“Dr. van den Bekerom and his team helped me brilliantly when I needed treatment on my shoulder. I had great confidence in this physician and found the treatment to be very efficient. The staff was also very attentive to my wife who spent several hours waiting for me in the waiting area.” – Cor Hagers, Amsterdam —Cor Hagers, Amsterdam
A painful shoulder can mean a serious inhibition during your daily life. Activities that would normally be entirely natural can become very painful and it will also inhibit your sleep. Considering the impact of shoulder complaints, it goes without saying that you want to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Medical Centre Jan van Goyen has highly-qualified physiotherapists and orthopaedists who will treat your complaints. We have a very extensive experience with regard to treating shoulder complaints. In consultation with you, our specialists will set up a personalised treatment plan in order to treat your shoulder complaints as effectively as possible.
COMMON SHOULDER COMPLAINS
Age plays an important part in the development of shoulder complaints. When they occur at a young age, the shoulder complaints are often related to sports and are mostly related to a form of instability in the shoulder. At a later age, shoulder complaints are often caused by irritated tendons. As you get older, the amount of cartilage in your join reduces. This is called arthrosis, which can make the movements of your shoulder very painful. The exact cause of your shoulder complaint can vary with different conditions. The most common shoulder complaints are:
TORN LABRUM
The labrum is a fibrocartilaginous ring around the glenoid cavity which ensures a better attachment between the cavity and the ball of the shoulder. A trauma to the shoulder can cause the labrum to become stuck between the ball of the shoulder and the glenoid cavity. This can result in a torn labrum. As there are also a number of other tendons attached to the labrum, it will also result in additional instability in the shoulder joint. The most important symptoms of a torn labrum is pain when moving the head, a feeling of instability in the shoulder, or a reduced reach.
COMPLAINTS OF THE ROTATOR CUFF TENDONS
The rotator cuff consists of four shoulder muscles of which the tendons are located around the ball of the shoulder. These muscles are essential for the rotational movements and lifting of the arm. Complaints of the rotator cuff tendons can be caused in two ways: the tendons can get irritated due to wear or rupture as a result of a sudden trauma such as a fall or punch. Both the irritation and a rupture will cause pain that can keep you awake at night and which gets worse when you move the shoulder joint. This pain can also radiate to your neck, upper arm, or hand.
COMPLAINTS OF THE LONG BICEPS TENDON
The biceps is a long muscle in the upper arm which enables you to bend the elbow. This muscle is attached to the shoulder joint by two tendons. The long biceps tendon runs via the front of the shoulder through a groove in the bone of the upper arm. To keep the tendon in its place, the groove is covered by a tissue. When this tissue tears, the biceps tendon can slip out of the groove and cause complaints. Another possible cause of the shoulder complaints is that the biceps tendon gets torn off. This often happens with an acute trauma such as a fall. Complaints of the long biceps tendon can often be recognised by pain at the front of the shoulder which gets worse when moving the joint. When the tendon has been torn off, there will be a clearly visible lump on the front of the upper arm.
ARTHROSIS
Arthrosis in the shoulder joint occurs when the cartilage in your shoulder joint begins to break down. This form is also called osteoarthritis. This degeneration of cartilage is usually caused by ageing which is why arthrosis often occurs with older patients. When the cartilage wears, the underlying bone becomes exposed.
Arthrosis or osteoarthritis can also be caused by an infection in the joint or a bone fracture that affects the cartilage. One of the symptoms of osteoarthritis is shoulder pain that increases when you move the shoulder joint.
FROZEN SHOULDER
A stiff shoulder, also called a ‘frozen shoulder’, is a thickening and shrinking of the joint capsule in the shoulder. The exact cause of a frozen shoulder is not yet known, but we do know that it is connected to an inflammation of the joint which causes the thickening of the joint capsule. A frozen shoulder makes it difficult to move the shoulder optimally without pain. It can also occur after a surgical procedure due to a thickening of scar tissue.
THE TREATMENT OF SHOULDER COMPLAINTS
The treatment of your shoulder complaints depends on the type of complaint or condition of your shoulder. To establish this, we will first make X-rays when this is necessary, after which the physiotherapist will examine you further during the intake consultation. The result of this examination is then discussed with the orthopaedic specialist. During the second consultation, the specialist and the physiotherapist will jointly explain the treatment options. When physiotherapy appears to be the best option for your condition, then you can choose to get treatment at a practice of your own choice. Should the specialist decide that a further MRI scan or surgery will be required, then this can be arranged at Medical Centre Jan van Goyen at short notice.
