Your shoulder is the most movable joint in your body. It has a wide range of motion and allows your arm to swing in circular motions and move up and away from your body.
Shoulders have four groups of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff, giving them this wide range of motion. If something wrong happens to the shoulder, it will inhibit your arm's ability to move freely and cause significant discomfort and pain.
A problem on your shoulder could be damage, swelling, or bone changes around the rotator cuff. Even a slight arm movement will bring excruciating pain when your shoulder has a problem.
But, shoulder pain treatment is available for all, depending on its exact cause. It would be best if you had a proper diagnosis by an experienced health clinic and MRI service provider.
Shoulder Pain — An Overview
Your shoulders have a broad and flexible range of motions that allow you to move your arms freely to perform various activities. If anything happens to the shoulder, the problem will hinder this motion and the ability to use your arms freely. Shoulder problems also present with significant discomfort and pain. It would be best if you had quick and proper treatment to regain your shoulder's motion and overall well-being.
Your shoulders are ball-and-socket joints with three primary bones:
- Humerus bone or the long arm
- Clavicle or collarbone
- Scapula or shoulder blade
Layers of connective tissues or cartilage protect the three bones. The shoulders also have two primary joints:
- Acromioclavicular, which is the joint between the clavicle and the highest point of the scapula
- Glenohumeral, or shoulder joint — Is created by the upper ball-shaped part of a humerus joint and the outer part of the scapula.
The shoulder joint is the most versatile and mobile joint of the two. It is also the most flexible joint in your entire body. It allows your shoulder to move backward and forward and your arm to swing in circular motions or away from your body.
Remember that shoulders obtain a wide range of motion from their rotator cuffs. Rotator cuffs comprise four tendons (the tissues connecting muscles to the bones). Lifting or moving your arm over the head becomes difficult or painful if the bones or tendons surrounding the rotator cuff are swollen or damaged.
Injuries to the shoulder occur due to various reasons. Some people injure their shoulders when performing manual work, repetitive movement of their arms or when playing sports. Some injuries come as a result of diseases, which cause pain that goes to your shoulders. Some of these diseases are heart and gallbladder diseases.
Some shoulder pain could also come as a result of old age. As you become older and after sixty years of age, you will likely experience problems with your joints, including your shoulders. It is due to the soft tissues around your shoulders that degenerate as you age.
Fortunately, you can take care of some shoulder pains at home without seeking a doctor’s help or medicine. But severe cases of shoulder pain require medication, physical therapy, or even surgery.
Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
It is necessary to understand the cause of your shoulder pain for proper treatment and management. Several conditions and factors contribute to pain in the shoulder. The most common causes of shoulder pain among most adults are:
Rotator Cuff Tendinitis
It is a medical condition caused by swollen tendons. It affects the tendons and those muscles that allow your shoulder joints to move. Having tendinitis means that there is inflammation or irritation on your tendons. The conditions occur over time and could result from keeping your shoulder in one position for prolonged periods, sleeping on one shoulder every night, or participating in activities that require constant lifting of your arm over the head.
For instance, athletes that play sports requiring them to lift their arms over their head commonly develop rotator cuff tendinitis. In rare cases, the condition occurs without an apparent cause. Fortunately, most people with rotator cuff tendinitis regain the full functioning of their shoulder without pain after proper treatment.
Shoulder Arthritis
Pain in your shoulder joint could also be a significant sign of arthritis. Arthritis can affect any part of your shoulder, whether the front, back or side. Some people with arthritis experience pain even without moving their arm, and others only experience pain and discomfort after moving it. You can experience arthritis pain any time of the day or night, and it could occur with or without stiffness on the affected shoulder.
Shoulder arthritis could occur due to several reasons. If you were in an accident in which your shoulder was injured, dislocated, or fractured, you could develop post-traumatic arthritis. Your shoulder pain could also be due to rotator cuff tear arthropathy. It is a type of arthritis that develops after an extensive and prolonged tear on your rotator cuff. Your four rotator cuff tendons are all around the ball-like part of your shoulder joint. If one or more of these tendons is heavily torn, it could cause the humeral head to run against other bones when you shift your arm, resulting in arthritis.
