Shoulder
At Casper Orthopedics, our fellowship-trained shoulder doctors are the experts in assessing, diagnosing, and treating shoulder injuries and conditions.
Shoulder doctors are medical experts who often work with people who do repetitive, manual labor as part of their job or people who have damaged their shoulder due to overuse or misuse, such as an athlete with a dislocation or rotator cuff injury. Often shoulder doctors offer not only a diagnosis and treatment for these patients but also work closely with them to help prevent future shoulder damage or injury from happening. This counsel might include helping patients reconfigure a work space, making improvements in how they position themselves as they perform certain tasks, or simply helping them know when it is time to stop an action so shoulder damage does not occur.
In addition to helping patients with repetitive use or misuse shoulder injuries, shoulder doctors also frequently help people with arthritis, working with them to diminish or reduce their pain or other symptoms. Anyone suffering from shoulder joint pain should seek out an experienced shoulder doctor who has a deep knowledge of the multiple bones, muscles, tendons, and tissues that comprise the shoulder. Shoulder specialists with this knowledge will be able to accurately determine the cause of shoulder pain and offer treatment solutions, which can range from medications and physical therapy to shoulder surgeries, like rotator cuff repair, shoulder replacement, or arthroscopic shoulder surgery, if necessary.
When Should You Visit a Shoulder Doctor?
It's important to be aware of the specific issues surrounding your shoulder pain so that you can tell your shoulder doctor specifically what you are experiencing. Sharing this information with your doctor can help him or her better understand what might be causing your pain and what treatments to offer. Here are some common symptoms that people with shoulder problems experience:
- Aching pain in the shoulder joint
- Crunching sensation when moving the shoulder joint
- Gradually decreasing range of motion
- Noticeable pain when trying to comb hair
- Numbness or tingling
- Pain that travels down to the elbow
- Pain when trying to sleep on the side with the affected shoulder
- Persistent stiffness
- Shoulder looks deformed or out of place
- Tenderness
- Weakness
If you have any of these symptoms or are experiencing another type of shoulder pain, you may have one of the following medical conditions, which can be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon:
- AC separation (separated shoulder)
- Clavicle (collarbone) fracture
- Compressed nerves
- Dislocation
- Frozen shoulder
- Labrum tears
- Osteoarthritis
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Rotator cuff tears
- Scapular (shoulder blade) fracture
- Shoulder bursitis
- Shoulder impingement syndrome (swimmer's shoulder)
- Sports injury
- Sprains
- Tendon or ligament injuries
- Tendonitis
To treat your shoulder condition or injury, our doctors will exhaust all conservative treatment options first before recommending surgery. Please be assured that if shoulder surgery is necessary, our surgeons use state-of-the-art technology to perform the latest surgical procedures, like shoulder replacement, reverse total shoulder replacement, rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic shoulder surgery, or superior capsule reconstruction surgery.
Our team of experts created our Online Guide to Hand & Upper Extremity Care to give patients useful information about their injuries and conditions as well as the treatments we can offer. To access our guide, use the button below.
Access Our Hand & Upper Extremity Guide
Our doctors understand that shoulder pain can alter your daily lifestyle and are dedicated to getting you back to the activities you love. To schedule an appointment with one of our shoulder specialists at one of our locations in Casper or Douglas, please call (307) 265-7205 or click on the Appointment Request button.
If immediate attention is required for your shoulder injury or condition, you can visit our OrthoCare Now at our Casper location. Walk-ins are welcome, and no appointment is necessary.
Experience Proven Results at Casper Orthopedics
Our board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic doctor and surgeons at Casper Orthopedics, Robert B. Allaire, M.D., Trevor P. Gessel, M.D., Matthew T. Gorman, M.D., and Daniel W. White, M.D., provide compassionate, experienced orthopedic care for injuries and conditions of the shoulder. When a doctor is fellowship-trained, it means they have completed an extra year of schooling that focused on a specific body part or area of specialty, like sports medicine. With this additional training, our surgeons have the knowledge and expertise to diagnose and treat your shoulder condition or injury. Although our surgeons are expertly-trained in the latest surgical procedures, they will always use nonsurgical methods first before proposing surgery.
Working closely with our shoulder surgeons, our specialty-trained physical and occupational therapists provide comprehensive rehabilitation services. Our entire team is focused on developing a treatment plan that is specific to your goals and needs in order to get you back to your active lifestyle.
To schedule an appointment with one of our orthopedic shoulder surgeons, please call (307) 265-7205 or request an appointment online.
