You probably don’t think about your shoulders much until you suddenly experience pain in one of them. Shoulder pain or a shoulder injury can do a simple act — brushing and drying your hair, reaching behind your back to fasten a bra, or grabbing something overhead — seem monumental.
You’re more likely to experience shoulder pain from various common conditions as you age. The pain can occur gradually or abruptly, ranging from mild to excruciating.
Below are some of the most common conditions you may encounter and some tips for addressing them.
What to do if your shoulder hurts: advice from doctors for shoulder pain
If you experience shoulder pain, it’s impossible to figure out the cause. Sudden left shoulder pain can be a warning sign of a heart attack, especially if it’s accompanied by pressure or crushing sensations in the chest and requires immediate medical attention. Sometimes, problems in other body parts are the source of pain that radiates to your shoulder. This can happen with specific neck problems, including arthritis and disc herniations.
In general, if you are experiencing a lot of pain or know you injured yourself, it’s best to see a doctor right away to have your shoulder condition diagnosed.
But if you have general, mild shoulder pain, try adjusting your activities, taking acetaminophen or an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and performing mild stretches to see if the pain improves. However, if the pain worsens or disappears after a few weeks, you should consult your doctor.
Rotator cuff tendon injuries and irritations
Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help tether your shoulder to the socket and allow you to move it in a circular motion. The shoulder’s ball and socket joint enable this wide range of motion. This ball-and-socket joint and the rotator cuff play a crucial role in stabilizing shoulder movements. Some two million people visit a doctor each year for rotator cuff–related issues, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS). Most problems with the rotator cuff fall into two categories: tears or inflammation. Suspect a rotator cuff tear if you have pain or stiffness in your shoulder when you lift your arm above your head to brush your hair or reach behind your back. Rotator cuff tendinitis, often caused by repetitive shoulder activities, can also lead to pain and stiffness. You won’t be able to do many things you want to do, such as put dishes in an upper cabinet, play tennis, or do garden pruning.
Rotator cuff impingement. A rotator cuff impingement happens when the tendons or bursa (the fluid-filled sac that sits between bones) in the shoulder are irritated, inflamed, or compressed. An impingement can be caused by an injury or general wear and tear from daily life. The shoulder blade plays a significant role in stabilizing the shoulder joint, and issues with it can contribute to impingement.
Rotator cuff tears. A tear in the rotator cuff produces pain similar to an impingement but with one additional differentiating feature. If the pain is associated with weakness, it is likely caused by a tear, and if you just have pain, it may only be a rotator cuff impingement. A torn rotator cuff often results in intense pain and difficulty in raising the arm, and medical evaluation is crucial for proper treatment.
A tear can be partial, whereby only part of the tendon is ripped away from the bone it is attached to. Or there can be a full tear, causing the tendon to separate from the bone completely. Although younger people can have rotator cuff tears, they become more common as they age, possibly because the tendons and the bone’s interface weaken and become more susceptible to injury. The prevalence rises with each decade of life.
Compared with impingement, a tear is more likely to be caused by an injury. Common causes include falling on the ice, getting pulled by a dog on a leash, or tripping and landing on your shoulder. In other cases, problems crop up seemingly without cause. You might suddenly notice pain when lifting something over your head.
If you suspect a tear or are experiencing sudden pain from an injury, see a doctor right away. You may need surgery to fix the problem. But if you aren’t experiencing weakness and the pain is not severe, rest and anti-inflammatory medications may be enough to ease your discomfort.
Calcific tendinitis. With calcific tendinitis, calcium deposits get embedded within the rotator cuff tendons. While it’s unclear exactly what causes these deposits to form, some experts believe they may result from a healing process in the ligament gone awry. The condition can cause severe pain that often starts in the morning. It’s more common in middle-aged and older adults and those who have diabetes.
Treatment aims to relieve pain and preserve the shoulder’s range of motion. Options include anti-inflammatory medications, corticosteroid injections, and physical therapy. If the pain is severe or persistent, your doctor may suggest surgery to remove the deposits.
Adhesive capsulitis. They are commonly referred to as a frozen shoulder, a thickening and stiffening of the tissues around the shoulder joint causes adhesive capsulitis. It typically develops in people ages 40 to 60. Frozen shoulder is more common in women than in men and people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, or thyroid disorders. Shoulder dislocation can also lead to adhesive capsulitis, emphasizing the need for proper management of shoulder injuries.
A frozen shoulder can occur after a rotator cuff impingement, a tendon tear, or even a minor injury. But why some people go on to develop a frozen shoulder needs to be clarified. Someone with shoulder pain may hesitate to move the arm due to those problems, which leads to additional pain and stiffness. As a result, it may become virtually impossible to move the shoulder for weeks or months. The problem often goes away after a period of time — but that can take up to three years, according to the AAOS. Physical therapy is sometimes recommended for a frozen shoulder. Other interventions include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injections, or, in some cases, surgery. But in most cases, it responds well to nonoperative treatment.
Osteoarthritis. When people think of osteoarthritis, they may think of the knee and the hip, common sites for arthritis pain. But while osteoarthritis affects the shoulder less often, it’s not uncommon. The condition develops when cartilage cushions between the bones in the shoulder erode, causing the bones to rub against one another. The upper arm bone plays a crucial role in shoulder anatomy, fitting into the shoulder socket and enabling movement. There are numerous treatments for osteoarthritis, including rest, modifications to activities, anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroid injections, and surgery in some cases.
While you may be tempted to stop moving when you experience pain from osteoarthritis, doing so can worsen the problem because it allows the muscles to stiffen and shorten. This may make it even harder for you to move how you want to.
