General Practitioners

• Arthritis

Neurologists

• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  Numbness of the arm or hand is typically not caused by shoulder problems. Numbness and tingling is a nerve problem. Numbness of the thumb, index or long fingers can be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a tight spot at the wrist. Numbness of the small and ring fingers can be caused by a tight spot at the elbow (cubital tunnel syndrome). In addition, numbness of any of your fingers can also be caused by a pinched nerve in your neck or problems with the nerves themselves. Numbness of the forearm, upper arm, shoulder or neck area are most often caused by a pinched nerve in the neck (also called cervical stenosis or cervical radiculopathy). Occasionally, if the ball of the shoulder does not stay centered in the socket, that can cause some numbness. This is more often seen in people who have had a dislocation of their shoulder or who are very loose jointed.

Radiologist

• MRI
  If you have had an MRI or x-rays, please get the disc and drop it by the office two days before your first visit so that Dr. Hall can review it.  This is not necessary if your studies were done at Pardee Hospital

Surgeons

• Pinched Nerve

Physical Therapists

• Physical Therapy
  Whenever possible, nonoperative treatment is tried first.  When surgery is needed, gentle techniques are used to minimize pain, speed healing, and maximize results.  After surgery, you are instructed in home exercises which can usually be done without physical therapy.
• Frozen Shoulder
  Shoulder problems are sneaky. A small rotator cuff tear very often gets larger over time. A tear can gradually go from being small and easy to fix to being so large and pulled back(retracted) that it cannot be reattached and repaired. Also, people often do not notice as they are losing motion in their shoulder because they compensate by turning their bodies or using their other hand. It is just natural to keep your arm closer to your side when your shoulder hurts, but if you do not put your shoulder through its full range of motion everyday, it can get tighter and tighter and lead to a frozen shoulder. However, if your normal range of motion is painful, you need to see someone to figure out why, rather than just trying to force it. Listening to your body is a good thing.
• Shoulder Pain