Villanueva Institute of Pain and Spine
Shoulder Pain Treatment in Burbank, CA
Shoulder pain has a habit of appearing at some point in everyday life; activities such as reaching into a cabinet, putting on a jacket, carrying groceries, sleeping on one’s side, driving, working at a computer, or going back to the gym can all become more difficult when the shoulder is not moving as it should.
In many cases, the pain sets in after a definite injury, such as a fall, a workout, or a car accident. In other instances, it develops slowly. What starts as a slight ache can gradually make the shoulder harder to move, reach, lift, or use with confidence during normal activities. As time goes on, you might begin to avoid some movements without realizing just how much the pain has altered your routine.
My name is Dr. John Villanueva, and I am double board-certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and in interventional pain management at the Villanueva Institute of Pain and Spine (VIPS). When assessing patients with shoulder pain, I consider how the shoulder moves, where the pain starts, what movements set it off, whether the neck or nerves are involved, and how the problem affects your everyday life.
The shoulder is not a simple joint, and pain may be caused by the rotator cuff, the bursa, the joint, the AC joint, the muscles, the tendons, the nerves, or the cervical spine. My role is to carefully work through that pattern, so we can select a treatment plan that fits the real source of the pain.
If you are looking for shoulder pain treatment in Burbank, CA, call VIPS at (818) 669-8895 or request an appointment online. We are located in Burbank and see patients from Glendale, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Sun Valley, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and communities throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area.
Quick Links
What Is Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain means having discomfort in or around the shoulder joint, upper arm, collarbone, shoulder blade, or nearby muscles. It may feel sharp, deep, aching, burning, tight, weak, unstable, or stiff.
Some patients experience pain only with certain movements, while others have pain at night, pain that radiates down the back, pain when raising the arm, or pain that travels from the neck into the shoulder and arm. How the pain manifests gives us a great deal of information.
A trouble with the shoulder can also affect the way the rest of the body moves. When the arm is not used in its normal way, the neck, the upper back, the shoulder blade, and the opposite side may start to make up for the deficiency. This is one of the reasons why shoulder pain can seem to spread over time.
What Shoulder Pain Can Feel Like
Patients describe their shoulder pain in many different ways; some point to the outer part of the upper arm, some point to the front of the shoulder, and others experience the pain on top of the shoulder close to the collarbone, deep within the joint, or along the shoulder blade.
Common symptoms include:
- Pain when reaching overhead
- Pain reaching behind the back
- Trouble putting on a shirt, jacket, bra, or seatbelt
- Pain while sleeping on one side
- Weakness lifting the arm
- Stiffness or loss of motion
- Clicking, catching, grinding, or popping
- Pain with lifting, pushing, pulling, or exercise
- Pain after a fall, accident, workout, or repetitive use
- Pain that starts in the neck and travels into the shoulder
- Numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in the arm or hand
Symptoms often overlap; the area that hurts is not always the only source of the problem. Shoulder pain can involve the joint itself, the surrounding tendons and muscles, nearby nerves, or the cervical spine. That is why the full pattern matters.
Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
Shoulder pain typically appears following an injury or as a result of inflammation, arthritis, stiffness, overuse, nerve irritation, or pain that is referred from the neck. Performing a thorough examination allows us to identify the cause.
Rotator Cuff Problems
The rotator cuff consists of muscles and tendons which assist in lifting the arm, rotating it and providing stability to the shoulder. Pain usually occurs when the rotator cuff is irritated, inflamed or torn during actions such as reaching, lifting, performing overhead activities, exercising or when lying on the affected side.
The pain from a rotator cuff often goes down the outer part of the upper arm and in some cases, patients experience a sense of weakness while in other instances they are still able to raise their arm, but it hurts or feels unsteady. The treatment will vary according to the seriousness of the injury, your strength, the results of any imaging tests, your level of activity and the extent to which the pain is affecting your life.
Shoulder Bursitis and Impingement
A bursa acts as a small cushion that helps tissues to slide smoothly. Pain can show up when performing movements such as raising the arms, reaching, lifting or sleeping on that side.
Bursitis and impingement often happen together with rotator cuff irritation. The shoulder may feel pinched, sore, or inflamed when the arm moves through certain positions. Treatment often combines calming the irritated area with improving shoulder mechanics.
Shoulder Arthritis
Shoulder arthritis can cause deep aching, stiffness, grinding, catching, or reduced motion. Patients often feel pain inside the main shoulder joint or at the AC joint on top of the shoulder, where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade.
