Shoulder & Elbow

Are persistent shoulder and elbow problems keeping you from work, sports, or daily tasks? Get back to doing what you love with specialized care from Valdosta Orthopedic Associates in Valdosta, Georgia, where Valdosta's best shoulder doctors deliver personalized treatment for upper arm injuries and conditions. Call or book online today for relief from our expert team of board-certified physicians.

Reach Higher, Grip Stronger - Comprehensive Upper Arm Care

At Valdosta Orthopedic Associates, we believe you shouldn't let shoulder and elbow pain hold you back from living your best life. The upper body should be pain-free; the shoulder is the mobile joint that is almost in constant motion when the body is moving and plays a critical role in self-care routines, daily activities, and recreation. At Valdosta Orthopedic Associates, we want to restore your range of motion.

When shoulder and elbow pain interferes with throwing a ball or reaching overhead, it's time to visit our expert team to get your upper body moving freely again. Call 229-247-2290 to schedule an appointment with the best shoulder doctors in Valdosta or book online. 

Our board-certified specialists offer comprehensive care for a range of shoulder and elbow conditions, from rotator cuff tears and tennis elbow to fractures and arthritis. While shoulder and elbow pain can be interconnected due to changing how you move to protect the injured area, making the same motion too much, or injuries that affect multiple parts of your arm, they can also present as separate issues. For example, tennis elbow primarily affects the elbow joint, while rotator cuff tears target the shoulder specifically. Individual injuries, isolated nerve problems, or distinct structural abnormalities may affect only one area, requiring targeted treatment approaches tailored to the specific condition.

Here are common shoulder and elbow issues that bring people to orthopedic care:

These conditions often result from sports injuries, repetitive motions, aging, trauma, or degenerative changes.

Are you experiencing shoulder-specific challenges?

Are you having trouble with everyday activities? Does shoulder pain make reaching overhead, lifting objects, or performing work tasks difficult or impossible, significantly impacting your daily productivity and independence?

Is your sleep being disrupted? Does your shoulder pain feel worse at night, making it difficult to find comfortable sleeping positions and leading to chronic fatigue and mood changes?

Are you developing other aches and pains? When your shoulder hurts, do you naturally alter how you move your arm and upper body, creating abnormal stress patterns that lead to neck, back, and opposite shoulder problems?

Is work becoming difficult? Does your career require overhead reaching, lifting, or repetitive arm movements that have become impossible with shoulder pain, potentially affecting your livelihood?

Has your athletic performance declined? Do shoulder injuries severely limit your throwing, swinging, and lifting activities, forcing you to give up sports participation and recreational activities?

Is your shoulder getting stiffer? Are untreated shoulder problems leading to frozen shoulder or permanent stiffness, making simple tasks like dressing or grooming difficult?

Are you losing muscle strength? Does shoulder pain cause you to avoid using the arm, leading to rapid muscle loss and further functional decline?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to see an orthopedic specialist. Call  our team to schedule an appointment (229) 247-2290

While some of the general pain implications are similar between shoulder and elbow conditions, shoulder pain often presents unique challenges that require specialized treatment approaches. Shoulder injuries frequently involve complex rotator cuff tears, labral damage, and frozen shoulder conditions that usually necessitate surgical intervention, while many elbow conditions can be managed conservatively. Shoulder problems typically require longer rehabilitation due to the joint's intricate anatomy and the need to restore the full range of motion in multiple planes of movement. Additionally, shoulder injuries significantly impact sleep quality and daily positioning, as patients struggle to find comfortable sleeping positions and often experience increased pain at night, while elbow conditions rarely cause the same level of sleep disruption and positional limitations.

Are you experiencing elbow-specific challenges?

Is your grip getting weaker? Does elbow pain significantly weaken your grip. Do you struggle to hold objects, shake hands, or perform fine motor tasks?

Does repetitive movement hurt? Do elbow movements cause persistent pain with any gripping or twisting motion, affecting everything from opening jars to typing?

Are you experiencing numbness or tingling? Elbow problems can cause numbness, tingling, and weakness that radiates into your hand and fingers.

Is work becoming impossible? Does your job require repetitive arm and hand motions that have become difficult due to elbow pain?

Are simple tasks becoming painful? Have simple activities like brushing teeth, combing hair, or lifting a coffee cup become painful and challenging?

Is your elbow getting stiffer? Untreated elbow conditions can lead to the permanent loss of bending and straightening of the elbow.

If you answered yes to any of these questions, it may be time to see an orthopedic specialist. (229) 247-2290

Treatment Approaches: Shoulder-specific treatments might include rotator cuff strengthening exercises, corticosteroid injections, or surgical repair of torn tendons, while elbow-specific treatments focus on counterforce bracing, grip strengthening, and targeted stretching for conditions like tennis elbow. Sometimes, surgical procedures are necessary to restore your quality of life, such as shoulder replacement or shoulder arthroscopy to view what's happening inside the joint.

However, comprehensive evaluation often considers both areas because the shoulder and elbow work as an integrated unit during arm movement, and problems in one area frequently lead to compensatory issues in the other. Effective treatment requires addressing the entire upper extremity kinetic chain to achieve lasting results. A qualified orthopedic specialist can determine whether your shoulder and elbow issues are related and develop a personalized treatment plan that meets your individual needs. We'll offer you every option available to help you make a full recovery.

Don't give the cold shoulder to pain! Get personalized orthopedic care by calling or booking online today! (229) 247-2290