Shoulder pain: causes and what to do if your shoulder hurts

by Roger Walker Doctor

Review

Shoulder pain is a common problem that can be caused by a number of things. Often it is a symptom of another disease.

Shoulder disorders are quite common: about three out of ten adults have ever complained of shoulder pain. In middle-aged and elderly people, the most common cause of shoulder pain is periarthritis. Shoulder instability and damage to the acromioclavicular joint usually occur in younger people, especially men.

Typically, these disorders are associated with a variety of physical activities in which the shoulder joint is actively used. For example, bowling, throwing a disc or javelin, working with a hand saw or axe. Contact sports such as hockey can be a risk factor. Because there is a risk of injuring the shoulder during the game. Pain in the shoulder joint can occur due to improper posture when working at the computer.

To relieve pain, you can use an over-the-counter painkiller, such as ibuprofen, or make a cold compress. In addition, additional treatment such as physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, and in complicated cases, surgery may be necessary.

The most common causes of shoulder pain are:

posture disorders;
Periarthritis of the shoulder (adhesive capsulitis, "frozen shoulder") - painful limitation, less often, the complete absence of movement in the shoulder joint;
Damage to shoulder rotator cuff - a group of muscles and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint;
habitual dislocation of shoulder (shoulder instability) - frequent dislocations associated with unnaturally high volume of motion (hypermobility) in the joint;
acromioclavicular joint injuries - diseases such as osteoarthritis affecting the clavicular-acromial joint - the place where the clavicle and the acromial process of the scapula join, located in the shoulder area;
Osteoarthritis (osteoarthritis) of the shoulder joint;
fracture of a bone, such as the humerus (in the forearm) or clavicle.

In some cases, the pain is felt in the shoulder, but its source is actually in another part of the body, such as the neck. The pain may extend to the shoulder or upper back. In rare cases, left shoulder pain may be caused by a heart condition, such as angina pectoris or myocardial infarction. Treatment shoulder in Orlando is very easy

Shoulder pain due to brachial scapular periarthritis (frozen shoulder)

Periarthritis of the shoulder ("frozen shoulder", adhesive capsulitis) is painful stiffness of the shoulder joint that prevents normal movements. It occurs because the tissues surrounding the shoulder joint are thickened, swollen, and compressed. This leaves less room in the shoulder joint for the humerus, and motion becomes stiff and painful.

The pain of brachioradialis periarthritis interferes with normal activities, such as dressing independently, driving a car, and disrupts sleep. Sometimes the pain makes a person completely stop moving the arm in the shoulder joint. The symptoms of periarthritis may vary greatly, but as a rule, they develop slowly over many months and even years.

More often than not, brachial scapular periarthritis occurs after the age of 40. Risk factors that increase the predisposition to the disease are:

Trauma or surgery in the shoulder joint area;
Diabetes increases the risk of periarthritis of the shoulder for unknown reasons;
Other conditions - including heart and lung disease, overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism), and Dupuytren's contracture (a condition in which one or more fingers of the hand curve toward the palm and lose mobility).

Damage to the rotator cuff as a cause of shoulder pain

The rotator cuff of the shoulder is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint. Tendons are a dense, elastic formation of connective tissue through which muscles attach to bones. The rotator cuff holds the shoulder joint in the correct position and allows it to move within acceptable limits.

Among the variety of symptoms, the most common signs of damage to the rotator cuff of the shoulder are:

Pain in the shoulder joint occurs when trying to raise the arm above the level of the clavicles, such as to comb the hair or grasp the overhead rail in transportation;
pain with circular movements in the shoulder;
pain at the front or sides of the shoulder joint;
nocturnal pain.
Various cuff injuries associated with inflammation, sprain, or even torn ligaments can lead to these manifestations. The most common types of injuries that cause shoulder pain are described below.

Tendinitis is inflammation of the tendon. Bursitis is inflammation of the joint pouch that surrounds the joint and is formed by the joint capsule, tendons, and ligaments. Tendinitis and bursitis of the rotator cuff usually result from irritation and inflammation after an injury to the shoulder or overloading of the joint. For example, the condition can occur in a person who frequently lifts weights or engages in sports such as javelin or discus throwing.

When a shoulder injury occurs, the tendons or joint capsule can become inflamed and swollen. This means that the muscles and tendons in the joint will have less room to move. If tendons, muscles, or adjacent tissues are pinched between the articular surfaces of the shoulder (head of the humerus and scapula), any movement will cause pain. Tendinitis and bursitis often develop together. Injury of tendons, joint capsule and other soft tissues against bony projections of the shoulder joint during movement is called impact syndrome or impingement syndrome. Constant friction or injury to the tendon over time leads to its thinning and even rupture.

Rupture of the muscles and tendons in the shoulder causes sharp pain and possibly weakness in the arm and shoulder. Some people also get a feeling as if bubbles are bursting in their shoulder when they move it. Tendon ruptures due to impingement syndrome are more common in people over the age of 40. At younger ages, serious injuries are more likely to cause tears. Statistically, about half of people over the age of 60 have partial or complete tears of the rotator cuff because the tendons weaken with age.

Author article Roger Walker