Arthritis can make dressing, grooming, lifting, exercise, and sleep difficult. The treatment plan depends on which joint is involved, how advanced the arthritis is, and whether the pain is still responding to nonsurgical care.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, causes pain and progressive stiffness. Patients often notice that the shoulder becomes harder to move in several directions, especially reaching overhead, reaching behind the back, or rotating the arm outward.
Frozen shoulder can be especially frustrating because progress moves slowly. Care for a frozen shoulder often involves physical therapy and stretching, a closer look at your medications, injections when appropriate, and steady guidance aimed at restoring motion without repeatedly flaring the joint.
AC Joint Pain
The AC joint sits on top of the shoulder. Pain in this area may develop after a fall, direct impact, arthritis, weightlifting, repetitive overhead activity, or years of wear.
AC joint pain often worsens when reaching across the body, doing push-ups, bench pressing, lifting, or sleeping on the painful side.
Neck-Related Shoulder Pain
The neck can refer pain into the shoulder. A cervical disc problem, arthritis in the neck, or an irritated nerve can cause pain that travels into the shoulder, upper arm, forearm, or hand.
This type of pain may come with numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or symptoms that change when you move your neck. If your pattern suggests nerve involvement, I evaluate the cervical spine along with the shoulder.
Injury, Instability, and Labral Problems
Shoulder pain after a fall, sports injury, accident, or sudden pull can come from a sprain, tear, dislocation, fracture, labral injury, or instability. Catching, slipping, weakness, or the feeling that the shoulder just can’t be trusted are common.
When the exam and symptom severity indicate instability, imaging and an orthopedic evaluation are often needed.
When Shoulder Pain Needs Prompt Care
Some shoulder pain should be evaluated quickly, and it’s best to seek urgent care if pain follows a major injury, the shoulder looks deformed, you cannot lift the arm after a fall, you have severe swelling or bruising, or you develop sudden weakness.
You should also seek emergency care if shoulder pain occurs with chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea, jaw pain, or pain spreading down the left arm. Shoulder pain can occasionally be related to a medical emergency rather than a joint problem.
For shoulder pain that is ongoing, worsening, limiting sleep, or keeping you from normal activity, a focused evaluation can help identify the source and next step.
How Shoulder Pain Is Diagnosed
Diagnosing shoulder pain starts with the story. I want to know when the pain began, what you were doing when it started, which movements make it worse, where the pain travels, and what you have already tried.
During the exam, I check range of motion, strength, tenderness, shoulder blade movement, neck motion, sensation, reflexes, and specific shoulder maneuvers. I also look for signs that the pain may be coming from the neck or nerves rather than the shoulder alone.
Tests that may help include:
- X-rays can show arthritis, bone changes, or alignment issues
- MRI can help evaluate rotator cuff tears, labral problems, bursitis, and soft tissue injuries
- EMG/NCS testing can help when numbness, tingling, or weakness suggests nerve involvement
Whenever possible, I like to review the actual images, not only the report. The report is helpful, but the images often show details that affect the treatment plan.
Shoulder Pain Treatment Options
Shoulder pain treatment depends on the diagnosis. Conditions such as frozen shoulder, bursitis, arthritis, rotator cuff tear, muscle trigger points, and pinched nerves each require a tailored approach.
Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation
Physical therapy can help improve strength, flexibility, shoulder blade control, posture, and confidence with movement. For many shoulder problems, the way the shoulder blade, rotator cuff, neck, and upper back work together is a major part of recovery.
As a PM&R physician, I pay close attention to function. The plan may include mobility work, strengthening, posture training, home exercise, activity changes, or gradual return to lifting and overhead movement.
Shoulder Joint Injections
A shoulder joint injection may help when arthritis, inflammation, or joint irritation is contributing to pain. Medication is placed into or near the painful joint to reduce irritation and improve comfort.
The response can also provide useful information. If your usual pain improves after numbing medication, that helps confirm the joint as part of the pain source.
Bursa Injections
A bursa injection can help when shoulder bursitis is contributing to pain with reaching, lifting, or lying on the painful side. These injections are often paired with physical therapy, so the shoulder mechanics that irritated the bursa can also be addressed.
Trigger Point Injections
Trigger point injections can help when tight, painful muscle bands around the neck, shoulder, upper back, or shoulder blade are contributing to pain. These injections may make stretching, posture work, and therapy more manageable.
PRP and Regenerative Medicine
PRP and other regenerative medicine options may be discussed for certain tendon, ligament, joint, or soft tissue pain patterns. Whether regenerative care makes sense depends on the diagnosis, imaging, severity, prior treatments, and goals.
