Dr. Anuj Gupta
Spine Surgery
The following is an actual conversation between an iCliniq user and a doctor that has been reviewed and published as a Premium Q&A.
Answered by
Medically reviewed by
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I fell down about three weeks back on my right hand. After about ten days, I started having pain in my shoulder, radiating to my upper arms. The doctor did an X-ray of my right shoulder. There was no fracture, but he suspected I had a muscle tear due to a fall as I have a bony spur. Also, my MRI was done as the pain killers did not help me even after a week. He has suggested a keyhole surgery to remove the bony spur and repair the muscle based on the MRI. He said that pain would subside sometimes, but there was a danger of having a muscle tear, especially while doing overhead activities. I am still in pain. Please advise if going for surgery is a good option. Please help.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
The kind of history you are giving is not fitting with the MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) report. The spur which is mentioned is not a new development in you. It would have been there for years. So it cannot become symptomatic suddenly after trauma. So I do not feel removing that spur will make you better. Another way of confirming this is to infiltrate local anesthetic in subacromial space. If that relieves your pain, then the surgery will help you, and you should go ahead with it. Also, I feel a cervical spine MRI should be done to rule out anything else.
I hope this helps.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thanks for your reply. what does my MRI report indicate. Is it a tear in the muscle or a swelling. Please let me know what does the report indicate if not surgery then what is the treatment? Please help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
There is no tear in the muscle. There is a bony spur which you can say is a bony outgrowth. In a lot of people, it is a regular thing. Please tell me when you keep your hand above your head. Does your pain increase, decrease, or remain the same? Also, describe your pain in the upper limb once again.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thanks for your reply. It remains the same when I raise my hand. When I put my hand in the pouch, I feel comfortable. If my hand is hanging, the pain starts in the upper arm, and my shoulder pains at some point when pressed. I cannot sleep comfortably at night, and my shoulder is fine by morning. Please help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
So with your description, I can make out that you have a problem in the shoulder only and unlikely in the cervical spine. I would advise you to go for local infiltration at the subacromial space. A lot of patients are benefitted from it and do not require surgery. If you do not have any relief from that, you can go for surgery.
I hope this helps.
Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
Thanks for your reply. Also doctor can you see this shoulder impingement in the report? Does this go away with time as recently I had a fall .I have this piercing kind of pain in my shoulder at one point. Please help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
Yes, as reported, there is shoulder impingement. As I mentioned earlier, I do not think it is related to your injury. It is just aggravated because of your injury. Otherwise, it was there before that, too but asymptomatic.
I hope this helps.
Was this conversation helpful?
Same symptoms don't mean you have the same problem. Consult a doctor now!
Spine Surgery
Orthopedician and Traumatology
*guaranteed answer within 4 hours
Disclaimer: No content published on this website is intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis, advice or treatment by a trained physician. Seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare providers with questions you may have regarding your symptoms and medical condition for a complete medical diagnosis. Do not delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice because of something you have read on this website. Read our Editorial Process to know how we create content for health articles and queries.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. iCliniq privacy policy
