General Outlook

The shoulder is one of the most complex and largest joints of the human body. It allows a wide range of motion-forward, backward, upward and circular. If something is wrong with the shoulder, your body has to pay the price! It could be a hindrance in daily chores or consecutive visits to your doctor or physiotherapist.

The shoulder is made up of three bones:

1.      Humerus (long arm bone)

2.      Clavicle (collarbone)

3.      Scapula (shoulder blade)

The motion of the shoulder is due to the rotator cuff- a group of four muscles and their tendons. Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bones. The movement of bones is due to muscles that pull the tendons.

General Causes of Shoulder Pain

As the shoulder is one of the most complex joints, there could be several reasons for shoulder pain.

·         It could be due to some physical activity like playing sports or labor work.

·         Some diseases related to the neck, liver and heart could also be the reason and it is termed as referred pain.

·         Lastly, old age, is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain because our muscles degenerate as we grow older.

However, there are several other causes that we are going to discuss below.

1.   Rotator Cuff Tears

This condition pops up when one or more tendons of the rotator cuff are torn- either partially or fully. Its symptoms include sharp pain in the shoulder while sleeping or lifting your arm overhead.

2.   Rotator Cuff Tendinitis

“Inflammation of tendons can lead to rotator cuff tendinitis”

It could be:

·         Acute (due to physical activity)

·         Chronic (due to age, mostly after the age of 30)

Its symptoms include weakness and pain in the shoulder which minimizes its motion. It usually takes 2 to 4 weeks to recover.

3.   Frozen Shoulders

“Frozen shoulder, also called adhesive capsulitis, is a condition in which connective tissues in the shoulder joint thickens and stiffens”.

Not only that, it makes the movement of the shoulders a painful process.

It could occur:

·         After an injury,

·         Post-surgery,

·         Due to some diseases like diabetes and Parkinson’s disease.

4.   Rotator Cuff Bursitis

“It is the inflammation of the bursae (a small sac of fluids) in the shoulders”.

These sacs provide lubrication which reduce friction between tendons, muscles and bones. An accident or abnormal movement of arms could lead to this condition.

This condition is common in different sports like Football, wrestling, swimming, basketball etc.

5.   Pregnancy

Yes, you read it right! Pregnancy could also be a cause of shoulder pain in women. It occurs due to changes in muscles and joints. It could be both a normal or alarming situation depending upon the symptoms.

·         If it is due to standing for too long or not maintaining a good posture while sleeping, it is completely normal.

·         Shoulder pain in women during pregnancy is frightening only if they feel pain in their right shoulder in their early months. It could be a sign of gallstones or preeclampsia. These are alarming situations and they need to get themselves checked immediately.

Other causes of shoulder pain include:

·         Heart attack

·         Broken shoulder

·         Spinal cord injury

·         Arthritis of the shoulder

·         Dislocation of the shoulder

Treatment of Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain could be treated at home if it is not that severe. However, if you are experiencing no change in severity of pain or stiffness in your shoulder, feel free to consult a doctor.

Treatment at Home

1)    Compression Bandage

Get yourself a compression bandage from a nearby pharmacy. Wrap your shoulder in such a way that you do not block the blood flow. If you see your arm’s color turn blue, immediately loose the bandage.

2)    Apply Ice to Your Shoulder

Cold temperatures can help your shoulder feel better by reducing swelling. Wrap ice cubes into a towel and apply it to your shoulder. You can practice this remedy for a maximum of 10 minutes at a time.  Avoid direct contact of ice with the skin.

3)    Pain Medications

Shoulder pain could cost you your precious sleep. If it is the case, you can seek help through medicines. Although each medicine has its own pros and cons, you can have aspirin. It would help you sleep peacefully but it might disturb your stomach.

So, is there any alternative option? Yes, of course! We have got your back.

If oral medicines are not suiting you, you can ALWAYS shift toward using gels and creams which don’t have the same side effects.

4)    Heat Therapy

Heat therapy could be a good option for the treatment of shoulder pain. It could be done either through a hot shower or an electric heating pad. If you are using a heating pad, set it to a medium heat level to avoid burning skin.

When to Contact Doctor

Shoulder pain could be severe due to many reasons and you need to see the doctor if

·         There’s severe pain in the left shoulder that travels to your neck, arm or jaw. It could be a sign of heart attack.

·         When the pain resides for more than 2 to 4 weeks even after treatment at home.

At the Doctor’s Office

·         Doctor might prescribe you medicines such as corticosteroids.

·         Physical therapy.

·         If none of the treatments work then the last option to avail is to undergo a surgery.

Disclaimer

First, do your own research based on the symptoms you’re facing. Then, chose what’s better for you.

Visiting a doctor should be on the top of the list if you’re not sure about what to follow and what not!

References

·         https://www.healthline.com/health/chronic-pain/shoulder-pain#treatment

·         https://health.clevelandclinic.org/shoulder-pain-most-common-causes-and-how-to-fix-it/

·         https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/shoulder-pain-pregnancy#treatment

https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/shoulder-pain-and-common-shoulder-problems/