Shoulder Injury Attorney

There are many kinds of shoulder injuries, including rotator cuff injuries, muscle tears, dislocated shoulders, other injuries requiring arthroscopy surgery, and shoulder dystocia, which occurs when a baby's shoulder gets caught behind the mother's pelvic bone during delivery. Shoulder injuries commonly occur in motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and falls, and work-related accidents.

Rotator cuff injuries and conditions are the most common cause of shoulder problems. The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surrounds the shoulder joint and gives the arm such a large range of motion. Rotator cuff injuries range from simple strains to varying degrees of tears in these muscles or tendons. They are most likely to happen during the following activities:

• Vigorous exercise or strenuous work
• Painting, carpentry, or other activities that require overhead arm movement
• Lifting of heavy objects
• Contact sports, sports that involve throwing repetitively such as baseball and basketball, and certain other sports such as golf, overhead racquet sports
• Falls on the shoulder or in which the arm is used to break the fall

Rotator cuff injuries and conditions are more likely to be found in:

• People over 40 years of age (especially those who dislocate their shoulders)
• Smokers
• Those who have received multiple steroid (cortisone) injections
• People who already have a cuff tear in one shoulder (more likely to have rotator cuff problems in the opposite shoulder)

While treatment in some cases may only require immobilization, physical therapy, and/or anti-inflammatory medication, surgery may be suggested if pain and discomfort persists, the joint repeatedly dislocates, or there is a complete tear of the rotator cuff.

Other shoulder injuries include:

• Dislocation - a significant force separates the shoulder joint's ball (top of the humerus) from the socket (glenoid)
• Separation - the ligaments that attach the collarbone to the shoulder blade tear, or partially tear, apart
• Bursitis -impingement syndrome and tendonitis cause inflammation of the bursa sacs that protect the shoulder
• Impingement syndrome - excessive rubbing or squeezing of the shoulder blade and the rotator cuff. Can lead to a torn rotator cuff
• Tendonitis - a biceps and/or rotator cuff becomes inflamed, frequently as a result of being pinched by surrounding structures
• Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) - a potential consequence of rotator cuff disease, frozen shoulder is severe limitation of the range of motion of the shoulder due to scarring around the shoulder joint
• Fracture - a crack or break of a bone usually due to an impact injury

Most serious shoulder injuries are painful, can prevent certain daily and work-related activities, and can significantly affect one's overall quality of life. If you or a loved one is suffering from a shoulder injury as the result of the negligence of another, you may be entitled to compensation for the costly medical attention, loss of income, and the pain and suffering that ensue. To learn more, contact a qualified personal injury attorney with shoulder injury litigation experience.