Is Shoulder Pain Limiting your Movement?

Painful shoulder conditions that limit movement are very common and are caused by problems with the shoulder joint and its surrounding structures. The shoulder is more prone to injuries due to its wide range of movement.

There are a number of main reasons for shoulder pain including rotator cuff injuries, arthritis, frozen shoulder and shoulder dislocations or instability. Let’s take a look at these 4 areas in a bit more detail.
Rotator Cuff injuries – the rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help to move the shoulder and hold the joint in place. Rotator cuff disorders result from inflammation or damage to the rotator cuff muscles or tendons. The inflammation can be caused by general wear and tear that occurs with age, activities that require constant or repetitive shoulder motion (especially above shoulder level), heavy lifting, trauma or poor posture. The pain associated with rotator cuff injuries is normally felt at the front or on the outside of the shoulder, particularly when you raise your arm or lift something above your head. You may also notice the pain more when you are lying in bed.

Frozen Shoulder – is characterised by progressive pain and stiffness in the shoulder. The pain is felt deep in the shoulder joint and may be more pronounced at night. The exact cause of this condition is not known however it normally occurs following a shoulder injury. It is thought that resting an injured or painful shoulder for too long can cause the shoulder muscles and connective tissues to stiffen up.

Arthritis – causes progressive joint pain, tenderness, swelling and stiffness. Both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis can affect the shoulder joint.

Shoulder dislocations or instability – shoulder dislocation occurs when the ball shaped head of your upper arm bone (humerus) comes out of the shoulder socket. It may be caused by a fall, sporting injury or trauma and is an extremely painful condition. Following a dislocation the shoulder joint sometimes becomes unstable and susceptible to repeated dislocations. This condition is known as shoulder instability, and causes pain and unsteadiness when you raise your arm or move it away from your body.

As with any type of injury a correct diagnosis from your registered health professional is critical to limit the long term effects of a shoulder injury. Following correct diagnosis there are a number of possible outcomes including surgery, pain relievers, hot/cold treatments, steroid injections, rest, massage or appropriate exercise prescription.

Here at Lifestyle Improvers we have specific programs aimed to improve posture and can tailor programs to suit any injury rehabilitation requirements that our clients may require. We are more than happy to liaise with your registered health professional to help you achieve the desired outcome.