Shoulder injuries can be troublesome and be more impactful than anticipated or imagined. An injured shoulder can prevent you from doing your normal daily activities, as well as interfere with your movements or create a level of discomfort that you cannot ignore.
The shoulder is a very flexible ball-and-socket joint composed of the humerus (the bone in the upper arm), the clavicle (collar bone), and the scapula (the shoulder blade). These bones attach into a cushion of cartilage that gives shoulder its wide range of motion. You are able to swing your arm in circles, reach forward, backward, and lift things up and down vertically because of this.
A considerable amount of that stunning range of motion is attributable to the rotator cuff, composed of four tendons connecting your muscles to your bones. But just like any other part of the body that sees a lot of action, your shoulder can be injured or inflamed, and it can simply make it difficult to lift your arm.
Managing shoulder pain can often start with some at-home rest and care. But sometimes shoulder pain will require a more focused approach including things like medication, physical therapy, or even surgery.
The factors causing your shoulder pain should be understood well, as they often guide you on the proper treatment regime to help avoid further complications. Book your appointment for shoulder ultrasound scan today, and keep reading to learn more on shoulder pain causes, treatment and symptoms.
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Causes and Types of Shoulder Pain
Identifying possible causes and types of shoulder pain is essential for diagnosis and treatment. Below are some commonly identified shoulder issues that you may be experiencing:
Bone Spurs
Small smooth bone spikes (osteophytes) may rub on the rotator cuff, and can lead to tendinitis or a rotator cuff tear, limiting your shoulder’s range of motion.
Bursitis
An injury or repetitive motion can cause inflammation of a bursa – a soft cushioning sac in the joint. Pain becomes most noticeable when moving the shoulder.
Cartilage Tear
Repetitive motion or an injury can damage the cartilage around the shoulder joint and cause pain, particularly when reaching above your head. It can also cause the shoulder to catch, lock, or grind.
Dislocation
When the shoulder is pulled excessively back, which can happen during a sport, or rotated excessively, like during a fall, the top of the arm can also dislocate from the socket. This leads to weakness, pain, numbness, bruising, and swelling.
Fracture
A hard hit or fall can fracture bones, such as the humerus or clavicle. This may cause severe pain and bruising. If the clavicle or collar bone is broken, you may develop a droopy shoulder or inability to lift the arm.
Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder has limited joint movement that is usually due to abnormal bands of tissue (adhesions) forming in the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint. Adhesions can form when an individual limits the use of the shoulder due to some pain or surgery.
Heart Attack
Shoulder discomfort with chest tightness or shortness of breath may be a medical emergency that requires acute medical care.
Impingement
This occurs when the rotator cuff tendons become pinched in the shoulder bones, leading to pain and swelling from raising one’s arms overhead.
Osteoarthritis
One common form of arthritis involves the breakdown of cartilage between bones. This breakdown can result in stiffness and pain in the shoulders.
Referred Pain
Pain in the shoulder that may not have a shoulder problem causing it can indicate a problem with another organ like the liver or gallbladder.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
A type of autoimmune disease – rheumatoid arthritis – typically attacks the lining of the joints which can lead to shoulder pain and stiffness.
Rotator Cuff Tear
The rotator cuff can be torn repeatedly from an injury, overuse, or ageing. There can be pain (particularly at night), difficulty lifting the arm, and a crackling or crunchy sound during movement.
Separation
This injury occurs at the acromioclavicular (AC) joint – the junction of the shoulder blade and the collarbone. A fall or a hard hit can cause one or more of the ligaments to tear, creating a visible bump on the shoulder.
Tendinitis
The rotator cuff tendons can become inflammatory and develop tendinitis over time or due to an injury. This results in shoulder pain.
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Diagnosing Shoulder Pain
When requesting help for shoulder pain, you will first undergo a physical exam by your physician. This is intended to examine for issues with shoulder structure, and to rule out that the pain is not from the neck or spine.
Your doctor will examine shoulder strength and flexibility. The shoulder will be asked to perform a series of movements such as lifting your arms above your head, across the body, behind you, then rotating the arms with varying positions.
Assessing a Shoulder Injury through Ultrasound Scan
To assess more closely to your shoulder injury, an ultrasound scan may be recommended by your doctor. Ultrasound is a non-invasive technology for medical imaging that produces images of the inside of your body, using high frequency sound waves.
What does an ultrasound scan check for?
- Shoulder Joint: The ultrasound can assess the status of your shoulder joint.
- Range of Motion: The ultrasound can help evaluate the origin of the shoulder pain and any limitations in range of motion.
- Tendons, Muscles, and Ligaments: The ultrasound presents detailed images of structures like ligaments, tendons, and muscles in and around the shoulder.
- Inflammation and Fluid: There may be a quantifiable ability to detect inflammation or fluid accumulation.
- Lumping: It will look for lumps or abnormal growths.
- Abnormalities and Other Concerns: Ultrasound helps to identify any specific concerns that may require further investigation or treatment.
The Ultrasound Process
If you are getting a shoulder ultrasound for the first time, you may be wondering how it will go. Here is what to expect:
- A shoulder ultrasound does not usually hurt and may take 15 to 30 minutes.
- Your physician or specialist will put a clear, water-based gel on your affected shoulder. The gel allows the ultrasound probe to slide easily over your skin.
- While the ultrasound probe slides over your shoulder, it produces images of your shoulder joints, muscles, and the surrounding soft tissues on a monitor.
- This allows your physician to see inside your shoulder and determine what may be causing your pain or discomfort.
Once your ultrasound is finished, you will be ready to go home, possibly even without any specific aftercare. Your aftercare may depend on the diagnosis, and possibly treatments that may be necessary. You may receive the results of your ultrasound at that time.
Treatment for Shoulder Pain
When it comes to your shoulder pain, treatment is about discovering the exact cause and how intense it is. From there, you may treat it very simply on your own, or require more significant medical treatment.
Strategies for Home Treatment
If you are dealing with mild shoulder pain, home care tips are worth trying:
- Icing: Apply ice to the shoulder for about 15 to 20 minutes, at least three to four times a day, for consecutive days. Use an ice bag or cover the ice in a towel to avoid placing ice directly on the skin.
- Rest: Allow the shoulder to rest for a couple of days, and avoid aggravating activities or movements that increase the pain.
- Over-the-Counter Therapy: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are often used to treat pain and inflammation and are available over the counter.
- Compression: Compression with an elastic bandage may reduce swelling.
Medical Care
Depending on your shoulder injury, your doctor may recommend:
- Physical or Occupational Therapy: Therapy and rehabilitation are often recommended after injuries and surgery.
- Sling: Some conditions such as separations, dislocations, and fractures require immobilisation of the shoulder for healing.
- Medication: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be recommended or prescribed for pain and inflammation. Corticosteroids may be recommended or prescribed for higher levels of pain or inflammation, which can be taken orally or injected directly into the shoulder.
- Surgery: A surgical approach may be necessary for symptoms that do not respond to conservative care and include such conditions as a tear of the cartilage, frozen shoulder, or rotator cuff injury.
Ongoing Management and Exercises
Regardless of the type of shoulder injury or severity of the problem, an important part of management usually consists of exercises to enhance the joint’s range of motion, strength, and flexibility. These exercises are invaluable to recovery and prevention of complications.
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Overcoming Shoulder Pain
Don’t allow shoulder pain to stop you for longer than necessary. Take your first step to recovery and improved quality of life. Schedule your private shoulder ultrasound scan in London today at our Sono Clinic, and allow our team to provide you with the answers you deserve.
