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Shoulder Problems
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Shoulder injuries, art hrit is and inf lammat ion in and around joint s are common problems in
adult s, of t en causing severe pain, discomf ort and immobilit y. Follow t his chart t o help you
t alk t o your doct or about your shoulder problem.
SYMPT OMS

DIAGNOSIS

SELF-CARE

Begin Here

1. Did you hit , injure or

f all on your upper arm
or shoulder recent ly?

Go to Question 7.*
No

Yes

2. Did you f eel your

shoulder pop out of
place and/or pop back
int o place?

Yes

Your SHOULDER may

be or may have been
DISLOCAT ED.

See your doct or right

away.

Your HUMERUS (upper

arm bone) may be
FRACT URED.

EMERGENCY
Call your doct or or go
t o t he emergency room
right away.

Your CLAVICLE

Call your doct or right

No

3. Is your upper arm

swollen or misshaped?
Yes
No

4. Is your collarbone

Generated from

t ender, or do you have

a bump on it ?

(collarbone) may be
FRACT URED.

away. Use a sling t o

rest rict movement of
your arm and use an
analgesic, such as
acet aminophen or
ibuprof en, t o relieve
pain unt il you see your
doct or.

Your SHOULDER may

be SEPARAT ED.

Call your doct or right

away. Use a sling t o
rest rict movement of
your arm and use an
analgesic, such as
acet aminophen or
ibuprof en, t o relieve
pain unt il you see your
doct or.

You may have a T ORN

ROTAT OR CUFF or
SHOULDER
INSTABILIT Y.

See your doct or.

Yes

No

5. Is t here t enderness
or pain near t he
shoulder-end of your
collarbone, and does
lif t ing your arm wit h
your uninjured arm help
t he pain?

Yes

No

6. Does pain come wit h

a t wist ing mot ion of
your arm, or does a
t hrowing mot ion cause
pain, and does your
shoulder seem weak?

Yes

No

*7. Do you have a

f ever?

Go to Question 10.**
No

Yes

8. Do you have redness

or swelling around your
shoulder?
Yes

You may have

INFLAMMAT ION in or
around a joint , also
called BURSIT IS, or a
serious INFECT ION of
t he bone, t he joint or
t he skin.

URGENT
See your doct or right
away.

T hese sympt oms may

be f rom RHEUMAT IC
FEVER, a react ion t o a
st rep inf ect ion.

URGENT
See your doct or right
away.

No

9. Wit hin t he last mont h

have you had a sore
t hroat or a skin
inf ect ion?

Yes

Generated from

**10. Do you have

redness and swelling in
more t han one joint ,
including your shoulder?
Yes

You may have

RHEUMAT OID
ART HRIT IS, a disease
af f ect ing t he immune
syst em, or GOUT , an
inf lammat ion of t he
shoulder joint .

See your doct or. Apply

heat t o t he af f ect ed
area and t ake an ant iinf lammat ory medicine,
such as ibuprof en, f or
pain.

You may have

BURSIT IS or ROTAT OR
CUFF SYNDROME.

Use an ant iinf lammat ory medicine,

such as ibuprof en, and
apply heat t o t he
af f ect ed area. If your
sympt oms do not
improve, see your
doct or.

You may have

ADHESIVE
CAPSULIT IS, also
called a FROZEN
SHOULDER.

See your doct or. T his

condit ion is usually
t reat ed wit h special
exercises you can do
on your own.

No

11. Do you f eel pain

when you move your
shoulder but t here's no
swelling or redness?
Yes

No

12. Do you have

increasing st if f ness and
inabilit y t o move your
shoulder?

Yes

No

For more inf ormat ion,

please t alk t o your
doct or. If you t hink t he
problem is serious, call
your doct or right away.
This tool has been reviewed by doctors and is for general educational purposes only. It is not a
substitute for medical advice. The information in this tool should not be relied upon to make
decisions about your health. Always consult your family doctor with questions about your
individual condition(s) and/or circumstances. Source: American Academy of Family Physicians.
Family Health & Medical Guide. Dallas: Word Publishing; 1996.
See complet e list of chart s.
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