Why Do I Have Shoulder Pain?

The shoulder is the most mobile and versatile joint in the body — it can move forward, backward, up and in a circular motion. It’s a ball-and-socket joint that consists of three bones: the humerus (long arm bone), the scapula (shoulder blade) and the clavicle (collarbone). Four tendons known as the rotator cuff allow the shoulder to move freely, flexibly and with a wide range of motion.

Unfortunately, such freewheeling movement leaves the shoulder vulnerable to injuries that cause pain and stiffness, inflammation and loss of range of motion. Overuse, repetitive manual labor, sports, weightlifting and natural degeneration with age can all contribute to injuries or conditions that damage the joint or surrounding tissues.

Keep reading to learn what to do if you have acute or chronic shoulder pain.

Signs and Symptoms of a Shoulder Injury
If you’re experiencing pain or other symptoms that last longer than a few days or weeks, make an appointment to see your doctor and receive an examination. Shoulder pain can have a significant impact on your life if it’s affecting your ability to perform everyday tasks like brushing your hair, getting dressed, carrying bags or lifting objects. Signs and symptoms to look out for include:

• Pain and stiffness
• Pain that interferes with sleep
• Swelling
• Tenderness
• Warmth
• Pain when you lift your arm or move it away from your body
• Loss of range of motion

If you develop a visible deformity, an inability to lift your arm or move the shoulder joint, severe pain or sudden swelling, seek immediate medical attention. Those symptoms may be a sign of a serious injury that requires immediate treatment, like a tendon tear or dislocation.

Common Causes of Shoulder Pain
Because the shoulder is so mobile, it’s at risk for sustaining multiple types of injuries that lead to pain. Below are the some of the most common reasons you may be having shoulder pain:

1.) Rotator cuff tendinitis. Tendinitis develops when the shoulder tendons become inflamed, swollen and painful. Overuse or repetitive movements lead to acute tendon injuries, while natural wear and tear with age can cause chronically inflamed tendons and long-term pain.

2.) Rotator cuff tear. Long-term overuse or traumatic injuries can cause rotator cuff tendons to tear and partially or completely pull away from the muscles. You may develop a tear from an acute injury like lifting a heavy object overhead or suffering a fall or car accident. Natural wear, tear and degeneration with age can also lead to tendon tearing. Additionally, failing to treat rotator cuff tendinitis can cause the tendon damage and inflammation to worsen and eventually cause a painful tear.

3.) Bursitis. Bursitis develops when the fluid-filled sacs that cushion the joint and reduce friction during movement become inflamed, swollen and painful. Bursitis is a common overuse injury and in many cases it develops in conjunction with rotator cuff tendinitis.

4.) Labral tear.The labrum is a ring of rubbery cartilage that seals the ball of the humerus to the socket and cushions the joint. Overuse and repetitive movements can cause the labrum to wear down, fray and tear.

5.) Impingement. Impingement develops when the rotator cuff tendons rub against the top of the shoulder blade, causing irritation, pain and swelling. It’s commonly caused by repetitive movements that involve lifting the arms overhead.

6.) Frozen shoulder. Frozen shoulder is also known as adhesive capsulitis. It develops when the soft tissues in the joint become thicker and tighter, causing pain, decreased movement and decreased range of motion. Long-term immobilization of the shoulder (like using a sling after an injury or surgery) may contribute to frozen shoulder developing.

7.) Dislocation. Dislocation occurs when the humerus pops partially or completely out of the shoulder socket. Shoulder dislocation is caused by a significant force from a direct blow, fall, car accident or sports injury. It’s a serious injury that requires immediate treatment. A dislocation can lead to surrounding muscle and tendon injuries, joint damage or nerve damage.

8.) Arthritis. Arthritis is a leading cause of shoulder pain. While there are over 100 different types of arthritis, osteoarthritis is the most common form. It’s a degenerative condition that causes the smooth, protective cartilage covering the ends of bones to fray and wear down. It develops from natural wear and tear on the joint with age, chronic overuse or a history of multiple shoulder injuries like rotator cuff tears. Over time, osteoarthritis damages and weakens the cartilage, underlying bone and connective tissues of the joint. Rheumatoid arthritis is another common form of arthritis. It’s an autoimmune disorder that develops when the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own tissues, causing inflammation in the lining of the shoulder joint. Like osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis damages and weakens the entire joint.

What Are the Treatment Options?
The type of treatment you need will depend on the injury or condition that’s causing the shoulder pain. For the majority of the injuries and conditions listed above, your doctor will likely recommend a course of conservative measures first. Your treatment plan may include:

• Resting the injured shoulder and refraining from activities that increase pain or place pressure on the joint
• Immobilizing the shoulder with a sling or brace for a short period of time to reduce pain and allow injuries to heal
• Taking pain relievers like acetaminophen or anti-inflammatories like ibuprofen to relieve pain, swelling and inflammation
• Receiving a cortisone injection directly into the injured shoulder to temporarily reduce inflammation and relieve pain
• Undergoing physical therapy to practice shoulder-strengthening exercises and regain range of motion

Conservative methods like rest and medications are usually effective for treating acute injuries. After a shoulder injury, performing regular stretches and exercises that strengthen the shoulder joint can help prevent subsequent injuries.

Some shoulder injuries are significant enough that they require surgery. Severe rotator cuff tears may necessitate a surgical procedure to repair the damage. Additionally, once you’ve experienced a dislocated shoulder, you’re at a much higher risk of experiencing additional dislocations. Multiple dislocations can cause the shoulder joint to become chronically unstable and require surgical repair.

iO-Core Treats Chronic Joint Pain
The treatments listed above may be effective for healing acute injuries, but repeated shoulder injuries or a degenerative condition like arthritis cause chronic pain and progressive loss of movement that can’t be treated with conservative measures. Rest, medications and physical therapy can help reduce symptoms of arthritis and chronic inflammatory conditions, but they can’t treat the underlying damage and degeneration.

If you’re experiencing chronic pain and loss of movement from arthritis or another degenerative condition, then the iO-Core™ procedure may be 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.

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.

Contact us today to see if you qualify for the iO-Core™ procedure.