What Causes Shoulder Pain?
The shoulder is a ball and socket joint with a large range of movement. Joints like these tend to be more liable to injury. Shoulder pain can result from one or more of these causes:
- Strains from overexertion
- Tendonitis from overuse
- Instability of the shoulder joint.
- Fractures of the collar bone or upper arm bone
- Frozen shoulder
- Pinched nerves (also called radiculopathy)
How is Shoulder Pain Treated?
Treatment of soft tissue neck and shoulder pain requires the use of anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Aleve or Motrin) and/or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Depending on the source of the pain, drugs like muscle relaxers and even antidepressants could help. Painful tissues can also benefit from applying moist heat or ice. Corticosteroid injections at the site of the pain are often useful for arthritis of the shoulder. For both neck and shoulder pains exercises involving movements may help. For those cases where nerve roots or the spinal cord are involved, surgery may be needed.
COMMON SHOULDER PAIN CONDITIONS:
Shoulder pain is a very common complaint, and there are many typical causes of the problem. It is vital to make an accurate diagnosis of the cause of your symptoms so that appropriate treatment can be applied. If you have shoulder pain, some common causes will be:
The commonest diagnosis for patients with shoulder pain is bursitis or tendonitis of the rotator cuff.
Rotator cuff tears happen when the tendons of the rotator cuff separate from the bone. Surgery is sometimes required for this.
This is also called 'adhesive capsulitis; this is a common problem that leads to joint stiffness. Physical therapy and stretching are very important aspects of treatment.
Calcific tendonitis is where there are calcium deposits inside a tendon - most commonly inside the rotator cuff tendons. Treatment depends on the extent of symptoms.
Instability is a problem involving a loose joint. It can be caused by a traumatic injury (dislocation), or may be a developed condition over time.
A dislocation is an injury where the top of the arm bone becomes disconnected from the scapula.
"If you have slipped discs, you need to see Teresa! I was in real trouble one morning. I was able to get right in to see her, and within 15 minutes upon my arrival Teresa assessed my problem, adjusted me and I was out of pain and vertical again! Teresa took the time to teach me exercises and to use cold packs to help me keep my discs in place. She is a very kind and thoughtful lady and really knows her stuff! Sofia is always such a pleasure and such a sweetheart! She provides the other therapies that are needed to help you get back on your feet. All of the staff are so professional, kind and friendly. I always carry Teresa's business card to share with others that tell me about their shoulder, knee and back problems. I have referred many people to Teresa and will continue to do so!!
Janine Howard from
Dec 12, 2018