Maybe your shoulder pain started after you slipped on a wet floor and caught yourself with your arm. Lifting your child into the car or playing catch hurts. Perhaps the pain came on gradually but you can’t pinpoint what triggered it. Whatever the case, pain now accompanies your simple daily tasks such as getting dressed, brushing your hair, or even soaping up in the shower. Beyond the daily necessities of life, this pain infringes on your daily workout, your tennis with friends, and even fun hobbies like gardening. Its natural to wonder if you can get relief from shoulder pain without surgery or steroids. Luckily there are many steps you can take before considering these options.I’m not getting the answers I need! How can I fix shoulder pain without surgery?If you’re like many people, you went to your MD who, after taking an x-ray and finding no specific cause for your pain, recommended icing, anti inflammatories, and physical therapy. After six weeks of diligently following your recommended program, you experienced little or no progress. When you complained to your doctor about your lack of results, he offered you a cortisone shot or exploratory surgery as your only other options. Does this sound familiar? If so, you are not alone, and you likely feel more than a little discouraged. After all, you followed the advice of all your go-to experts and you still feel the pain. You are wary of cortisone and wonder if this is really your final option or not. If you feel stuck, with no clear direction, the first step is to learn as much as possible about your specific shoulder condition. The more you know, the faster you can sort out your options. This will help you find a competent practitioner to guide you in finding effective shoulder pain treatments.   OverviewLet’s first take a look at shoulder pain from a bird’s eye view. According to The University of Rochester Medical Center, the most common shoulder injuries are[1] (1) Trina Bellendir and Joseph Thomas MD. Common Injuries of the Shoulder, University of Rochester Medical Center Rochester [website]. 2019, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=832. (accessed December 20, 2019) 1. Shoulder instability 2. Rotator cuff tears 3. Frozen shoulder 4. Overuse/Strains 5. Arthritis If you’ve experienced one or more of these shoulder conditions, you are not alone. Shoulder injuries are very common. A 2006-2008 study conducted by the...

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