Often, pain in the shoulder can be traced back to a specific injury or cause. Maybe you pushed yourself a little too hard while shoveling your driveway or got into a fender bender. But sometimes, shoulder pain can appear without injury.
Noticing shoulder pain without knowing the cause can feel stressful and uncomfortable, and certainly inconvenient. You might be wondering what caused your shoulder pain or how to treat it. We’re here to make it simple to get answers about your shoulder pain. In this article, we’ll go over reasons why your shoulder might hurt, how to know if pain is serious and when to see a doctor for shoulder pain.
Nerve-related shoulder pain
Injury, illness, inflammation and changes with age can impact the tissues in the body. Sometimes, tissues can shift and put additional pressure on a nerve, which can be painful.
While the causes vary, most people experience similar symptoms, including pain, numbness, tingling or muscle weakness. In most cases, nerve-related shoulder pain will heal on its own with a few days of rest. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, can help manage the pain and discomfort as you’re healing.
Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
Like its name suggests, frozen shoulder is a condition that causes shoulder stiffness and severe pain, and can limit the range of motion. It’s caused when the connective tissue around the shoulder thickens and becomes inflamed.
The exact cause of frozen shoulder isn’t known, but there are some things that may increase your risk. Diabetes and thyroid disease (especially when poorly controlled) can contribute to the risk of frozen shoulder. Usually, frozen shoulder starts without cause and is most common in women in their 40s and 50s.
Keeping your shoulder still for an extended period of time, like after a surgery or because of a broken arm, may increase your risk of developing shoulder stiffness.
Symptoms of frozen shoulder typically start slowly and get worse over time. For two to nine months, a frozen shoulder will start as pain and stiffness. Then, pain will lessen but you might notice that your range of motion is significantly limited. While a frozen shoulder can resolve on its own, it may take several years before it’s back to normal.
Shoulder stiffness is also not limited to frozen shoulder. Sometimes, an injury to the shoulder or scar tissue after surgery can cause stiffness, but this is different from frozen shoulder.
Getting care for a frozen shoulder or shoulder stiffness will give you peace of mind, save you time and help you feel like yourself more quickly. There are several different treatments that can help thaw a frozen shoulder, including physical therapy, corticosteroids, medications and other treatments.
Arthritis in the shoulder
We use our shoulders a lot throughout the day, so it’s normal to feel some aches and pains every once in a while. However, chronic pain, stiffness and other shoulder issues that don’t go away in a couple weeks can be a sign of a chronic issue like arthritis.
Arthritis is an inflammatory condition that affects the joints, a place where two bones come together. Although our joints undergo normal, age-related changes over time, it may lead to pain, swelling, limited range of motion and several other symptoms that can worsen with time.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis, sometimes called degenerative joint disease (DJD), is caused when the articular cartilage in your joints breaks down, resulting in “bone on bone” pain. Articular cartilage is a tissue that cushions the joint and helps it move smoothly. Osteoarthritis may cause pain, swelling, stiffness and a limited range of motion.
There are several treatments that can help you manage osteoarthritis symptoms and help your shoulder feel more comfortable. Depending on your specific needs, a doctor might recommend medication, physical therapy or injections. If conservative treatment options aren’t effective and you’re no longer able to do the activities you enjoy, joint replacement surgery can also be used to treat joints damaged by arthritis. Joint replacement surgeries such as total shoulder arthroplasty and reverse shoulder arthroplasty can provide longstanding relief and return to function.
Rotator cuff-related shoulder pain
Tendons are the fibrous cords that connect your muscles to your bones. The rotator cuff is a group of tendons and muscles that surround your shoulder joint. Repetitive or frequent movements can cause pain in the tendons, a condition that’s often referred to as tendonitis or bursitis.
People who play a sport that involves the arms – like tennis, swimming or baseball – are more likely to develop rotator cuff pain. Painters, construction workers, hairstylists and those with jobs that use the arms and shoulders repetitively are also at a higher risk of developing pain in the shoulder. Other activities like knitting, crafting or frequent phone use can also put additional strain on the arm and shoulder, sometimes causing rotator cuff-related shoulder pain.
Everyone experiences rotator cuff pain a little differently, but there are some common symptoms to watch for. Symptoms include night pain, pain with lifting the shoulder overhead, shoulder stiffness (especially in the morning), limited range of motion and muscle weakness in or near the shoulder.
While some cases may resolve with time, treatment is often needed to fully recover. Physical therapy and medications are the most common treatments used to manage rotator cuff-related shoulder pain.
Other causes of shoulder pain without injury
Everything in the body is connected, which means there can be some surprising causes of shoulder pain.
Some digestive issues can cause pain in the shoulder blades. This includes:
- Acid reflux
- Gallbladder inflammation
- Gastric ulcers
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Pancreatitis
Shoulder pain can also be caused by some heart conditions. People with angina or coronary artery disease may notice their shoulders hurt, but pain caused by a heart condition is most commonly felt in the left shoulder.
Shoulder pain is serious when it comes with other symptoms
In most cases, shoulder pain is a manageable condition that doesn’t indicate anything serious. However, shoulder pain alongside other symptoms can be signs of a heart attack or another serious condition.
Call 911 and seek immediate medical attention if you have shoulder pain and:
- Have difficulty breathing
- Feel tightness in your chest
- Are sweating
Your shoulder pain might also be serious if you experience pain that gets worse, swelling around the shoulder, redness, tenderness or warmth on the joint, and difficulty moving your shoulder.
See an expert for shoulder pain when it becomes hard to get through your day
Fleeting aches and pains in the shoulder are normal. But if pain, stiffness or other symptoms make it difficult to do daily activities, you should talk with a doctor or physical therapist about your shoulder concerns.
At TRIA, our orthopedic doctors and physical therapists make it as simple as possible to start care for shoulder pain. We’re experts in joint care, and we create treatment plans that are tailored to each patient. In many cases, we’ll be able to begin shoulder treatment during your first appointment to help you feel better fast.
You don’t need to struggle with shoulder pain any longer. Schedule an appointment to take your first step toward recovery.
