Shoulder Pain

Pain is often a signal from the body to the brain that something is wrong. Shoulder pain can be due to sports injury, overuse, disease, tendon inflammation and more. The shoulder is a joint comprised of multiple joints, making it a complex and weaker point of the body. While offering a wide range of motion, the shoulder is susceptible to injury and instability. Some people will feel pain all of the time, sharp, aching or radiating down the arm. Others may feel pain only when moving the shoulder in a certain way or lifting weight. If you are experiencing shoulder pain, you will want to see a doctor who will help you find a solution to end the pain.

In order to effectively address and treat shoulder pain, your doctor should first determine the problem causing pain. If your doctor just wants to assign pain meds, your body will not heal as quickly as it could, leading to dependency and possibly chronic pain problems.

• Shoulder Injury: From broken bones to torn muscles or tendons, your shoulder is very susceptible to injury. Dislocation of the shoulder can cause lasting pain from stretched or torn ligaments. A sports injury from baseball, hockey and football could occur from throwing, impact or hitting. A car accident can also cause shoulder injury from sudden impact or seat belt restraint. Other shoulder injuries might occur from falls, work accidents, lifting and other activities. Injury might include torn muscles or ligaments in the shoulder as well as fractures in the upper arm, collar bone or shoulder blade that manifest as shoulder pain.
• Poor Posture: Muscles can get tight from poor posture or bad sleeping positions. Some shoulder pain may be due to working slouched at a desk or sleeping in a way that is harmful to the shoulder joint.
• Overuse: If your job or sport requires a specific motion in the arm, the shoulder joint may be injured by ligament tears or other overuse problems. Sports injury from volleyball, baseball and tennis may occur with the repetitive motions of throwing, pitching, swinging or serving.
• Impingement: If the shoulder blade puts pressure on the underlying soft tissues with movement, the rotator cuff tendons and bursa can be impacted. This rubbing of the joint can lead to bursitis or tendinitis which will cause pain and limit motion.
• Arthritis: A common source of shoulder pain can come from various types of arthritis in the shoulder. Typically arthritis slowly causes stiffness and pain in the joints. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common types of arthritis, starting in mid-age and increasing with age. When arthritis makes it hard to move the joint without pain, many will stop using those shoulder movements and increase the tightness of the joint, making the pain and immobility worse.