Scans and tests your GP or consultant may recommend for Shoulder osteoarthritis

This is information about which scans and tests may be used to assess Shoulder osteoarthritis, and what each one is: not a recommendation. Your clinician decides which scan or test, if any, you need. Prices below are typical UK private ranges; enter your postcode to see the NHS wait near you.

Shoulder osteoarthritis is wear of the smooth cartilage that lines the shoulder joint, so the bones no longer glide as easily. About shoulder osteoarthritis and NHS waits →

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Examination first, usually with an X-ray

Shoulder osteoarthritis is assessed from your symptoms and an examination. An X-ray of the shoulder is the usual first imaging test, and one is taken before surgery to plan it.

MRI

Used in some cases for more detail on the joint and the surrounding tendons, or to plan an operation.

An MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to build detailed pictures of soft tissues such as muscles, ligaments, cartilage, discs and the brain. It uses no radiation.

How long: Usually 15 to 45 minutes, lying still inside a tunnel-shaped scanner.

Good for: Soft-tissue and joint detail: ligament and cartilage injuries, the spine and discs, and the brain.

Typical UK private cost: £300 to £1145. Usually bookable within days.

Sources: NHS, Clinical / imaging literature.

See the wait and price near you

Enter your postcode for the NHS wait at your nearest hospital and the private price range from clinics within 25 miles.

All conditions, scans and tests →MRI waits by hospital →All NHS waiting times →

Wait or Pay is independent and is not the NHS. NHS waits are from DM01 diagnostics data. Nothing here is medical advice; your clinician decides which scan, if any, you need.

How long will you really wait, and how could you go sooner?

Your free companion dashboard compares all four paths for Shoulder osteoarthritis: wait, switch to a faster NHS hospital, part-private, or fully private. It names the faster hospitals near you, shows what going private would cost, and gives you letters ready to send. You can print it or save it as a PDF. Free, and nothing is locked or paid.

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