What Can Cause Shoulder Pain?
Shoulder pain can be caused by a variety of causes and conditions. Rotator cuff tendinitis is the most common cause.
Swollen tendons are a symptom of this disease. Impingement syndrome occurs when the rotator cuff is stuck between the acromium (the part of the scapula that covers the ball) and the humeral head, causing shoulder pain (the ball portion of the humerus).
Shoulder pain may occur as a result of an injury to another part of the body, most often the neck or biceps. Referred pain is the term for this. When you turn your shoulder, your referred pain usually doesn’t get any worse.
Other causes of shoulder pain include:
- swollen bursa sacs or tendons
- bone spurs (bony projections that develop along the edges of bones)
- arthritis
- torn cartilage
- torn rotator cuff
- pinched nerve in the neck or shoulder
- broken shoulder or arm bone
- injury due to overuse or repetitive use
- spinal cord injury
- heart attack
- frozen shoulder
- dislocated shoulder
Shoulder Pain Diagnosis
Your doctor will begin by doing a physical examination to look for any structural issues and rule out anything that may affect your spine or neck.
They’ll then perform a range-of-motion test to determine how solid and flexible your shoulder is. This would include turning your arms 90 or 180 degrees and shifting your arms in different directions, such as above your head, around your body, or behind you.
Your doctor also might recommend one or more imaging tests to get a closer look:
- X-rays are a form of x-ray. These will assist your doctor in determining if your shoulder pain is caused by bone spurs, arthritis, or other bone-related issues. An arthrogram, which requires a shot of dye to make the information more visible, may also be recommended by your doctor.
- Scan with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This device creates accurate images of your shoulder using radio waves and a strong magnet.
- A CT scan is a form of computerized tomography. This is a set of X-rays taken from various perspectives. They will give your doctor a clearer picture of what’s going on with your shoulder until they’re put together.
- Electromyography (EMG) is a technique for (EMG). This procedure tests the electrical activity in your muscles to see if you have any nerve issues.
- Arthroscopy is a procedure that involves the examination of the joints. This is a surgical technique that allows your doctor to see high-definition photographs of your shoulder through a tiny fiber-optic camera. In certain cases, the doctor might be able to handle the issue while the operation is being performed.
Shoulder Pain Treatment and Home Remedies
You’ll need a doctor’s support to get the shoulder back in the right spot after a dislocation, displacement, or fracture, and then a sling to keep it in place until it heals.
Rest, heat, or ice, as well as a pain reliever like ibuprofen or aspirin, could be recommended by your doctor for a variety of other issues.
If the swelling and pain in your shoulder don’t go away after these measures, your doctor can try injecting a corticosteroid (an anti-inflammatory medicine) directly into the joint.
Sleep and medication aren’t always enough to help with cartilage tears, rotator cuff tears, and frozen shoulders. Surgery may be recommended by your doctor.
Exercises to stretch and strengthen the joint, as well as to increase range of motion, will almost certainly be part of the recovery plan if you have a shoulder problem.
Are You Looking for Shoulder Pain Relief?
Pace Physical Therapy in San Jose, California specializes in non-surgical shoulder pain relief and recovery therapies. We pride ourselves on offering the best possible physical therapy available and going above and beyond for our patients. Physical therapy, without the need for harmful drugs or unnecessary surgery, is a safe, simple and convenient way to find relief from shoulder pain. A variety of problems resulting in shoulder pain have been treated by our physical therapists, with patients experiencing progress and relief after just a few short sessions, and even fewer! We will develop a specialized mix of physical therapy approaches to treat and alleviate your pain once we have identified the source of your shoulder pain. Gentle manual therapy helps to restore natural joint mobility, relieve constraints on soft tissue, and facilitate circulation while restoring strength and the proper sequence of muscle activation around the shoulder joint through precise therapeutic exercises. Finally, we teach you strategies to strengthen your power and to stop the recurrence of future shoulder problems. Don’t let your pain in your shoulder hinder your physical skills any longer! Our physical therapy practice in San Jose, CA, will give you the support you need to once again start living your regular life. To schedule your appointment and get started on your journey towards pain relief, contact Pace Physical Therapy today. Contact us today to schedule your appointment!
