Innovative orthopedic treatments for shoulder pain and injury

The shoulder is one of the largest and most complex joints in the body. Most of the time you don’t realize how hard your shoulders work throughout the day. But when your shoulders hurt, you feel it in just about everything you do.

Whether you’re lifting weights, throwing a ball or digging in the garden, any kind of repetitive motion can lead to pain or injury. Injuries and other shoulder conditions can also cause the shoulder to lose some of its natural function, negatively impacting how the shoulder’s bones, muscles and ligaments work together.

As one of the leading orthopedic clinics in the Midwest, TRIA offers you the latest, most advanced diagnostic and treatment options, including state-of-the-art imaging technology, integrative medicine, and specialized physical therapy programs. We also have the only urgent care in Minnesota staffed by board-certified primary care sports medicine physicians. No matter how long you’ve been dealing with shoulder issues, we’ll get you back to better.

To diagnose what’s causing your shoulder pain, we’ll begin with a physical exam of your shoulder to check for any inflammation, bruising or torn tissue. We may also ask you to move your shoulder in specific ways so we can check your range of motion. After the physical exam, more tests may be needed to determine the cause of your shoulder issue, including an X-ray or Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

You’ll be able to choose a shoulder doctor that is right for you and can help guide you through your entire treatment process.

No matter the complexity of your shoulder condition, our orthopedic team will develop a personalized treatment plan for you. Depending on your unique needs and comfort level, we may recommend one or more of the following options:

In many cases, we can heal your shoulder and get you back to the activities you love without surgery. We provide comprehensive nonsurgical treatment options including:

Inflammation can cause swelling, stiffness and pain in your shoulder.. Anti-inflammatory medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and corticosteroids, can be used to reduce inflammation and relieve pain. In some cases, we may recommend injecting steroids in or near the painful area, providing more long-term relief from pain.

During your physical therapy session, we’ll guide you through targeted exercises that strengthen your muscles and improve flexibility, helping you to prevent future injuries. In most cases, we’ll also give you exercises you can do at home so you can keep improving between appointments.

When surgery is needed, you’re in the hands of the best orthopedic surgeons in the Midwest. We’ll carefully review all of your treatment options together and only guide you toward surgery if it’s the most effective treatment for you. Common shoulder surgeries include:

Shoulder arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure where we use an arthroscope, a small tube with a camera on the end, to guide us as we remove the injured tissue. The arthroscope allows us to make the smallest incision possible, reducing your recovery time.

If your shoulder pain doesn’t respond to other treatment options, shoulder replacement surgery may be the most effective course of action. During shoulder replacement surgery, we replace the damaged parts of the shoulder with an artificial joint (prostheses). When recovering at home isn’t the best choice for you, you have the option of staying at a hotel as part of our Hotel Recovery Program. This can be a more affordable and comfortable recovery experience for our patients.