However, increased physical activity at the beach, with swimming, diving and sports such as beach volleyball, surfing, sup, jet skiing, water skiing, etc., may increase the risk of shoulder injuries.

Our shoulder

“The shoulder has the greatest range of motion of any joint, allowing us to lift, stretch, rotate and bring our arms into various positions. Thanks to it, we can perform many daily activities, from dressing and eating, to work and sports.

For this reason, comprehensive information on sports injuries, the ways of prevention and their effective treatment, is considered particularly important, so that we can continue to safely participate in physical activities throughout the summer”, points out the Dr. Ioannis Tsolos, Director of the Orthopedic Clinic at Metropolitan Hospital, who breaks down what to know and watch out for in order to avoid and/or deal with a shoulder injury.

Common Shoulder Injuries:

• Rupture of the rotator cuff: This is a common injury, causing pain, stiffness and weakness in the arm.
• Impingement Syndrome – Tendonitis: Occurs when the tendons of the shoulder are compressed, leading to pain and inflammation.
• Dislocation: The humerus comes out of its socket, causing severe pain and instability.
• Labial Cartilage Damage: The cartilage surrounding the joint breaks down, causing pain, instability and a feeling of being stuck.
• Biceps Tendonitis: Overuse or repetitive motions cause inflammation of the biceps tendon, causing pain in the front of the shoulder.

Injury Prevention:

• Warm-up: Prepare your muscles with stretching and dynamic warm-up exercises before each activity. When you start exercising, gradually increase intensity and strength.
• Proper technique: Learn and practice proper technique for your sport of interest to avoid minor injuries.
• Strengthening: Strengthening exercises for shoulder and trunk muscles that improve stability and reduce the risk of injury.
• Rest: “Listen” to your body and take breaks when you feel pain or fatigue and use ice for recovery.

Injury Treatment:

• Ice: Apply ice to the area for 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a day, to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Pain relievers: You can get over-the-counter medications for pain and inflammation.
• PRP Injection Therapy: Consult your doctor about corticosteroid and PRP injections.
• Physical therapy: Rehabilitation exercises with a physical therapist can help restore mobility, strength, and stability.
• Surgery: In severe cases, surgery may be needed to repair the injury.

It is important to consult a doctor immediately if:

• You feel severe pain in the shoulder.
• Your shoulder is visibly swollen or deformed.
• You cannot move or raise your arm.

“At the Metropolitan Hospital’s Orthopedic Clinic, we treat all chronic degenerative joint diseases with the latest generation of arthroplasty techniques. The human resources of our clinic have specialized experience in the application of all modern techniques, so as to ensure the correct choice of the therapeutic method for the treatment of each incident”, states Dr. Tsolos in closing.

*24-hour operation from the Orthopedic Clinic of the Metropolitan Hospital in Faliro

With the support of modern technology and the application of the most innovative medical methods, the Orthopedic Clinic of the Metropolitan Hospital in Faliro treats the entire spectrum of both urgent and chronic orthopedic diseases.

The Orthopedic Clinic of the Metropolitan Hospital operates:

• Department of Sports Injuries: It is a model center for the treatment of all ailments that concern high-level and non-athletes. It is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, comparable and many times superior to those found in Sports Centers abroad.
• Department of Shoulder – Elbow & Sports Injuries of the Upper Extremity: Offers all the specialized modern diagnostic and therapeutic methods for the rehabilitation of traumatic, degenerative and sports injuries to the shoulder and elbow. Most problems are successfully treated with the arthroscopic “keyhole surgery” method.
• Spine Department: Acute and chronic diseases are treated both conservatively (epidural injections – modern physical therapy) and surgically (anterior discectomy, posterior spinal fusion, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty).
• Department of Upper Extremity Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery: Provides the most efficient and timely treatment of injuries and diseases of the upper extremity and peripheral nerves, using traditional as well as innovative surgical techniques.
• Osteoporosis Center: Offers complete diagnosis, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis and osteoporotic fractures.
• Knee-Hip Robotic Surgery Unit: The state-of-the-art MAKÓ orthopedic robotic system operates in the Unit, with the help of which individual knee and hip surgeries are carried out with extremely high precision that reaches one tenth of a millimeter.

MAKO is the only orthopedic robotic system in the world and is at the cutting edge of technological development. With its help, damage to the knee joint can be treated in time long before it is necessary to perform a total replacement of the joint as well as damage to the hip joint.