so knowing the patient’s history and background is important. That’s why we say treat the patient, not the scan.”

Minimally Invasive Treatment Options

Dr. Nord will talk about some of the exciting new treatment options that are available today, including minimally invasive procedures that have reduced recovery times.

“The number of procedures that can be performed though a minimally invasive approach has increased since I started practicing medicine,” he said. “There are some exciting things to talk about when we look at treatment options.”

Dr. Nord has worked with professional sports teams and has served as tournament physician for the West Coast Conference Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball Championships for many years. He said his experience with high-level athletes allowed him to learn about treatment strategies that are also helpful when it comes to providing care for the local community.

At Washington Sports Medicine, he leads a team of athletic trainers who help injured athletes return to their favorite sport with minimal downtime. Dr. Nord and his team work with area high schools and help young athletes get the care they need to stay in the game.

“Shoulder problems can affect anyone, whether you play sports or sit on the sidelines,” he said. “This seminar is for people who want to know more about how their shoulder works and what they can do to be free of shoulder pain.”

To learn more about Washington Sports Medicine, visit www.whhs.com/Sports.

To watch “Shoulder Pain: Causes and Treatment Plans” seminar on our YouTube InHealth channel, click here.