Shoulder
We prioritize conservative treatments to resolve your shoulder pain without surgery. However, if everyday tasks remain difficult and surgery is
necessary, our expert surgeons utilize precise, minimally invasive techniques to restore your range of motion.
The Team
Depending on your diagnosis, your treatment plan may
include physical therapy, pain management, corticosteroid injections, surgery, or a combination of all of the above. Our shoulder specialists bring a range of surgical and clinical backgrounds together to provide continuity of care from your first visit through full recovery.
Robert Smith, MD
Orthopedic Surgeon
Our team also includes physical therapists and physician assistants who work closely with our surgeons throughout your course of care.
When to give us a call
Shoulder pain will often improve with rest, ice, and over-the-counter medications.
If the pain persists for several weeks, gets worse, or you find yourself taking more and more medication to manage it, that's your cue to make an appointment with a shoulder specialist.
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Get in touch if you experience:
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Acute Injury
If a fall, direct blow, or other trauma caused sharp pain, visible deformity, or a significant loss of motion, seek evaluation promptly.
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Limited Range of Motion
Difficulty raising your arm overhead, reaching behind your back, or getting dressed may point to a treatable condition. It is not something you have to live with.
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Weakness or Instability
If your shoulder feels like it gives way, or you have noticed weakness when lifting, reaching, or throwing, there may be damage to the structures that stabilize the glenohumeral joint. Earlier evaluation generally leads to better outcomes.​
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Night Pain
Shoulder pain that wakes you from sleep, particularly pain that radiates into the upper arm, is a common sign of rotator cuff pathology and warrants evaluation.
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Persistent Pain Despite Treatment
If pain has lasted more than a few weeks and is not improving with conservative care, a specialist can assess whether a different treatment approach is needed.
Common Shoulder Issues
Rotator Cuff Tears
Your rotator cuff helps you reach, throw, push, pull, and lift. Tears happen through sudden injury or gradual wear, and cause pain, weakness, and trouble lifting the arm. Pain that worsens at night or when reaching overhead is common.
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Shoulder Impingement
Impingement is a pinching within the shoulder, where the rotator cuff tendons are compressed as you raise your arm. It usually causes pain along the outer shoulder with overhead motion.
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Labral Tears
The labrum is a ring of cartilage that deepens the shoulder socket and keeps the joint stable. Tears are common in throwing athletes and anyone doing repetitive overhead work, and often cause a catching or clicking sensation along with a deep ache.
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Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis, usually starts with pain and progresses to stiffness that limits nearly all movement, often without any specific injury. It develops as the joint capsule thickens and tightens.
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Shoulder Instability and Dislocation
The shoulder is the most flexible joint in the body, which also makes it the easiest to dislocate. When the ligaments and labrum that hold the joint in place are stretched or torn, the shoulder can feel loose or give way.
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Arthritis
Arthritis develops as the cartilage cushioning the shoulder joint breaks down, causing pain, stiffness, and a grinding sensation with movement. It becomes more common with age.
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Biceps Tendon Tear
The biceps tendon attaches the biceps muscle to the shoulder. A tear often causes a sudden pop, followed by pain, weakness, and sometimes bruising in the upper arm.
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AC Joint Separation
The acromioclavicular (AC) joint connects the collarbone to the shoulder blade. Separations are common in falls and contact sports and range from a mild sprain to a full ligament tear.
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Shoulder Fractures
A break in one of the shoulder bones, most often the top of the upper arm bone, usually results from a fall or direct impact. Symptoms include severe pain, swelling, and difficulty moving the arm.​​​​​
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SHOULDER TREATMENTS AND PROCEDURES
We exhaust non-surgical options first. When surgery is indicated, we focus on minimally invasive techniques.
Non-Surgical Treatment
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Physical therapy and rehabilitation
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Activity modification
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Anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
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Corticosteroid injections
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Immobilization (sling or bracing)
Surgical Treatment
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Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
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Subacromial decompression (impingement)
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Arthroscopic labral repair (SLAP repair, Bankart repair)
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Shoulder stabilization procedures (instability and dislocation)
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Total shoulder replacement
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Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty
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Biceps tenodesis / biceps tendon repair
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AC joint reconstruction
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Fracture repair (open reduction and internal fixation)
SHOULDER CARE ACROSS NORTHERN Virginia
Our shoulder specialists see patients from throughout Northern Virginia and the surrounding Piedmont region. We have three locations serving:
Warrenton, VA
Fauquier County · Marshall · Remington · Bealeton · Midland · The Plains
Gainesville, VA
Prince William County · Haymarket · Manassas · Bristow · Nokesville · Centreville · Aldie · Chantilly · Catlett
Culpeper, VA
Culpeper County · Sperryville · Orange · Rapidan · Stevensburg
Patients in Haymarket, Aldie, and surrounding communities can access fellowship-trained shoulder care without traveling to Fairfax or Washington, D.C.