Symptom
Clicking and grinding
Noise on its own is rarely dangerous. Noise with pain, catching or weakness is worth assessing, because it often points to something specific inside the joint.
What it often feels like
- Clicking or clunking as you lift or lower the arm
- A gritty, crunching sensation over the top of the shoulder
- Catching that briefly stops the movement
- Noise that has gradually become painful
Common reasons it happens
- Bursitis and impingement under the acromion
- Labral tears, including SLAP lesions
- Arthritis of the shoulder or AC joint
- Shoulder blade mechanics and posture
What to expect at your consultation
We start with your story: how the problem began, what makes it better or worse, and how it affects your sleep, work and the things you enjoy.
I then examine your neck, shoulder and arm together, because they refer pain to one another. If a scan or nerve study would change what we do, I will arrange it; often it is not needed.
We finish by talking through the realistic options and deciding on a plan together.
Why we treat
Getting you back to the things this is stopping you doing
clicking and grinding matters because of what it takes away. Your sleep, your work, and the parts of the week you look forward to.
A full golf swing
Jobs around the house
Lengths without pain
Conditions this can point to
Impingement and bursitis
Painful pinching of the cuff and bursa under the acromion.
Read moreSLAP lesions
Tears of the labrum where the biceps anchors into the socket.
Read moreAC joint pain and arthritis
Pain right on the top of the shoulder, over the collarbone joint.
Read moreShoulder (glenohumeral) arthritis
Wear of the ball-and-socket joint causing pain and stiffness.
Read more
Book a consultation with Miss Aparna Viswanath
If this sounds like what you are experiencing, my secretary can arrange an appointment at Woodlands Hospital in Darlington.
Request an appointment