A shoulder is a ball and socket joint with a versatile range of motion. But shoulder joints are more susceptible to injury due to their small size compared to other ball joints. This small contact area essentially means that your shoulder is quite unstable.
In most cases, you suffer pain due to shoulder weakness or when they are uncoordinated.
A high-quality shoulder assessment and pain-specific exercises prescribed by your physiotherapist or other health care provider can help you normalize it.
What Causes Shoulder Pain?
Several factors and health conditions can lead to shoulder pain. Rotator cuff tendinitis and impingement syndrome are the two most common causes for shoulder pain.
Other common causes of shoulder pain includes –
- Frozen Shoulder
- Shoulder Bursitis
- Shoulder Fractures (broken shoulder or arm bone)
- Shoulder Arthritis
- injury due to overuse
- Dislocated shoulder
- Heart attack
- Spinal Cord Injury
Signs & Symptoms of Shoulder Injury
The pain associated with a shoulder injury may be because of –
- Swelling
- Tenderness
- Joint Pain
- Weakness
- Reduced range of motion
Treatment Options for Shoulder Pain
Health care providers suggest different treatments based on the severity of disease.
- Rest and Exercises – It’s very important to take proper rest and avoid movements that really hurt. Here are some of the shoulder pain exercises that might help
- Weight Loss (Obesity)
- Posture – Bad postures can also lead to shoulder pain
- Medicines – painkillers such as paracetamol, ibuprofen, and NSAIDs
- Heat and cold packs – An ice pack helps when your shoulder is swollen or has a minor injury. Whereas heat packs can help if you have sore or tense muscles
- Physiotherapy – according to researchers physiotherapy reduces the pain and disability caused due to arthritis to a great extent. Your physiotherapist will see which movements are the most painful to see where the problem is and recommend the best course of treatment that is diagnosed.