Shoulder Pain Causes

Shoulder pain is one of the most common health problem in individuals of various age groups. In most of the cases, pain in shoulder is attributed to sprains and contusions. These conditions do result is shoulder pain, but it is not just restricted to these two conditions. What you might assume to be minor pain as a result of sprain or bruising may in fact be a symptom of some much more severe condition. Some of the most common causes of pain in the shoulder include arthritis, bursitis, etc.

Shoulder Pain: Overview

Shoulder is one of the most movable joint of the human body, and this very fact makes it quite unstable and vulnerable to a range of injuries. In a healthy person, shoulder is fixed firmly by muscles, tendons and ligaments. While most of the problems in the shoulder are attributed to the damage to these components, others are attributed to degenerative process, wherein tissues start breaking down or don't function to their ability. Similarly, localized shoulder pain is as common as referred shoulder pain. While the former refers to pain occurring in the shoulder, the later refers to the pain that travels along nerves to the shoulder.

Shoulder Pain Causes

As we mentioned earlier there are numerous health problems which lead to pain in the shoulder. Owing to lack of knowledge about the underlying causes of shoulder pain, people tend to take it lightly. Most of the people tend to ignore mild pain, and take interest in it only when the condition worsens and/or results in life-threatening condition. Enlisted below are some of the most common health problems which can result in mild to severe pain in your shoulder.

Bursitis: This ailment is typically characterized by pain while doing activities which require overhead movement of the hands. The treatment of bursitis usually involves simple measures such as ice application and anti-inflammatory medications. If these measures don't show desired results, then surgery is opted as the last resort. The fact that this ailment is self-exacerbating makes it all the more important to provide proper medical care at the earliest.

Adhesive Capsuliitis: Also referred to as frozen shoulder, this ailment predominantly results in stiffness of the joints. The treatment of frozen shoulder syndrome most often revolves around simple exercises which involve stretching and physiotherapy. People in the age group of 40-60 and those suffering from endocrine disorders, are most vulnerable to this problem.

Shoulder Arthritis: Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis are two most common forms of shoulder arthritis. In case of osteoarthritis, the protective cartilage wears out, thus leaving the bare bone to rub against other structures and result in pain. Rheumatoid arthritis, on the other hand, results in inflammation of the lining of the joints. Though there are several symptoms of this problem, the most common being the occurrence of pain with movement. Arthritis is also one of the most prominent attribute of various neck and shoulder pain causes.

Rotator Cuff Tear: Another common cause of shoulder pain, rotator cuff tear results in pain at the top of the shoulder and weakness in arms. The term rotator cuff is used to refer to the group of four tendons and muscles that surround the shoulder joint, and keep it in place. In most of the cases, the patient has no option but to go for a surgery to treat a rupture in the rotator cuff.

Shoulder Instability: Yet another problem associated with shoulder pain, instability of shoulder occurs when the structures around the shoulder fail to keep the shoulder within its place. Sometimes, the shoulder slides off its actual place (shoulder subluxation) and sometimes it completely comes out of the place (shoulder dislocation). Both the conditions can cause severe pain in the shoulder.

Other than these issues, various other ailments are also known to cause severe pain in the shoulder/s. While pain in the left shoulder is usually attributed to underlying heart disease and osteoporosis, in the right shoulder it can be attributed to gallbladder diseases, liver abscess, etc. At the end of the day, chronic pain in any part of the body should not be taken lightly, as there are significant chances that it is a symptom of some underlying ailment. It is better to identify the root cause of the problem and eradicate it before it worsens.