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An ultrasound machine shows a live image beside the treatment chair at Advanced Pain Solutions

Shoulder pain in Redmond, OR

When your shoulder starts saying no to the reach.

An ache after a round, pain when you lift a bag, a night you cannot get comfortable.

Ultrasound in the treatment room

The short answer

Shoulder pain often comes from an irritated or torn rotator cuff, bursitis, arthritis or a stiff, frozen shoulder, and sometimes from a pinched nerve in the neck. Our Redmond team starts with an exam to find which one is driving yours. Care may combine regenerative medicine, focused shockwave and guided rehab.

Which movements hurt?

Reaching overhead, putting on a jacket or sleeping on your side can start to hurt. For some people it is a deep ache after using the arm, and for others a sharp pain or weakness when lifting.

How do we find the cause?

We check how the shoulder moves, where it is weak and how your neck and upper back play in. From there, your plan can include regenerative care for the shoulder and guided rehab.

What is going on

What is behind shoulder pain?

Your shoulder has the widest range of motion of any joint, and it is really four joints side by side. The rotator cuff, a group of muscles and tendons, keeps the ball of the upper arm bone in its socket. When one part is irritated, lifting and reaching start to hurt.

What is actually happening

  1. A tendon or bursa gets irritated

    Overhead work, a fall or years of repeated use stress the rotator cuff and the sac that helps it glide.

  2. The shoulder guards

    Pain leads to less movement, and the joint can stiffen and lose range.

  3. Weakness follows

    Lifting, reaching behind your back or sleeping on that side keeps setting the pain off.

Who this usually affects

  • Golfers and tennis and pickleball players
  • Carpenters, mechanics, painters and others who work overhead
  • Riders and anyone who lifts, hauls or throws
  • People with an old shoulder injury that still flares

When it is something else

  • Sudden left shoulder pain with chest pain or shortness of breath, which needs 911
  • Pain that starts in the neck and runs down the arm
  • A suspected broken bone or a shoulder that has popped out of place
Note

Shoulder pain is common and usually not dangerous, though a few causes are, so it is worth knowing the warning signs.

Guided rehab records your range of motion and strength at the start, so each step of progress is measured against it.

Is this what you feel?

Signs of a shoulder problem

Shoulder pain can feel sharp or dull, and it can travel.

Your list

of 8

Bring your list to the evaluation; it helps us start in the right place.

Book an evaluation
Illustration of a standing figure used to show where pain is felt

Where it hurts: the shoulder

Why it happens

What causes shoulder pain

  1. Rotator cuff irritation or tear

    The rotator cuff tendons can wear down with age and use, or tear in a fall. Bone spurs that rub the tendon, called impingement, can lead to a partial or complete tear over time.

  2. Shoulder bursitis

    A bursa is a small fluid-filled sac that helps tissues glide. When it is inflamed, lifting the arm and sleeping on that side can feel pinchy and sore.

  3. Frozen shoulder

    Frozen shoulder develops gradually as the joint capsule stiffens. Range of motion shrinks, so putting on a jacket or reaching into the back seat gets harder.

  4. Arthritis

    Osteoarthritis wears the joint cartilage, which can bring stiffness, lost range of motion and grinding or clicking. At first it may hurt only with activity, then at other times too.

  5. Pain from the neck

    A pinched nerve in the neck, called cervical radiculopathy, can send pain into the shoulder. That is why a shoulder exam includes the neck.

Illustration of a standing figure used to show where pain is felt
The cause in view lights its part

How we treat it

Shoulder pain treatment, built from your exam

Shoulder pain treatment here is chosen from your exam: which tissue is irritated, where the shoulder is weak and how your neck and upper back move. Every option is non-surgical, and the team in our one clinic shares your plan.

A gloved hand loads a tube into the centrifuge the clinic uses to prepare PRP

01 · Regenerative first

Regenerative medicine

Regenerative injections such as PRP can be part of a plan once your exam supports them. Joint injections here are guided by ultrasound.

About regenerative medicine
  1. 02PRP injections

    One blood draw, spun in our own centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma, which is then injected where your plan needs it.

  2. 03Focused shockwave therapy

    A handheld applicator sends acoustic pulses into the tissue, and the intensity is adjusted during the session.

  3. 04Guided rehab

    Range of motion first, then rotator cuff and shoulder blade strength, coached by our medical assistants, with exercises for home.

Regenerative therapies are not a cure and results vary. Some biologic products discussed here are not FDA approved for this use. Your provider will review options, risks and costs with you.

All of your options

Ways to treat shoulder pain, compared

Most rotator cuff surgery is done through small cuts, and full recovery afterward can take a year or more.

OptionWhat it is forAt Advanced Pain Solutions
Rest, ice and activity changesA new strainAdvice at your visit
Guided rehabRange of motion and rotator cuff strength, so the shoulder handles lifting againOffered here
Focused shockwaveTendon pain that keeps returning with lifting or overhead workOffered here
Regenerative medicineInjections such as PRP, prepared from your own bloodOffered here
Cortisone injectionsA steroid injected to ease pain and swellingNot offered here
Rotator cuff repair or shoulder replacementA complete tear, or damage that other treatments have not helpedWe perform no surgery
General information, not advice

Offered hereNot offered here

What to expect

Recovery and timeline

Shoulders need time to heal.

  1. Your first visit

    Your history and an exam, with imaging when it is needed.

  2. The first days

    Rest the arm, use ice to ease pain and swelling, and avoid the movements that set it off.

  3. The next several weeks

    Guided rehab restores range of motion first, then strength, with exercises to do at home.

