Shoulder Pain Causes and Management

Facts About Shoulder Pain

Complexity in Motion

Because the construction of your shoulder is so extensive, injuries and pain in your shoulder can be wide and varied. As Jodi Helmer of AARP.org points out, “All shoulder pain is not created equal.”

The Main Culprits of Shoulder Pain

Much like generalized back pain, shoulder pain can be chronic, acute, tender, intense, specific, or broad. Following are the most common causes of shoulder pain:

1. Rotator Cuff Damage

Most rotator cuff damage is due to just normal wear and tear. This pain generally occurs when the tendons and muscles in the rotator cuff become inflamed from overuse or injury. The tendons can actually become pinched between bones, and cause great pain. The professionals at FamilyDoctor.org say, “The pain can be bad enough to keep you from doing even the simplest of tasks,” and that, “the pain [at night] may be bad enough to wake you.” You will feel this pain most often when reaching overhead or sleep on the affected side.

2. Bursitis

This dull aching sensation happens when the small fluid-filled sacs that cushion joints become swollen or damaged. Often due to repetitive motion – in sports, chores, or from constant lifting – this pain can be most often felt when moving the arms sideways away from the body. Bursitis can be treated in a variety of ways. Dr. Andrew Weil, MD, says, “Acupuncture can provide symptomatic relief of the pain of bursitis and is much safer than anti-inflammatory drugs or injections of steroids.”

3. Frozen Shoulder

Most common in women over the age of 50, this condition is characterized by pain and stiffness in the shoulder joint even when the shoulder is at rest. Both the pain and stiffness of frozen shoulder will, if left untreated, worsen over time. Eventually, frozen shoulder can lead to constant pain and almost complete immobility of the affected arm. The US National Library of Medicine conducted a case series in which they concluded, “Most patients with frozen shoulder syndrome…appeared to improve with the chiropractic treatment.”

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