Impingement syndrome was a name coined many decades ago. Back then we thought that impingement syndrome was the cause of shoulder pain and rotator cuff tears. The basic concept was that a bone spur in the shoulder rubbed against the rotator cuff causing pain and eventually causing the rotator cuff to tear. Thousands of patients have had those bone spurs removed… and to this day many still do. This video will discuss the Impingement Syndrome and what our current thoughts are.
Most of the recent science and literature over the past 15 years has proven that the bone spur is not the cause of rotator cuff tears or shoulder pain. The cause of pain in most people is the rotator cuff itself or a degenerative process we call rotator cuff tendinosis. This recent publication [2017] shows that removing the bone spur did not result in any improvement of pain or function on a long-term basis.
We hope you find this video on Impingement Syndrome useful … see the links below to read more on rotator cuff tendinosis- the most common cause of shoulder pain in adults.
Further reading:
What is rotator cuff tendinosis?
What is the cause of rotator cuff tears?
Can rotator cuff tendinosis be cured?
Laura says
Three doctors later Iam told i need surgry, i got surgry. They said they could not find any tears. Now, I am told its a huge bone spur. My range of motion is awful, i cant lift weights or use my shoulder without serious pain. I am very fit, active, and i need clarity of my vondition. Please contact me.
Howard J. Luks, MD says