I am having pain in my shoulder and may have injured my shoulder. What should I do?

If you have new-onset shoulder pain or may have injured your shoulder, your doctor may order an X-ray to look for a broken bone or shoulder misalignment.

If the X-ray does not show a fracture but there is still concern for an injury, your doctor may order a non-contrast MRI or CT of the shoulder to investigate further. Some fractures seen on X-ray will also need a CT or MRI to help guide treatment.

If you have possibly dislocated your shoulder, your doctor may order an MRI or CT without contrast. They might also order an MRI where contrast is injected into the joint space, called MRI shoulder arthrography, to help show the ligaments, tendons, and cartilage.

If your doctor is concerned about a possible cartilage tear (known as the labrum or labral tear), your doctor may order an MRI without contrast or an MRI or CT shoulder arthrography.

Concerns for a rotator cuff tear (or a tear of the tendons around the shoulder joint) can be evaluated with X-ray, shoulder ultrasound, or MRI without contrast.

If you have injured your shoulder, talk with your doctor to get more information about additional exams and imaging tests.