Shoulder Pain

What causes shoulder pain?

Your shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that can move in many different directions. An injury or underlying condition affecting the joint can cause immense pain and drastically limit your shoulder’s movement. Shoulder pain often arises after injuries that occur while playing sports. 

Repetitive movements, acute injuries, and chronic conditions can all lead to shoulder pain. As you age, your risk of getting shoulder pain increases. Some possible causes of shoulder pain are:

• Rotator cuff tendinitis
• Bursitis
• Impingement syndrome
• Arthritis
• Bone fracture
• Dislocated joint
• Pinched nerve
• Bone spurs
• Torn cartilage
• Referred pain from a neck injury
• Heart attack

The team at 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation asks you to describe the pain in your shoulder, which can range from dull and achy to sharp and shooting. They might also perform an X-ray to view the joint and identify tissue damage or other injuries. 

Does shoulder pain come with other symptoms?

Shoulder pain isn’t always isolated to your shoulder. If the pain radiates down your arm and into your hand, a complication or injury in your neck near your spinal cord is likely the underlying cause.

All types of shoulder pain can also come with stiffness or immobility. It might hurt when you try to move your shoulder or moving it might not be possible at all. 

You should seek immediate treatment for your shoulder pain if the joint feels warm and inflamed, if you have bruising around the joint, or if you have a fever with your shoulder pain. 

How is shoulder pain treated?

The team at 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation treats shoulder pain with various non-surgical approaches. Treatments like these can address the underlying cause of your pain instead of masking it with medication. 

They can also help you avoid surgery and the extensive recovery time that comes with it. After finding out what’s causing your shoulder pain, the team might recommend:

• Acupuncture
• Physical therapy
• Chiropractic care
• Immobilization with a sling or other device
• Trigger point injections

If your shoulder pain originates in your neck, your treatment might involve other strategies like spinal decompression therapy. This treatment eases the pressure on compressed nerves that can lead to shoulder pain as a symptom. 

How can I prevent future shoulder pain?

Shoulder injuries and other factors leading to shoulder pain aren’t always predictable or easy to prevent. However, the team at 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation can offer suggestions of ways to reduce your chances of getting shoulder pain in the future. They can teach you physical therapy exercises to stretch and strengthen the joint.

If you’ve had shoulder injuries in the past, the team might recommend applying ice to your shoulder for 15 minutes after you exercise.

For more information about shoulder pain and available treatments, call 43rd St. Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation or book an appointment online today.