Cervical Spine Treatment
When the pain is coming from the neck, the plan may focus on the cervical spine. Depending on the diagnosis, care may include physical therapy, medication management, epidural steroid injections, medial branch blocks, facet joint injections, radiofrequency ablation, or other targeted treatment.
Medication Management
Medication can help when shoulder pain interferes with sleep, movement, or therapy. Depending on the cause, we may discuss options to reduce inflammation, ease muscle tightness, address nerve symptoms, or improve daily comfort.
I choose medication carefully based on your diagnosis, health history, current prescriptions, and how you have responded to treatment in the past. In many cases, medication is used to support the bigger plan, helping you move more comfortably while the shoulder heals or while another treatment begins to work.
Orthopedic Referral
Some shoulder problems need orthopedic evaluation. That may be the best direction for a significant rotator cuff tear, fracture, instability, advanced arthritis, severe weakness, or pain that continues despite appropriate nonsurgical care.
If your exam or imaging points toward surgery, I will explain why and help guide the next step.
Good Candidates for Shoulder Pain Treatment
You may benefit from a shoulder pain evaluation if pain is interfering with how you use your arm or how you move through the day.
Patients often come in with shoulder pain that affects reaching, lifting, dressing, bathing, driving, exercise, sleep, work, or household tasks. Others come in because the shoulder feels weak, stiff, unstable, or painful after an injury. Some have symptoms traveling from the neck into the shoulder or arm.
You do not need to know the exact diagnosis before your visit. The consultation is where we connect your symptoms, exam, imaging, and goals so the plan fits your situation.
How I Evaluate You Before Recommending Treatment
Before recommending treatment, I want to understand whether the shoulder itself is the main source of pain or whether the neck, nerves, muscles, or nearby joints are involved.
Two patients can both have pain reaching overhead and need completely different plans. One may have bursitis. Another may have a rotator cuff tear. Another may have shoulder arthritis. Another may have pain referred from the cervical spine.
During your consultation, I listen to your history, examine your shoulder and neck, review prior care, study imaging when available, and ask what improvement would actually matter to you. That might mean sleeping on your side again, reaching overhead, returning to the gym, lifting a grandchild, driving comfortably, or working without guarding the arm.
Why Choose VIPS for Shoulder Pain Treatment?
Double board-certified expertise
I am double board-certified in PM&R and interventional pain management. My PM&R training helps me evaluate movement, strength, function, rehabilitation, and nerve symptoms. My interventional training allows me to perform targeted procedures when they fit the diagnosis. In addition to my double-board certification, my certification as a Life Care Planner reflects advanced training in assessing long-term medical and rehabilitation needs. This expertise allows me to provide a comprehensive perspective when evaluating future care needs and serving as a medical-legal consultant and expert medical witness.
A careful diagnostic process
I review your symptoms, exam findings, imaging, prior care, and daily limitations before recommending treatment.
Image-guided procedures when appropriate
Some shoulder injections are best performed with ultrasound or fluoroscopy. I choose the guidance method based on the target, anatomy, safety, and clinical need.
A full view of the problem
Shoulder pain can come from the joint, bursa, rotator cuff, muscles, AC joint, nerves, or neck. I will take plenty of time to understand which source fits your pattern.
Function-focused care
I want to know whether shoulder pain is limiting sleep, work, exercise, dressing, lifting, reaching, driving, or time with family. Those details help define what success should look like.
Clear guidance about next steps
I will always explain which treatment options fit your symptoms and why. If the best next step is therapy, imaging, an injection, regenerative medicine, cervical spine treatment, orthopedics, or surgery, we will talk through it directly.
A warm, unhurried experience in Burbank
Many patients come to VIPS after feeling rushed or unsure what their imaging means. I want you to leave with a clearer understanding of your shoulder pain and a plan that fits your real life.
What Happens During Shoulder Pain Treatment?
Your treatment visit depends on the source of pain and the option chosen.
For a shoulder joint injection, medication is placed into or near the painful joint. For a bursa injection, medication is placed near the inflamed bursa. For trigger point injections, medication is placed into painful muscle bands around the neck, shoulder, or upper back.
When image guidance is appropriate, ultrasound or fluoroscopy may be used to guide the injection. Before any procedure, I explain what we are targeting, how the treatment works, what to expect afterward, and how we will judge your response.
Some patients need treatment in stages. We may begin by calming the most painful structure, then use physical therapy, strengthening, posture work, or activity changes to help the shoulder function better long-term.
What Should You Expect After Shoulder Pain Treatment?
