The shoulder is a complicated structure of muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and a ball-and-socket construction. When one or more of these elements becomes injured, the result is pain and restrictions in movement. Hampton Roads Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine wants you to know about four common causes of shoulder pain and how to identify the symptoms of each.
Bursitis
Bursitis is a painful condition caused by the inflammation and swelling of bursae in the shoulder joints. Bursae act as cushions between muscles and bones, reducing friction. Sometimes, when the shoulder is used too much, these cushions can become inflamed, causing pain during normal arm movements. Bursitis often occurs with tendinitis in the rotator cuff.
Tendinitis
As with bursitis, most tendinitis cases are caused by inflammation and swelling. When the shoulder is used excessively, the tendons keeping your upper arm bones in your shoulder socket can become injured and inflamed. For example, a baseball pitcher might be prone to tendinitis because of the repetition of the movement he uses to throw the ball.
For both bursitis and tendinitis, the injury can usually be treated with common self-care measures, such as icing, rest, and pain medication. However, if the condition persists or is not given time to heal, it could become a tear instead of an inflammation, and tears are more painful and more difficult to treat.
Dislocated Shoulder
The upper arm bone might get forced out of the shoulder socket due to a sudden injury or repetitive motion. This dislocation is also sometimes called shoulder instability. You will probably know when your shoulder is dislocated because the bone will look visibly out of place, you may be unable to move your shoulder joint, and there will be numbness or intense pain. A dislocated shoulder must be treated immediately by a doctor.
Dislocation can cause tendons, muscles and ligaments to become torn or loose. Loose connectors mean you have a higher chance of dislocating the shoulder again. Repeated dislocations often result in pain and unsteady arm movements. They also set the stage for arthritis in the shoulder joint.
Osteoarthritis
There are many different types of arthritis, but the most common type of arthritis in the shoulder is osteoarthritis. This is caused by the wearing out of the soft tissue parts of the joint. Age is a large factor in osteoarthritis, but it can also be onset by repetitive movements and frequent sports or work injuries. Usually, the pain begins in a dull, tolerable way, but over time the pain increases and arthritis causes stiffness in the shoulder. People with severe osteoarthritis in the shoulder are restricted in how much they can move their arm. There may be no cures for osteoarthritis, but your doctor can tell you about different treatments to ease the symptoms.
If you have shoulder pain and want to learn more about its causes and treatments, please contact our shoulder experts at Hampton Roads Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine at 757-873-1554.
