The shoulder is made up of several joints which combine muscles and tendons to allow the arm to move easily. Whether playing sports, completing everyday household tasks or just scratching your back, your shoulder is vital to mobility – and when it is not functioning at its best, you may experience discomfort and pain.
The same goes for the elbow; allowing the arm to extend and flex – to reach for objects, for example – the elbow is essential for comfortable movements.
At The Lancaster Hospital, there are a wide range of treatment options for a wealth of shoulder and elbow-related conditions – and from your very first appointment with our Consultant Orthopaedic and Upper Limb Surgeon, you will be in very safe hands.
Our Consultant has a special interest in arthroscopic (keyhole) surgery for soft tissue injuries and joint replacement surgery for shoulder arthritis. Undertaking peripheral nerve decompressions and procedures (injections and surgical release) for tennis and golfer’s elbow, our Consultant offers a multidisciplinary approach to your healthcare.
With expertise in the treatment of fractures and traumatic injuries to the entirety of the upper limb, our shoulder and elbow pain expert ensures our patients an informative approach and provides a thorough consultation and explanation – in Layman’s terms – of your condition.
Shoulder Pain
Predominantly focusing on the upper limb, with shoulder being the specialty, the practising Consultant here in Lancaster regularly sees patients who are experiencing shoulder pain.
In those patients, symptoms include stiffness and restricted movement in the shoulder – and the pain may follow a history of trauma.
Seeing patients who experience pain only when they move, through to patients who have an ‘extreme’ level of pain, which includes pain at rest and pain that affects their sleep, our Consultant offers a range of treatment options.
Those who have extreme pain will likely find that their shoulder or elbow pain is very debilitating, discovering that they can no longer undertake daily activities, or work effectively. They may then wish to seek urgent treatment – and some will see their GP first, while others will come directly to our shoulder and elbow clinic here in Lancaster.
Our Consultant will offer the appropriate treatment, which is dependent on what stage they are at on their ‘treatment timeline’.
Other conditions our Consultant sees frequently here at The Lancaster Hospital include:
Tendonitis
Inflammation of a tendon, tendonitis can affect several areas of the body, including the shoulders and elbows.
In shoulders specifically, it is known as rotator cuff tendonitis. Occurring when you overuse or injure a tendon, it can be a painful condition but one that can be treated to great effect here at The Lancaster Hospital.
Frozen Shoulder
Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a common condition which results in pain and stiffness in your shoulder joint. Often, symptoms appear gradually, but worsen over time.
Shoulder Impingement
Another common cause of shoulder pain, shoulder impingement affects a lot of our patients here at The Lancaster Hospital, with symptoms including pain in the top and outsider side of the shoulder and pain that is worse when you lift your arm. It can also cause aching or pain at night, and weakness in your arm.
Shoulder Arthritis
Patients who suffer from shoulder arthritis will suffer from pain, which can get worse when they are undertaking day-to-day activities. Centred in the back of the shoulder, the pain can intensify with a change in weather, but again, there are several treatment modalities available.
Tennis Elbow
Causing pain around the outside of the elbow, this condition is known clinically as lateral epicondylitis. Occurring when the joint is overused, symptoms can include pain when lifting or bending your arm, pain when gripping smaller objects (such as pens), and pain when twisting your forearm (when opening a jar, for example).
Golfer’s Elbow
In those who have golfer’s elbow, symptoms may include pain and discomfort to the outside of the elbow, as well as (in some cases) the forearm and wrist – but it’s not a condition that is limited to golfers.
Alongside the conditions and treatments mentioned above, our Consultant can also offer treatment for clicking shoulder, and Calcific Tendinitis Surgery for shoulder dislocation.
You will visit The Lancaster Hospital for your consultation, which usually lasts around half an hour and gives our Consultant the chance to take your medical history and ask about your symptoms.
Consultations will be face-to-face but, in some instances, remote appointments may be offered.
Any tests or diagnostics needed to help our Consultant arrive at your diagnosis will all be performed in-house – and you usually will not have to wait too long. Sometimes, your GP will have done some of these investigations prior to your appointment; in that case, you can be ‘fast tracked’ for treatment, if any is recommended.
Based on any findings from your initial consultation, our Consultant may request some investigations – which could include X-rays, ultrasounds, MRI or CT scans; these are four of the most common investigations offered.
Presenting structured examination findings and allowing you plenty of time to get your head around the findings of any tests, as well as chance to ask questions, our Consultant may put you forward for treatment. This can include injection treatment, which can help relieve discomfort and pain in many patients who are experiencing elbow or shoulder-related pain or stiffness.
Your second consultation with our Orthopaedic Consultant will involve discussing the results of any investigations. You will also be given any treatment options, as well as enough time to consider your route forward.
Treatment thereafter, if needed, may include anything from pain medication, to physiotherapy, the aforementioned injection treatment, or surgery. You will be given the merits and demerits for each one and the patient-centred approach is one of ‘shared decision-making’.
- Shorter waiting times – Patients who visit The Lancaster Hospital can benefit from shorter waiting times – for a consultation, any investigations required, and subsequent treatment.
- Flexible appointments – You can choose an appointment time to suit you and your schedule; in some cases, remote consultations will be offered for elbow and shoulder treatments.
- Consultant-led appointments – Your elbow or shoulder surgery appointment will be consultant-led, and you will see the same person each time – from your consultation, right through to any treatment needed.
- Patient satisfaction and personalised care – In an independent survey, 97.3%* of our patients say the quality of care offered was ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’. *Results were compiled by independent healthcare agency, Quality Health.
- A convenient, multidisciplinary clinic – Our team at The Lancaster Hospital offer a multidisciplinary approach to your healthcare. Working alongside a dedicated team of physiotherapists, a combined clinic is offered to ensure the best outcome for our patients.
The Lancaster Hospital caters to the whole of Lancashire and the Lake District. Patients might travel from Preston for shoulder surgery, while others may visit from Lancaster, Blackburn, Leyland and further afield in Lancashire.
Other nearby places people visit The Lancaster Hospital from include Carnforth, Bolton-le-sands, Morecambe, Heysham, Garstang, Longridge, Fulwood, Bamber bridge and Chorley, amongst many others.
Want to make an elbow or shoulder surgery appointment with The Lancaster Hospital?
You can get in touch with our team by calling 01524 62345.
You can also use our online booking system to make your appointment with our Consultant Orthopaedic and Upper Limb Surgeon.
