What are common shoulder problems?
The shoulder is where the collarbone, shoulder blade, and arm bones come together, allowing the arm to reach up, behind, and across the body. As with all joints, daily wear and tear or a sudden injury can cause shoulder problems over time. Common shoulder problems include pain and swelling in the joint due to tendinitis, bursitis, or arthritis. Injuries to the ligaments and tendons can also cause a torn rotator cuff, dislocated shoulder, or fracture (broken bone).
Shoulder injuries are painful can keep you from doing simple everyday tasks, like combing your hair. Injuries can be acute (sudden) or chronic (long term).
Acute Shoulder Problems
Sprains
A sprain is when a ligament gets stretched or torn because it was pulled too far or the wrong way.
Dislocation
A dislocation is when the top of the arm bone comes part or all of the way out of the shoulder socket. The top (ball) of the arm bone is bigger than the socket that holds it. Dislocation can happen if the shoulder is hit hard or the ligaments that keep the shoulder bones stable get stretched or torn. Dislocation puts stress on the joint. If it happens a lot, it can cause ongoing joint problems like arthritis.
Torn Rotator Cuff
A torn rotator cuff is when one of the major tendons in the shoulder tears and pulls away from the top of the arm bone. A partial tear is when the tendon is damaged, but not completely severed. Rotator cuff tears are often caused by falls or blows, but they can also be caused by repetitive motion over time, bone spurs, or weakness due to age.
Fracture
A fracture is a break or crack in your bone. A fracture can be across your bone or along the length of your bone. With some fractures, the bones break but don’t move around. With others, the bones are moved or shattered in many places. In younger people, a shoulder fracture is usually from an impact, such as from a car accident or sports injury. In older people, it is usually from a fall. A fracture is painful and usually causes swelling and bruising around the shoulder. A fracture will make it difficult to move your arm or other muscles near the shoulder joint.
Chromic Shoulder Problems
Tendinitis
Tendinitis is when the rotator cuff tendons get irritated and inflamed. Over time, the tendons can develop small tears. This can be caused by doing a certain activity over and over again (like pitching or golfing) or from the usual wear and tear that comes with age. Tendinitis causes soreness in the shoulder. It may hurt to do things like lift your arms up.
Bursitis
Bursitis is when the bursae in the shoulder become swollen and inflamed. Bursae are small sacs of fluid that make it easier for the tendons to slide over the bones when you move. Overusing the shoulder joint can cause inflammation in the sacs. This can make it painful to use your shoulder even for simple tasks.
Arthritis
Arthritis causes pain, stiffness, and swelling in the shoulder joint. The most common kind of arthritis that affects the shoulder is osteoarthritis. This is when the slick cushion of cartilage between the bone wears away, causing the bones to rub together. It can be caused by overuse, by doing the same task over and over (repetitive motion), or by daily wear and tear.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is stiffness and pain that gets worse over time and eventually makes it hard for you to move your shoulder at all. The medical term for frozen shoulder is adhesive capsulitis. Doctors aren't sure what causes frozen shoulder.
Causes
Common causes of shoulder pain include:
- Falls, blows, or motor vehicle accidents
- Strains
- Repetitive motion
- Medical conditions
- Daily wear and tear
Diagnosis & Tests
When you visit the doctor about a shoulder problem, the doctor may do any or all of the following:
- Ask you about your medical history, including what your shoulder feels like and when your problems started.
- Look at your shoulder and ask you to move it certain ways.
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Do one or more imaging tests to see what is happening inside your shoulder. Imaging tests might include:
- X-rays
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- CT scan
Treatments
Home-care treatment for shoulder problems can include:
- Resting the injured shoulder while it is healing. Take a break from any activity that forces you to overuse your shoulder.
- Icing the shoulder after an injury or when you have pain from tendinitis or bursitis.
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen, aspirin, or naproxen for pain and swelling.
- Exercises to keep moving. You may be tempted not to use your shoulder because of the pain and stiffness. But it is best to keep doing simple, gentle shoulder exercises to keep your shoulder loose.
- Massaging and stretching to ease pain and stiffness in your shoulder and neck muscles.
If medical treatment is needed, the doctor may:
- Recommend physical therapy to teach you how to safely use your shoulder and make it stronger and more flexible.
- Prescribe certain medicines for pain and inflammation, including cortisone shots.
- Recommend surgery to remove scar tissue or repair large tears or fractures.
Prevention
You can do a number of things to help prevent shoulder problems, including:
- Being aware of how you use your shoulders when you work or do physical activities.
- Maintain good posture when doing things like typing at a computer keyboard and proper form when working out at the gym.
- Resting your shoulder if you’re been using it a lot.
- Exercising to keep your shoulders strong. Do stretches and gentle shoulder exercises to keep a good range of movement in your shoulders.
- Avoiding shoulder strain. Think twice before making the shoulder do something it is not strong enough to do—for example, lifting too much weight or doing repetitive movements above your head.
- Preventing falls by removing things in your home and yard that you or someone else could trip over.