Shoulder pain can be very uncomfortable and hinder your daily activities. The shoulders help you lift bags, throw balls, and move through everyday activities with a level of smoothness. The natural movement of the shoulders is comprised of a collection of muscles, joints, and tendons that keep everything going. Pain can occur when blood vessels become constricted. This important joint has four muscles that strengthen it, assisting the stability of the joint officially known as the rotator cuff. In addition, when shoulder pain starts, it can affect every aspect of your life.
A problem with the shoulder’s ligaments, nerve fibers and muscles is a difficulty with mobility; suddenly the smallest action becomes difficult. When shoulders hurt, the movement is limited or stopped altogether. The pain can make it difficult to lift a spoon or work. It is impossible to ignore. The strain of shoulder problems can cause headaches.
The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body.
The shoulder joint is similar to a ball-and-socket joint that is comprised of three main bones: the collarbone (clavicle), the shoulder blade (scapula) and the upper arm bone (humerus), which extends from the shoulder blade to the elbow.
The upper end of the humerus where it rotates is a smooth, rounded head (ball) that fits into the glenoid cavity (socket) of the shoulder blade. Because the ball is larger than the socket, it is more flexible but has less inherent stability. Muscles, tendons and connective tissue protect the shoulder joint and hold the various parts together.
Because the shoulder joint is stabilized by muscles and tendons, rather than by bone, the shoulder has great flexibility. This gives the shoulder joint a wide range of motion, enabling movements such as lifting, pushing and pulling. However, this great degree of motion has a trade-off; the stability of the shoulder is dependent upon the surrounding soft tissue and can result in a larger number of problems not faced by other joints supported by bony structures. A healthy shoulder can be damaged by disease or injury, resulting in severe pain, pseudoparalysis (false paralysis) and muscle weakness.
Shoulder Problems and Causes:
A few causes of shoulder discomfort are torn rotator cuff, various forms of arthritis, swelling in the bursal sacs, or torn cartilage.
1. Poor posture pulls and strains the muscles of the shoulder and is a common cause of shoulder discomfort.
2. Frozen shoulder is a simple name for the problem of arthritis. This is an inflammatory stiffening of the right shoulder that happens when the arm is raised above shoulder level.
3. Rotator Cuff injury is a sudden muscle strain. This can occur while doing yard work, playing sports or from an unexpected fall. These incidents can happen from other movements, but these are a few of the more severe.
4. Osteoarthritis is degeneration of the bone; friction causes pain due to lack of bone space.
5. Fractures usually occur when a person falls. The shoulder if slammed into an object, or hit hard can result in injury to the shoulder bone.
6. Shoulder dislocation happens with a severe fall, snatching of the shoulder, or a severe fall.
7. Heart attack occurrence displays pain in the shoulders. This in itself is not a symptom, nor is it a cause of shoulder disorders. However, pain is radiated through the shoulders.
8. Pulled muscles happen to thousands of people. They can occur while playing a game of tag football or while grabbing an object too quickly, leading to shoulder problems.
9. Injury to the neck or arm can send a person to the doctor for relief. An arm injury usually heals by resting the arm.
10. Arthritis in shoulder is a description many people use to describe shoulder pain. However, there are other terms for the many facets of pain involving the shoulders. Glenohumeral joint pain is middle shoulder pain. Shoulders joints can grind, and neck pain happens.
Symptoms:
Like most ailments pain in a major indicator of trouble. Shoulder tissue is irritated and may feel better if placed in a supporting position. During a doctor’s visit, the shoulder may be sensitive when examined.
Physicians use MRI, X-rays, and CT scans to discover shoulder problems. It is not enough to touch sensitive areas. Shoulder joints and tendons must be looked at from an internal perspective in order to make a valid diagnosis.
Shoulder Pain
Treatment:
Many people rely on over the counter remedies for shoulder pain as the first line of defense. Discomfort and a restless night drive sufferers to find a fast and noninvasive way to stop the pain.
Other options are a little more intense, steroid treatments and, or, physical therapy. The injection of medications into shoulder muscles relieves pain by reducing swelling. This does not necessarily solve the problem but for a while helps the pain.
Pain can be managed with surgery. However, this is not the first option a person wants to face. Surgery in the event of injured muscles or broken bones is avoided, keeping tissue as close to original form
A total shoulder replacement is performed when there is extensive shoulder joint destruction caused by conditions such as osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis or even severe trauma due to an injury or accident. It is offered as an option when medical treatment is of no benefit in ensuring recovery of the shoulder joint. The most common indication for considering the surgery is pain.