  4. The following months

    For a partial rotator cuff tear, improvement with non-surgical care can take up to a year.

Your timeline depends on the cause, how long the shoulder has hurt and how much strength it has lost.

Can it wait?

When to get help right away

Do not wait

Get urgent care today if

  • Sudden tingling, numbness, weakness or paralysis in the arm
  • You suddenly cannot use your arm as usual
  • A fall or a hit that may have broken a bone
  • Left shoulder pain with chest pain or shortness of breath
  • Severe pain or swelling

Go to urgent care or an emergency room, or call 911.

While it settles

During a flare-up

Shoulder pain with chest pain or trouble breathing needs 911 right away, and the other signs need medical care today. Pain that lasts more than a few days, or gets worse, is worth an exam.

Cost and payment

What care costs

Your care

Prices are not posted online.

Your cost follows your plan: the number of rehab visits, any shockwave sessions and whether an injection is part of it.

Pay over time
Costs are reviewed with you at your consultation, and financing is available through Cherry.

In patients' own words

5.0 · 216 Google reviews

...I’m down to maintenance visits. Neck, back, shoulders and hands are all MUCH better. I’m 72. Been active my whole life....

Robert M.Shoulder pain

I've had bad back, neck, and shoulder issues most of my life, but the pain always went away for long periods of time, so I never thought twice about it until a few weeks ago when the pain didn't go away like it usually did....

Marcus Shoulder pain

Individual results vary.

See all reviews on Google
Dr. Kent Rookstool, DC, founder of Advanced Pain Solutions
Dr. Kent Rookstool, DCDoctor of Chiropractic and founder
Summerlyn Ellis, FNP-C, in an interview at the clinic
Summerlyn Ellis, FNP-CFamily Nurse Practitioner

Who you will see

Who treats your shoulder

Your shoulder plan brings together the Doctor of Chiropractic who founded the clinic and works with professional and amateur athletes, and our nurse practitioner, who gives regenerative injections here.

Our medical assistants coach your rehab.

Dr. Kent Rookstool, DC, Doctor of Chiropractic and founder · Summerlyn Ellis, FNP-C, Family Nurse Practitioner

Book a visit with our team

By the numbers

2012

Dr. Kent caring for patients since

From Dr. Kent's published bio

3

Licensed providers on the team

5.0

From 216 Google reviews

See the reviews on Google

Getting here

From Bend's pickleball courts

Bend's Pine Nursery Park has a 16-court pickleball complex, and downtown Bend is about 24 minutes (16.6 miles) from the clinic on Highway 97.

1020 SW Indian Ave Ste 100, Redmond, OR 97756 · (541) 923-6024
Mon to Thu 9 AM to 6 PM

  1. BendHighway 97 · 16.6 mi24min
  2. TumaloHighway 97 · 12.9 mi20min
  3. Eagle Crest ResortHighway 126 · 6.1 mi13min
  4. SistersHighway 126 · 19.6 mi30min
  5. PrinevilleHighway 126 · 18.4 mi22min
Drive time from the clinic, no traffic

Your first visit

Schedule Your Shoulder Pain Evaluation

Share a brief note about where it hurts, what sets it off and how long it has been going on. We will evaluate your symptoms, discuss your goals, and explain which options may fit.

  1. Request a time

    Call (541) 923-6024. Mornings or afternoons, Monday to Thursday.

  2. Understand what is driving it

    We look at how your pain behaves, what movements trigger it, and what tissues may be involved.

  3. A clear plan

    We walk you through what we find in plain language and outline next steps that match your goals.

Pay over time
Cherry financing. No hard credit checks.
No referral
No referral is needed.
Hours
Mon to Thu 9 AM to 6 PM

Book by phone

Prefer to talk it through first?

Call (541) 923-6024Directions and hours

Questions

Your shoulder questions

Still unsure? Call (541) 923-6024, Monday to Thursday.

What should you not do with shoulder pain?

Do not keep working through it. Using a painful shoulder hard can make it hurt more, and in severe cases it can cause lasting damage. Hold off on heavy lifting and on sleeping on the sore side until it has been checked.

What are the top 3 signs of a rotator cuff tear?

Pain and weakness when you raise, lower or rotate the arm. Shoulder pain that gets worse at night or when the arm is resting. Popping, clicking or crackling with certain movements. Many people with a tear also find it hard to lift everyday items.

What is better for sore shoulder, ice or heat?

Ice is the usual first choice for a new injury or swelling, because it eases pain and swelling. For stiffness from arthritis, ice and moist heat can both help, so use whichever feels better. Wrap ice in a thin towel and keep it off bare skin.

How do you know if shoulder pain is muscle or joint?

It can be hard to tell on your own. Joint problems such as arthritis tend to bring stiffness, lost range of motion and grinding. Tendon and muscle problems tend to hurt with certain movements, such as lifting or reaching overhead, and can come with weakness.

Does a rotator cuff tear always need surgery?

Not always. Some people have a rotator cuff tear with no symptoms at all, and surgery may be recommended for a complete tear or when other treatment has not helped. Your provider reviews your findings with you, including when a surgical opinion is the right next step.

Is an MRI needed for shoulder pain?

Not always. An exam of tenderness, range of motion and arm strength comes first. An X-ray can show arthritis or bone spurs, while an MRI or ultrasound shows a torn tendon in the rotator cuff.

Advanced Pain Solutions

Your Path to an Active Life Starts Here.

Bring the movements that hurt to your first visit.

Mon to Thu 9 AM to 6 PM · 1020 SW Indian Ave Ste 100, Redmond