Shoulder is the region where numerous joints come together with muscles and tendons that let you move your arm in different ways, including scratching your back and throwing that perfect pitch. However, the tissues surrounding the shoulder area are very soft and prone to injuries that can often result in severe pain. Certain forms of pain may require immediate diagnosis and treatment while some other forms can be temporary and may go away after a while.
Various causes of shoulder problems
Most of the problems of the shoulder falls into four major categories:
Tendon tear or inflammation
Tendon is the bridge between the bone and muscle. When you are participating in activities that involve a lot of overhead throwing, it can lead to wearing down of the tendons that normally occurs over a period of time. This can cause a lot of pain and would require extensive physical therapy. Sometimes, the pain may be caused by the swelling of the fluid-filled sacs that help in reducing the friction between the bone and muscles.
Instability
Sometimes, the shoulder gets dislocated when the head of the upper arm bone is forced out of the socket. This problem can become a major headache as the tendons, muscles, and ligaments around the shoulder become very loose, causing the dislocation to occur repeatedly. Such complete or partial dislocations can lead to immense pain.
Arthritis
Arthritis is the most common disease of the bone and it can affect the shoulders, as well. It is also very painful and requires regular physiotherapy.
Fracture
Typically, shoulder fractures include that of the shoulder blade, collarbone, or the upper arm bone. It is a very common phenomenon among older patients.
Examination by the doctor
In case you are suffering from shoulder pain, your doctor will be evaluating you first based on your medical history, as such pains are generally aggravated by certain activities. A thorough physical examination is then done by the physician to find out the sources of the shoulder pain. Finally, a number of tests are conducted to identify the root cause of the pain and come up with a treatment routine.
The treatment for shoulder pain ranges from activity changes to medications and in some case even surgery. Don Kelly is a doctor in Limerick, Ireland who is an expert in treating shoulder pain.
