Pain Theory | Shoulder Pain
The shoulder consists of several joints combined with various muscles and tendons. This combination allows for the wide range of motion available to our arms, from just scratching your back to through a basketball.
This mobility can lead to problems with instability and impingement of the bony structures and tissues within your shoulder that lead to pain. This pain can be constant, or felt only during when you actually move your shoulder. Sometimes this pain can last a long time and requires medical treatment. This article explains common causes of shoulder pain, along with general treatment.
Treatment should reduce the pain and gradually restore your shoulder back to normal.
-Some pain relief methods make you do "active rest," or in other words, you can move your shoulder but do not do any strenuous activities.
-Stretching the tendons and muscles can help
-Heat pads and ice packs can treat sudden shoulder pain
-Anti-inflammatory medicine
-Nonsteroidal pain medicine, such as ibuprofen.
-Injections of Cortisone
-General rest
If this does not help, you need to contact your doctor, especially if you are experiencing these issues:
-Inability to pick up or carry objects
-Deformed joint
-Shoulder pain at night or resting
-Shoulder pain lasting more than a few days
-Inability to raise arm
-Swelling or bruising surrounding the joins
-Infection (fever, redness)
-Any unusual symptoms
Your doctor may prescribe medication if you are experiencing these symptoms. The medication will reduce your inflammation and pain. Always take medicine as directed.
Some worst-case scenarios will require surgery. Don't worry though; ninety percent of people with shoulder injuries can be fixed with simple treatment like altering daily activities, medication, and exercise. However, if you have a recurring dislocation or certain types of rotator cuff tears, you may need surgery.
If your rotator cuff is injured, the pain will usually originate from the front or outside of the shoulder. This pain increases when raising your arm or lifting an object over your head. Sometimes, this pain can be so bad that even simple tasks are hard. Often you will experience pain at night that is bad enough it could potentially wake you up.
Your doctor will give you tests to identify the cause of your pain. These tests can include:
-X-rays
-MRI and ultrasound
-CT scan
-Arthrogram (dye is injected into the joint to better show issues)
-Anthroscopy (surgical procedure, doctor looks inside the joint with a camera)