Joint Swelling
Joint Swelling
What is shoulder impingement syndrome?
Shoulder impingement syndrome is a common name given for a condition that causes shoulder joint pain and most often upper arm pain. This problem is typically associated with rotator cuff pathology and/or bursitis of the shoulder. This syndrome is often a sign that there is an underlying problem with one of those structures but could be related to other things as well. This article will discuss what you need to know about this painful condition.
The shoulder joint is a complex structure consisting of several muscles, bones, ligaments and a bursal sac. All of these structures act together to allow the joint the great flexibility and motion that it has. Because of its intricate design it is prone to injury. The more common injuries will occur to the soft tissue structures (the muscles and bursa). When these structures are injured they will become inflamed and this starts a painful process.
How does it occur?
Shoulder impingement syndrome occurs when one or more of the soft tissue structures becomes inflamed when injured. This inflammation causes a swelling in the area and reduces the space that these structures have to move around. The rotator cuff muscles and the bursal sac are very close to a piece of bone that is part of the shoulder blade. They actually sit right beneath it. As they swell the space between them and this bone becomes less and less. As you try to raise your arm overhead these swollen structures will get pinched (or impinged) under this bone and shoulder joint pain. This is how the impingement syndrome starts.
As the swelling worsens other motions will become painful as well such as reaching behind your back, pulling up your pants, or putting on a shirt. Weakness may develop over time as well. These are all common symptoms caused by this condition. If the pain and inflammation persists for a long period of time it can cause minor tears in the muscles which may eventually lead to a major tear. Once this happens your ability to raise your arm or use it normally will be markedly impaired.
How is this syndrome diagnosed?
A qualified physician or physical therapist can make the diagnosis of shoulder impingement syndrome. This starts with a thorough exam and medical history. Often times the MD will order x-rays to rule out a more serious problem. There are a series of tests including range of motion, muscle testing and special testing that are performed to identify this problem. The physician may also attempt and injection into the joint to see if it relieves the pain. If so then the diagnosis is confirmed.
What treatments are available for this problem?
Most treatment will focus on relieving your pain but you must understand that there is an underlying cause as to why this happened. This might include muscle weakness in the shoulder or shoulder blade, tightness in certain structures or an unstable shoulder. A qualified physician or physical therapist can determine this for you.
Shoulder joint pain is treated with anti-inflammatory medication. This must be taken for several weeks (up to 
to notice a positive effect. You have to let your MD know if the meds aren’t helping within 2 weeks or so. If they aren’t he may prescribe a different form of anti-inflammatory. Persistent pain that is not relieved with meds or structured exercises may lead to a cortisone injection. This may or may not relieve the pain but it does not treat the underlying cause of the problem.
A core component to treating shoulder impingement syndrome is to perform a structured exercise program consisting of specific exercises designed to restore strength, improve flexibility and to restore the normal mechanics of the shoulder. It is not wise to perform random exercises given to you by a friend or coworker. The exercise program you perform must be specifically tailored for this condition.
Why does my ankle joint hurt, even there is no swelling?
A could of days ago I ran and twisted my ankle slightly. It is mildly painful. It hurts even more if I put too much weight on it. I can still walk. I checked the symptoms of a sprained ankle, and swelling is a symptom. My ankle is not swelling. Do I have an ankle sprain?
Sounds like it, a sprained ankle doesn’t always swell. Symptoms are normally called common symptoms because they don’t happen to everyone, just the majority of people. It’s not uncommon for a sprained ankle not to swell.
It’s nothing huge to worry about, but does need treating and rehabilitating properly.
Use R.I.C.E.
Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation
If you use the R.I.C.E. method with in 24-48 of your injury you can significantly reduce the duration of how long you will be in pain. These injuries become inflamed. Healing occurs as the damaged tissue is replaced by collagen, perhaps better known as scar tissue. To help with the pain use an anti inflammatory.
Step 1
Rest: Resting whatever part of your body you have injured is important as soon as the injury occurs. The first, things that should be done is to rest the injured muscle, tendon, ligament or other tissue from any unwanted stress. Second, your body needs to rest because the rest will allow your body to heal.
Step 2
Ice: Use a bag of ice, cold packs from the freezer or even a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a kitchen towel so that it is not too cold on the skin. The cold packs can provide pain relief for a short amount of time. The ice also helps to minimize swelling. Apply ice to injury no longer than more than 15-20 minutes at a time. Longer exposure can damage your skin. The best rule is to apply cold compresses for 15 minutes and then leave them off for at least 20 minutes.
Step 3
Compression: Compression helps to minimize the swelling to the injured area, which slows down healing. Sometimes there can be pain relief from compression, rather than non compression. To compress the injury, wrap an ACE bandage. If you feel throbbing, or if the wrap just feels too tight, remove the bandage and re-wrap the area so the bandage is a little looser
Step 4
Elevation: Elevating the certain injury helps to reduces swelling. When the injured part of your body is elevated above your heart the better the swelling will go down. If you injure your ankle place 2-3 pillows under your ankle for elevation.
After a day or two of R.I.C.E., many of the minor injuries will begin to heal. If not seek help from a health professional. The injury maybe more severe than you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_rOC5gxr0 will show you how to correctly use R.I.C.E. and how to properly strap your ankle
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=rehab+a+sprained+ankle&aq=f any video here will help you rehab your ankle back to strength.
If after a week you’re still in severe pain, PLEASE go to your doctor, but it’s not uncommon for a sprain to hurt for 2 – 6 weeks, if not treated properly, it can cause problems for the rest of your life. Once you sprain it once, it’s weaker and therefore easier to sprain again unless rehab’d properly
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