In order to elucidate the causes of shoulder problems, an experienced shoulder specialist, who can correctly examine the shoulder manually, is required in many cases.

Also, in many cases various imaging techniques are required to make a precise diagnosis. For instance, special radiographs can accurately assess a bony impingement within the shoulder, which is a common cause of shoulder problems.

Sonograms performed by an expert are also important. They can allow differentiated analyses of the various structures of the rotator cuff during an arm movement.

Magnetic resonance tomography, also called MRI scans, yield valuable information too and are regularly used in specialist shoulder centers.

Simply explained, MRI films are created when the magnetic field of the MRI machine stimulates certain atomic nuclei. Depending on the type of tissue – cartilage, bone, synovial (joint) fluid, etc. – this gives rise to a variety of signals, which produce a detailed picture of the various joint structures or injuries or disease processes.

Note. Today, with many modern MRI machines it is no longer necessary to be “stuck in a tube” and this avoids the unpleasant claustrophobic sensations in the tube. With these machines, loud background noises are also things of the past.