Your response depends on the diagnosis, treatment performed, and how long the shoulder has been painful.
Some injections can provide quick temporary relief because of local anesthetic. Anti-inflammatory medication may take several days to work. PRP and regenerative options usually develop more gradually. Physical therapy takes time, but it can be important for restoring motion, strength, and confidence.
After treatment, I want you to pay attention to practical changes. Can you sleep more comfortably? Reach higher? Dress with less pain? Lift more easily? Drive without guarding the arm? Return to exercise with better control?
Your response helps shape the next step. If treatment helps, we can build on it. If relief is limited, we may need to reconsider the pain source or discuss another option.
Shoulder Pain and Your Broader Treatment Plan
Shoulder pain often improves best when the plan addresses more than the painful spot. Strength, mobility, posture, shoulder blade mechanics, neck function, sleep position, work habits, and activity level can all influence recovery.
Depending on your condition, your care may include physical therapy, home exercise, medication review, shoulder injections, bursa injections, trigger point injections, PRP, imaging, EMG/NCS testing, cervical spine treatment, orthopedic evaluation, or surgical referral.
At VIPS, I take time to review your symptoms, exam findings, records, prior treatment response, and daily limitations before recommending a direction. Shoulder pain treatment should help you spend less time protecting the arm and more time using it with comfort and confidence.
Shoulder Pain Treatment in Burbank, CA
VIPS is located in Burbank, CA, in the Magnolia Park neighborhood. The office is designed to feel welcoming and personal, with comfortable seating, warm finishes, and original artwork from patients who are working artists.
This is a place where your story has time to be heard. I live and work in Burbank, and I care about building a practice where patients feel known, respected, and well-informed.
We see patients from Burbank, Glendale, Pasadena, Van Nuys, Toluca Lake, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, Sun Valley, La Cañada, La Crescenta, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and communities throughout the San Fernando Valley and greater Los Angeles area.
Burbank Shoulder Pain FAQs
If shoulder pain is making it harder to sleep, work, exercise, reach, lift, drive, dress, or enjoy daily life, a careful evaluation can help clarify what is happening and what treatment options make sense. To schedule a shoulder pain consultation in Burbank, CA, call (818) 669-8895 or contact VIPS online today.
Can shoulder pain come from the neck?
Yes. A cervical spine problem can cause pain that travels into the shoulder, arm, or hand. Numbness, tingling, burning, weakness, or pain that changes with neck position may suggest nerve involvement from the neck.
What does rotator cuff pain feel like?
Rotator cuff pain often causes discomfort along the outside of the shoulder or upper arm. It may worsen with reaching overhead, lifting, dressing, exercise, or lying on the affected side. A tear may also cause weakness.
What is shoulder bursitis?
Shoulder bursitis is inflammation of a bursa, a small cushion that reduces friction between moving tissues. It can cause pain with reaching, lifting, overhead activity, or lying on the painful side.
What is frozen shoulder?
Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, causes pain and stiffness in the shoulder. Patients often have trouble reaching overhead, reaching behind the back, dressing, washing hair, or sleeping comfortably.
Are shoulder injections image-guided?
Some shoulder injections are image-guided. Ultrasound or fluoroscopy may be used when guidance improves accuracy or safety. The choice depends on the target, anatomy, diagnosis, and clinical need.
Can a shoulder injection help me avoid surgery?
Sometimes, a shoulder injection can reduce pain enough to support physical therapy and nonsurgical recovery. If imaging shows a significant tear, instability, fracture, advanced arthritis, or another surgical issue, I will explain why an orthopedic opinion may be needed.
How long do shoulder injections last?
Relief varies based on the diagnosis, medication used, treatment target, activity level, and severity of the condition. Some patients feel relief for weeks or months, while others have a shorter response.
Can PRP help shoulder pain?
PRP may be discussed for certain tendon, ligament, joint, or soft tissue shoulder pain patterns. Whether it makes sense depends on your diagnosis, imaging, severity, prior response to care, and treatment goals.
What if shoulder pain does not improve with physical therapy?
If shoulder pain does not improve with physical therapy, the next step may include updated imaging, medication review, an injection, evaluation of the neck, EMG/NCS testing, regenerative medicine discussion, or orthopedic referral depending on your symptoms.
How much does shoulder pain treatment cost in Burbank, CA?
The cost of shoulder pain treatment in Burbank can vary depending on the evaluation, imaging, medication plan, physical therapy, injections, regenerative medicine, nerve testing, or specialist referral involved. During your consultation, my team can help you understand what information may be needed for scheduling, authorization, and cost review.