Shoulder pain can affect any of us, regardless of age or gender. It often occurs as a consequence of a shoulder joint strain. Are there any other causes of shoulder pain? What does the appearance of such pain mean? How is shoulder pain treated?
The causes of shoulder pain
The shoulder joint itself is composed of several smaller joints – thanks to this it is characterized by a large range of movements. Unfortunately, for this reason, there are also many different ways to strain or sprain it.
Additionally, the shoulder joint consists of a large number of muscles, the most important of which are the muscles that make up the rotator cuff.The main causes of shoulder pain include various types of overload and long-term repetitive activities associated with it, or mechanical injuries of the surrounding tissues.
Moreover, its occurrence may be caused by all kinds of progressive degenerations that are related to the aging processes of the body. One should also not forget about diseases with a rheumatic background, e.g. rheumatoid arthritis or rheumatic polymyalgia. In some cases, shoulder pain may also radiate to the neck area, which additionally increases the patient’s discomfort.
Rotator cuff injury
Rotator cuff damage may occur as a result of repetitive, monotonous activities associated with constantly holding your hands above your head. Therefore, the risk of damaging the rotator cuff involves, among other things, playing volleyball, hanging curtains. Then, the cone-forming structures may be significantly overloaded, and in the worst case, even broken.
Other events that may result in damage to the rotator cuff and severe shoulder pain are emergencies in which unexpected jerks occur (e.g. while driving a bus). Then such an injury will remind itself of itself through the constant pain in the shoulder, which will increase as the arm is lifted up.
The most common dysfunctions that cause shoulder pain (apart from damage to the rotator cuff) include:
Subacromial tightness syndrome: it is associated with a pathological change that prevents smooth movement of the articular surfaces in the articular bursa. Then, during the shoulder movement, severe pain occurs, which is especially intense when the hand is abducted;
Biceps tendon injury: The biceps tendon runs along the front of the shoulder and strengthens the shoulder joint. If it is damaged, the strongest pain is felt when the elbow is bent;
Shoulder Frozen: This condition is associated with abnormalities in the joint capsule. As a result of a decrease in its flexibility, the range of movements is reduced, which is accompanied by a feeling of stiffness in the joint. Most often it occurs as a consequence of damage to the rotator cuff or a consequence of a heart attack. In the majority of cases, the described condition resolves spontaneously (after a period of 6 to 18 weeks).