Shoulder Joint Osteoarthritis
Shoulder osteoarthritis is a degenerative disorder that causes intense pain and discomfort. You are at risk of developing this disorder as you become older. But injuries to the shoulder like a dislocation can cause osteoarthritis even in younger people.
Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint condition that happens when the cartilage that covers the outer surface of your bones wears down. The result is a painful swelling and, in some cases, bone spurs, which develop when two ends of a bone rub against each other.
Your shoulder comprises two joints: the acromioclavicular joint and the glenohumeral joint. The former is the part where the clavicle or collarbone meets with the acromion. It is at the tip of the shoulder blade. The latter is where the top of your arm (humerus) meets the scapula or shoulder blade. Osteoarthritis commonly affects the acromioclavicular joint.
Although it is common in adults over 50, shoulder joint osteoarthritis affects young people too if they have suffered trauma or an injury like dislocation or fracture on the shoulder.
Biceps Tendon Injuries
Your biceps muscles have two tendons attaching them to the bones of your shoulder and bones of the elbow. Injuries to these muscles could include tendonitis and tendon tears.
Tendons are rigid tissue strips connecting muscles to bones. They allow you to move your limbs. Even though tendons are very tough, they can become painful and sore if overused. The pain and soreness are caused by micro tears in the tendons, called tendonitis.
These injuries mainly occur because of repetitive motion. For instance, swimmers, golfers, tennis, and basketball players suffer these injuries due to the repetitive motion on their shoulders as they play.
These injuries could also occur if you suddenly and seriously overload a tendon.
Shoulder Trauma
These are very common injuries. You could incur a shoulder trauma when your shoulder is separated after a fall. Most people experience trauma after severe accidents like car accidents. Accidents like these are likely to result in bone fractures. If your shoulder blade or collarbone is fractured in an accident, you will experience intense pain and discomfort.
Dislocations are also common in accidents. They occur when the bones on the opposite sides of your shoulder joint do not align.
Shoulder trauma could also occur due to soft tissue injuries. These occur when there are tears in the ligaments, tendons, joint capsules, and muscles of your shoulder.
Shoulder Pain Diagnosis
Pain in the shoulder could be due to several reasons, including continuously sleeping on one side through the night. Some shoulder pain will go away after some time. But if the pain intensifies daily, it could be time to seek medical treatment.
It is necessary to contact an experienced doctor if you experience pain, discomfort, pain, and inability to lift or swing your arm. Other symptoms to watch out for include tenderness around the shoulder joint, heat, and lasting bruising. Any pain that does not go away even after home treatment should cause worry.
You should visit an emergency room immediately if you experience sudden pain without any cause. It could be a heart attack. Also, seek immediate medical help if you sustain an injury to your shoulder that is swollen, bleeding, or visibly exposed tissues.
Once with the doctor, the first step would be to determine the reason for the shoulder pain. Your doctor will first review your medical background and conduct a physical exam. Their goal during the physical examination would be to feel for swelling, tenderness, and the exact spot where you could be experiencing pain. Your doctor will also assess your shoulder's motion range and joint stability. Sometimes imaging tests like MRI and X-rays are necessary to provide detailed images of the affected shoulder. It will help your doctor make a conclusive diagnosis.
The doctor can also ask some questions to help establish the problem causing the shoulder pain. Some common questions they could ask include:
- Whether the pain you experience is only on one or both shoulders
- If the pain began suddenly, and what you were doing that could have caused it
- If the pain moves to other parts of the body
- Whether you can pinpoint the exact part of the shoulder that is in pain
- If your shoulder hurts only when moving
- The type of ache you are experiencing, whether dull or sharp
- Has the affected area been swollen, hot or red?
- What makes the pain worse or better
- Is the pain keeping you from performing some activities like sleeping or working?
Shoulder Pain Treatment Options
Treatment for shoulder pain depends on its cause and severity. Standard treatment options for shoulder pain include:
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Shoulder immobilizer or sling
- Surgery
Physical Therapy
Physical therapy for shoulder pain is a very effective non-surgical treatment option. It aims at strengthening the muscles around the affected shoulder to improve its function and mobility. Your doctor will most likely refer you to a physical therapist to help with the pain.
