Symptoms of Shoulder Pain
The human shoulder is a marvelously designed joint. What most people do not consider when theyβre talking about their shoulders is that theyβre not just talking about one thing. The shoulder is a combination of various tendons and muscles that allow the arm to move in a wide range of motion. A person can use their arm to scratch their back or to throw a football 50 yards thanks to their shoulder.
Why Does Our Shoulder Hurt?
Because of its usefulness, people are constantly using their shoulder. The shoulder is so complicated that any one of its many facets could be damaged and lead to shoulder pain. Depending on the condition, a person may experienceΒ shoulder painΒ only when they move, or they may experience shoulder pain all day long. The shoulder pain could be a temporary thing that just requires an ice pack or something more serious that requires medical attention.
Most people haveΒ shoulder painΒ for one of four reasons:
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Instability
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A Broken Bone
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Arthritis
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An Inflamed Tendon
What is Β Shoulder Dislocation?
Shoulder instability usually happens because of an injury or overuse. People commonly refer to this as a shoulder dislocation. This happens when the ball of the shoulder pops out of the socket. It can be a complete or partial dislocation. Once the tendons and muscles around the shoulder become weak, it is likely that a person will experience shoulder dislocations frequently.
There are three main bones in the shoulder. There is a collarbone, the upper arm bone, and the shoulder blade. People usually break their shoulders when they fall from a great height. Older people may break their shoulders when they fall from a standing height. The pain caused by these types of breaks is excruciating.
Did You Know Arthritis Comes in Many Forms?
The most common form of arthritis to affect a shoulder is called osteoarthritis. This is also known as wear and tear arthritis. You start to feel stiff, your joint feels inflamed, and your range of movement becomes restricted. Many times people will limit their range of motion in an attempt to avoid making movements that cause pain. But this only makes arthritis worse. Because the soft-tissue part of the shoulder joint starts to become stiff and is not moved, this leads to increased pain.
There are many issues that can affect the tendons in your shoulder. Inflammation can result from a tendon tear, tendinitis, or bursitis. The result is excruciating pain that can drastically limit a personβs range of motion.
Since there are multiple causes of shoulder pain, there are also multiple ways of treating it. In order to determine the proper course of action, a doctor will use various tests, including X-rays, CAT scans, MRIs, and electrical studies.
Treatment can include changing activities. Sometimes all you need to do to eliminate your shoulder pain is to give your shoulder some time to rest and follow a physical therapy routine. Other times, medication can be used to aid in the healing process. In extreme cases, patients may require surgery to fix some shoulder problems.
