Shoulder Pain: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

WHAT CAUSES SHOULDER PAIN?

Your shoulder is made up of muscles and tendons which allow for a vast range of motion in your arm. Your shoulder is designed to push, pull, rotate, and lift objects overhead with relative ease. Because we rely on our shoulders for daily movements, a common source of pain is daily wear and tear. The most common shoulder injury people are concerned about are strains, sprains, and tears in the rotator cuff. 

Your rotator cuff is made up of four muscles: supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres major, and subscapularis. Additionally, there are other supporting muscles and structures that provide stability for the shoulder including: the scapula (shoulder blade), your latissimus dorsi (lats), trapezius, rhomboids, and your spine. 

All of these structures need to be working in sync for your shoulders to function properly and pain-free.

Typical causes of shoulder pain are overuse and trauma. These occur frequently during activities like weightlifting, gymnastics, golf, and tennis. Additionally, shoulder pain can come from functional limitations (mobility or stability) from other areas of your body like your core, spine, and neck.

Common conditions include bursitis, rotator cuff tendonitis/tears, strains, muscular adhesions, and shoulder impingement.

 

Most causes of shoulder pain fall into these two categories:

 CHRONIC

  • Poor biomechanics

  • Inflammation

  • Arthritis

  • Ligament or muscle tear 

ACUTE

  • Joint Dislocation

  • Fracture

  • Ligament or muscle tear

  • Sprain/Strain

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF A SHOULDER INJURY?

Depending on the injury, shoulder pain can present in a number of ways. Typically shoulder injuries will restrict your mobility and cause pain while moving through range of motion. Shoulder pain is typically worse when lifting weights, applying pressure, or using your arm dynamically in sports. 

The following symptoms are very common with shoulder pain:

  • Dull aching pain that worsens with activity

  • Stiffness or reduced mobility

  • Difficulty sleeping

  • Clicks and pops coming from your shoulder

  • Pain and difficulty raising your arms overhead

  • Tenderness of your shoulder

  • Pain that radiates from your shoulder up toward your neck, or down your arm.

  • Swelling, redness, or bruising.

  • Limited range of motion.

TREATMENTS FOR SHOULDER PAIN

Properly treating your shoulder depends heavily on finding the root cause of your pain. Sometimes your shoulder may be where you’re feeling pain, but your problem may be somewhere else. 

Your doctor may order tests such as X-Rays and MRIs to diagnose potential causes of pain and help determine the best treatment for your injury. 

Most times, your doctor may recommend a combination of rest, ice or heat, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or injections for help relieving pain.

While many shoulder conditions can resolve themselves in time with conservative care, some cases can persist for months or even years and restrict your mobility.

 

HOW PROACTIVE HEALTH CAN HELP:

SHOULDER PAIN DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT, AND PAIN RELIEF

Proactive Health providers are experts in diagnosing the root cause of pain and dysfunction. Our doctors will guide you through a full body functional movement assessment which is designed to uncover movement issues that may be contributing or causing your pain. Our main treatments for shoulder pain are hands on manual therapy combined with targeted rehab exercises focused on restoring proper function to your shoulder. We strive to provide you with the tools and resources to manage your pain, so you can get back to living your active, awesome life!

If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, don’t wait. Call us at (423)779-3295 or click the button below to get started.