Early diagnosis is key to finding a solution to your shoulder problem. Early treatment may result in a better outcome.

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) advises that early diagnosis and treatment can make a significant difference to long-term shoulder health. Thanks to the latest treatment options, including minimally invasive surgery, shoulder pain is treatable — allowing you to return to the activities you love.

When you have shoulder pain, you probably have many questions for your doctor:

• What's causing the problem?
• Will I ever be able to return to my normal activities?
• Is surgery necessary?
• Will physical therapy help?

Your physician will be able to answer these questions and help set you on the path to shoulder recovery.

Before you visit your doctor, please take the time to quickly fill out the Symptoms Checklist questionnaire. Bringing it with you to your appointment will help you more easily answer your doctor's questions and provide needed information in making a diagnosis.

• Symptoms Checklist

Your physician will begin by taking a complete medical history and examining your shoulder. You may be asked to attempt to raise your arms above your head or perform other activities to test your shoulder's mobility, weakness and pain levels.

Your doctor may want to get a better idea of what is causing your pain by looking at images of your shoulder. Improvements in medical imaging have made great strides in allowing physicians to look into the inner workings of the shoulder — and determine what may be causing the problem.

• Diagnostic Tests

Sometimes shoulder pain doesn't change when you move your shoulder, neck or arm. It may be associated with pain in other parts of your body such as the abdomen or chest. The term for this is "referred shoulder pain." It means the actual problem exists somewhere else in your body. Your doctor will help determine if that is the case with your shoulder pain.