Once with the physical therapist, they will examine the injury to determine the proper form of treatment for your pain. The therapist will custom-design your treatment to help you recover from the injury, manage the pain and regain shoulder mobility. They could also advise you to change your daily activities to help support your shoulders and prevent further damage.
Physical therapists sometimes include home-exercise routines in their treatment to ensure that patients manage the pain and continue with treatment while at home.
Occupational Therapy
Physical therapy aims at helping you move your shoulder again, but occupational therapy will aim at helping you regain your ability to perform daily activities. Thus, the first thing the occupational therapist will do is to evaluate the health of your shoulder to identify its potential. They will also determine the everyday activities you are involved in. Then, the therapist will develop a treatment program to alleviate the pain, strengthen the joint, and increase mobility.
Your treatment with the occupational therapist will start by managing the shoulder pain and any swelling you could have. Then, they will assist you in regaining as much range of motion as possible. When your range of motion starts increasing, the therapist will gradually increase the level of activities.
Shoulder Immobilizer or Slings
Immobilizers offer support and protection to the shoulder after an injury. They hold and safeguard an injured shoulder during the healing process. You can wear a sling after treatment to keep the shoulder in place to allow for a much quicker recovery.
Surgical Treatment for Shoulder Pain
The surgical treatment for diagnosing and treating shoulder problems is called shoulder arthroscopy. It involves treating the cause of your shoulder pain through tiny incisions. Arthroscopy is mainly an outpatient procedure. Thus, you will only go to the hospital on the day of treatment. But, full recovery could take weeks or even months. You could combine surgery with exercise and physical therapy for quicker healing.
Treatment with your surgeon starts with inserting a small camera through a tiny incision in your shoulder. The camera projects pictures of the shoulder joints and tissues to a video screen. Your surgeon will look at the images to determine the source and cause of your shoulder pain. If your shoulder requires some form of repair, the surgeon will use miniature surgical instruments to restore the mobility and functionality of your shoulder.
Before the operation, your doctor will want to understand your medical history. You will also be asked about the medications you are taking. You will need to stop taking any medication that could interact with the operation for a few days before and after surgery. Your doctor will also give you a list of instructions, like how long you should not eat or drink before the operation.
Medical Treatment for Shoulder Pain
Doctors also recommend medication for shoulder pain, like corticosteroids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. They are vital anti-inflammatory medicines that could be taken orally or as an injection into your shoulder. Treatments help reduce inflammation in the affected shoulder to stop the pain and swelling (if any). The doctor can recommend oral drugs for your shoulder pain, including naproxen and Ibuprofen.
Injections are also common in the treatment of shoulder pain. The doctor can recommend injecting your AC joint to treat pain and injuries. They can also inject into the AC joint to treat the following conditions:
- Primary osteoarthritis — A degenerative disease affecting bones and causing chronic pain
- Traumatic arthritis — Resulting from trauma or an injury
- Distal clavicle osteolysis — Shoulder pain resulting from bone damage and degeneration
Note that an injection to your AC joint or acromioclavicular joint injection can be used to diagnose and treat shoulder pain.
Home Treatment and Care for Shoulder Pain
You can treat a minor shoulder problem at home using safe and inexpensive methods like icing your shoulder. If the problem is minor, it should go away after a few days if you cool your shoulder at least three times a day for 15 to 20 minutes each time. Wrap the ice with a towel and place it on the affected shoulder. Placing direct ice on your skin could cause a burn or frostbite.
Also, allowing your shoulder to rest for a few days before resuming normal activities could help alleviate minor shoulder pain. If the leading cause of your pain is overhead activities or work, you can allow your body to rest for a few days and see whether the pain will go away.
Seek medical treatment if the shoulder pain is not going away even after trying one or more home remedies.
Find Competent Health Clinic & MRI Services Near Me
Do you or your loved one experience shoulder pain and seek quality and effective treatment in Los Angeles?
We could have the solution you seek at Hollywood Healthcare & Diagnostic Imaging. We offer high-quality medical care and professional treatment solutions using state-of-the-art equipment. Our highly-trained doctors have extensive experience, which enables them to diagnose the actual problem and design an effective treatment solution for all our clients. We are open for referrals and walk-in patients. Call us at 323-486-7502 today to learn more about our treatment solutions and MRI services.
