3 Most Common Shoulder Pain Causes and How to Fix It
Shoulder pain, stiffness and weakness can make your day difficult and unable to do your task smoothly, like reaching for something on a high shelf, driving a car or brushing your hair. There are a few possible causes of shoulder pain, but the most common causes of shoulder pain are rotator cuff injuries, rotator cuff tears, and osteoarthritis.
Rotator cuff injuries
The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles and their tendons around the shoulder joint, and connect the shoulder blade to the upper arm bone. Bursae, small sacs near the joint, provide a fluid that lubricates for decreases friction among the bones, tendons, and ligaments.
Rotator cuff problems happen through overuse, and they include tendonitis, strains and partial and complete tears of the tendon. Tendonitis is when the rotator cuff tendon becomes inflamed and irritated. Bursitis is when the bursae swell. Both of the problems cause pain in the front and side of the shoulder, and most of the time you will feel stiffness.
Both of the problems can occur when performing activities that involve using your arms overhead such as tennis, yoga or painting a room. The pain will become worse at rest and improve with activity. Treatment for both of this problem is rest, applying ice, and taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen.
Rotator cuff tears
If you have experience shoulder pain at night that makes it difficult to fall asleep or awakens you, you possibly have a tear in one or more of the rotator cuff tendons. You also may have this kind of injury if you feel pain when lifting your
A rotator cuff tendon can tear from a single incident, like falling down on an outstretched arm. It can also happen from a motion that is repeated over time. Such as frequently use arms overhead can develop a rotator cuff tear. The rotator cuff also can weaken with age.
Treatment is rest, avoid heavy activities, physical therapy, applying ice, and NSAIDs. Some people with more serious pain may be helped with a corticosteroid injection, which is a powerful anti-inflammatory medication.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis happens when cartilage, which is the cushioning material that covers the ends of your bones, deteriorates, which leads to pain and stiffness. It causes a deep ache in the back of the shoulder. If this injury gets worse, the shoulder will start to appear stiffness. People with this problem typically lose the ability to reach behind their back.
Osteoarthritis symptoms develop over time. Some people who have shoulder injury from sports or some other activity, may begin the degenerative process that years later results in osteoarthritis. But many people have no certain cause and it is just wear and tear over time.
Treatment for osteoarthritis of the shoulder is similar to treatment for a rotator cuff tear, which involve physical therapy, NSAIDs and ice. If the condition is serious, you should receive shoulder replacement surgery, which is similar to joint replacement ofor hips and knees.
