Common Causes of Shoulder Pain

Your shoulder joint is the most mobile joint in your body, experts say. It’s exactly for this reason why shoulder pain is not uncommon. It is said that nearly 70 percent of the population will experience shoulder pain or discomfort at least once in their lives — it’s likely for you to be one of them!

So if right now your shoulder feels achy and you don’t really know why, keep on reading. Below you will come across some of the most common reasons behind shoulder pain.

Before you proceed, there’s one thing that you should know: none of the details below should replace professional medical advice that only a certified health care provider can offer. That is why if your shoulder pain persists or intensifies, make sure that you pay your trusted doctor a visit.

Tendonitis

Doctors say tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, which is a bundle of flexible tissue that attaches a muscle to a bone. Usually, tendonitis is brought about by overuse of a joint. However, it may also be due to a few other things, and one common example is rheumatic disease.

Various tendons can be found in your shoulder joint — together with some muscles, they form a group referred to as rotator cuff. Experts confirm that the leading cause of shoulder pain is a problem with the rotator cuff.

Frozen Shoulder

Another very common cause of shoulder pain is what’s referred to as a frozen shoulder. Also sometimes called by doctors as adhesive capsulitis, it is due to the thickening and inflammation of the connective tissue in the shoulder joint.

No one really knows the reason why a frozen shoulder strikes in the first place. However, there are certain things that can increase your likelihood of encountering it in your life. One of those is being a female. Another is having poorly controlled diabetes. Having thyroid issues can also increase your risk of experiencing a frozen shoulder.

Bursitis

In every joint in your body, there’s a fluid-filled sac called bursa. The primary function of a bursa is to allow the various structures in a joint — muscles, tendons, bones, etc. — to glide over one another smoothly. Sometimes a bursa can become inflamed, resulting in what’s referred to as bursitis.

Naturally, your shoulder will feel achy if its bursa is inflamed. Your shoulder may also look swollen and feel warm to the touch. Commonly, it can be blamed on repeated movement of the shoulder joint.

Shoulder Impingement

Aside from winding up inflamed, that bursa in your shoulder joint may also end up pinched between your bones. This is what’s called shoulder impingement by doctors.

This problem is commonly experienced by individuals who repeatedly carry out overhead activities, such as swimmers and basketball players. It’s very important for shoulder impingement to be treated accordingly. Otherwise, it can lead to the weakening of the rotator cuff, which is something that can lead to other shoulder problems.

Osteoarthritis

Hundreds of types of arthritis exist, and one of the most common one is called osteoarthritis. Such is basically caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage, a rubbery type of tissue that is tasked at allowing the bones in a joint to move hassle-free. Osteoarthritis can strike just about any joint in your body, including your shoulder joint.


Sadly, osteoarthritis is a progressive joint disease — it can worsen with the passing of time. Fortunately, its progression can be slowed down and its symptoms can be easily managed.

Since shoulder pain is quite common, don’t forget to share this article on your various social media right now — some of your family and friends may be looking for an answer on the internet currently.

Related Posts
Total
0
Share