Everything You Need to Know About the 4 Most Common Shoulder Injuries

The shoulder is one of the most frequently injured joints in the body. It had amazing mobility that enables us to move our arms forward, backward, up, down and out to the side. Unfortunately, a wide range of movement leaves the joint susceptible to a wide range of shoulder injuries affecting the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments that make up the joint. 

Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about the 4 most common shoulder problems and how to treat them.  

1. Rotator Cuff Injuries

The injury: The rotator cuff is the group of 4 strong tendons that stabilize, support, and enable rotation of the shoulder joint. Because the tendons move in a tight space within the joint, they are prone to rubbing against surrounding ligaments and bones. Impingement occurs when the shoulder blade pinches and rubs against the rotator cuff tendons during arm movement. The friction causes inflammation of the tendons (tendinitis) and the fluid sacs that lubricate the tendons (bursitis). Over time, tendons weakened by inflammation and injury can tear.    

What causes it: Rotator cuff injuries are usually caused by overuse and repetitive use of the tendons. Professions that require a lot of overhead lifting (painting, construction, carpentry), sports that require repetitive arm movements or throwing (tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, swimming) and heavy weight lifting can all lead to irritated, inflamed tendons. Tendon tears may be the result of progressive degeneration from wear and tear on the joint, or they may occur from a traumatic incident like a fall, car accident or sports accident.         

Symptoms: The most common symptom of a rotator cuff injury is pain in your shoulder, especially during lifting movements. You may feel pain and discomfort trying to brush your hair or reach an item on a high shelf. You may also experience achy pain that radiates down the arm, pain after sleeping on the affected shoulder, weakness and loss of range of motion.   

Treatment: Many rotator cuff injuries can be treated without surgery. Your doctor will recommend R.I.C.E. — rest, ice, compression and elevation, to allow the tendons time to recover. Over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help ease pain, swelling and inflammation. Your doctor might also recommend a corticosteroid injection to temporarily reduce inflammation and allow the healing process to begin. After a rotator cuff injury, a course of physical therapy can help you strengthen the shoulder joint and surrounding structures. If you have a significant tear or injury, surgical repair may be necessary.      

2. Ligament Injuries

The injury: Ligaments are strong tissues that connect the bones of the shoulder. A shoulder sprain occurs when the ligaments connecting the collarbone to the shoulder blade become overstretched, causing separation between the bones and instability of the entire shoulder. This injury is also called shoulder separation. Left untreated, overstretched ligaments can partially or completely tear.     

What causes it: Shoulder sprains and tears are usually caused by direct trauma from a fall, car accident or sports accident. Ligaments also become overstretched or torn from incidents that force the shoulder to move outside of its normal range of motion. Ligament injuries are common among athletes.          

Symptoms: Mild to moderate sprains cause pain with movement and swelling. Severe sprains and tears cause pain, loss of movement, swelling and bruising.  

Treatment: Many ligament injuries can be treated without surgery. Your doctor will recommend R.I.C.E. — rest, ice, compression and elevation, to allow the ligaments time to recover. Over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help ease pain, swelling and inflammation. You may need to wear a sling to immobilize the arm for a short time during the healing process. After a ligament injury, a course of physical therapy can help you strengthen the shoulder joint and surrounding structures. If you have a significant tear or injury, surgical repair may be necessary. 

3. Dislocations

The injury: Dislocation occurs when the ball of the upper arm bone detaches from the shoulder socket. The dislocated bone can be partially or completely forced out of place. A partial displacement is called subluxation. Subluxation and dislocation are significant injuries that can lead to long-term shoulder instability and future dislocations. Once the surrounding muscles, tendons and ligaments loosen or tear, you’re at a much higher risk of injuring or dislocating your shoulder again in the future. Always seek medical care right away if you believe you have a dislocated shoulder, and never try to force the bone back into place yourself.     

What causes it: In most cases, dislocation is caused by forceful direct trauma during a car accident, fall or sports accident. Dislocation can also occur from a sudden twist of the arm or extreme rotation.         

Symptoms: Partial or complete dislocations cause severe pain and swelling when the arm bone detaches from the shoulder socket. You may also experience loss of movement, inability to bear weight on the shoulder, numbness, tingling and weakness.    

Treatment: Many dislocations can be treated without surgery. After the dislocation occurs, try to immobilize your shoulder and ice it until you get medical care. Your doctor will manually manipulate the bone back into place. Afterward, you may need to wear a sling to stabilize the shoulder during the healing process. Over-the-counter painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help ease pain, swelling and inflammation. After a dislocation injury, a course of physical therapy can help you strengthen the shoulder joint and surrounding structures. In some cases, surgery is necessary to repair a dislocated shoulder or damage to the surrounding soft tissues. 

4. Arthritis

The injury: Arthritis is a leading cause of joint pain, inflammation, stiffness and loss of mobility in the shoulder. Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis. It develops when age, wear and tear cause the protective cartilage covering the ends of bones to wear away. The erosion of cartilage leads to pain and inflammation in the joint. Osteoarthritis is a degenerative condition that causes progressive damage to the joint, cartilage, underlying bone and connective ligaments and tendons.    

What causes it: Arthritis can develop with age due to natural wear and tear of the joint. Chronic overuse from sports and physically demanding jobs can also cause progressive joint degeneration. A history of shoulder problems — like rotator cuff injuries, sprains and dislocations — can increase your risk of developing arthritis later in life.        

Symptoms: The primary symptoms of arthritis are joint pain with movement, stiffness, swelling and loss of mobility in the shoulder. Symptoms of arthritis typically start slowly and worsen over time.  

Treatment: Currently, there is no cure for arthritis. Treatment goals revolve around managing pain, maintaining functionality in the joint and slowing the progression of the disease. Your treatment plan may include anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, corticosteroid or hyaluronic acid injections, weight management and regular, low-impact exercise. If pain and joint damage continue to progress, joint replacement surgery may be a treatment option. 

When Do I Contact iO-Core for Shoulder Pain?

Contact us if you’re experiencing chronic pain and loss of range of motion from arthritis or past shoulder injuries, or if you’ve been told that surgery is the only treatment option left for you.   

Our team can help you determine if the iO-Core™ procedure is a viable treatment option for you. iO-Core™ is a minimally invasive procedure that combines orthopedics and biologics to treat degenerating cartilage and underlying bone and tissue damage caused by arthritis and joint injuries. 

Treating the underlying damage and not just the surface layer of cartilage has shown better results over “standard of care” methods in decreasing pain and improving mobility for many patients. Many people who were told they needed a total joint replacement surgery have found long-term pain relief from iO-Core™ instead.  

Call our team today to see if you qualify for the iO-Core™ procedure.