Every day, we tend to use our body to its fullest function to accomplish a certain work or activity that we do. Most of the activities that we do require the use of our limbs, particularly the arms and shoulder.
From the simple things that we do like eating, typing, and exercising, we use our shoulders. It is considered the most flexible or movable joint found in our body.
Whether it’s office work or physical exercise, your shoulders can feel exhausted or worn out. There are various kinds of shoulder pain that you should be aware of.
Signs and Symptoms of Shoulder Pain
Once you feel an unfamiliar kind of pain in your shoulder, it is of utmost importance to check and observe the emerging signs and symptoms of acute shoulder pain. If in any doubt seek an appointment with your local GP immediately.
Here are some common signs and symptoms of shoulder pain:
- Acute or severe pain can be felt in the shoulder joint, in the upper, front and rear.
- When you try to move your shoulder, a stinging pain can be felt, thus limiting your overall shoulder movement.
- Dislocation of the shoulder often causes acute pain
- Physical inactivity eventually leads to stiffness of the shoulders which can also bring a painful feeling in your shoulders
- Burning or prickling pain
What are the Common Causes of Shoulder Pain?
There are a lot of common reasons or causes of shoulder pain that you must have experienced already. Some of these are:
Physical Injury or Fracture
Accidents, are most likely to be the cause of an injury or fracture in the shoulder area. These can either be sprains, strains, or torn ligaments and tendons found in your shoulder.
Shoulder Bursitis
This usually occurs when the bursa is inflamed. It is a small fluid-filled sac found in between your acromion and rotator cuff tendon. It becomes swollen or inflamed, bringing a stinging sensation to your shoulder whenever you move it. Bursitis can also happen in other joints found in your body.
Different Types of Arthritis
Two common types of arthritis often bring pain to your shoulder. These are:
Rheumatoid Arthritis
People who have rheumatoid arthritis tend to feel tension and pain in the shoulder area since this type of arthritis targets the overall immune system of the body, resulting in the deterioration of the protective lining found in the joints.
Osteoarthritis
When you have osteoarthritis, the degeneration of the shoulder cartilage slowly starts, resulting in painful contact between them once you tried to move your shoulders. Osteoarthritis is a very common type of arthritis, so most likely, this is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain among the elderly.
Problems associated with Neck and Upper Back Pain
Usually, there are nerves found in the neck and the upper back part that slowly deteriorates as you grow old. These deteriorating nerves often cause stinging pain in the neck part down to the joints in your shoulders and even reach the upper part of the arm.
Association with Certain Medical Conditions
Some medical conditions that can also cause pain in the shoulders might be:
- Abdominal illnesses such as kidney stones, gallstones, and much more
- Pulmonary problems (tuberculosis, pneumonia, and other respiratory medical conditions)
- Certain kinds of heart diseases
Shoulder Pain Treatments and Medications
There are common and uncommon kinds of shoulder pain, and it is important to distinguish them. It is better to know as soon as possible what kind of shoulder pain you are suffering from right now. Over the years, there are many available medications or pain relievers that can be used for treating shoulder pain.
Here are some treatment options that you may consider:
Over-the-counter pain relievers such as NSAIDs (paracetamol, ibuprofen, etc.)
Heat or cold compress for momentary relief
Chiropractic Therapy
Compared to other forms of treatments, chiropractic therapy brings significant improvements. You’ll need the best chiropractic clinic to do the job. Falcon Health is available to help you in relieving your pain or treating your shoulder pain.
The treatment will start by diagnosing the source of the problem. We may suggest a course of physiotherapy or the application of chiropractic routines. Contact us today for a FREE 15 minute consultation.