Shoulder Pain? Here's What Could Be Causing It

Your shoulder is your most mobile joint. It can move back and forth, it allows you to lift your arms, and it lets you do pretty much anything with your hands. Not surprisingly, shoulder pain is one of the most debilitating types of pain.

At AllCare Chiropractic, with three locations in Maryland, our chiropractors are dedicated to providing you with the best in pain management solutions. If you’re experiencing shoulder pain, it may be caused by one of the following. But whatever is causing your shoulder pain, we can help.

Causes of shoulder pain

Because your shoulder is such a mobile joint, your risk of injuring it is greater. The complicated part about treating shoulder pain is the fact that it has so many potential causes, including:

• Shoulder dislocation: This happens when the bone in your upper arm pops out of the socket in your shoulder blade.

• Arthritis: A condition that causes inflammation in your joints, arthritis can make your shoulder stiff and cause swelling, pain, and redness. 

• Spinal cord injury: It’s common to experience shoulder pain after a spinal cord injury, as people may find themselves overusing their shoulders during daily activities, like propelling a wheelchair.

• Repetitive motion injury: This is an injury that results from overuse. It’s common when you spend a lot of time making the same motion, like if you have a job in construction or you play tennis regularly.

• Rotator cuff tendinitis: There are four tendons in your shoulder, which help connect bones and muscles. When these tendons are injured or inflamed, you get shoulder pain. This is the most common cause of shoulder pain.

• Impingement syndrome: Related to tendinitis of the shoulder, this causes pain when you raise your arms as well as muscle weakness in your shoulder. 

• Bone spurs: These are bony bumps that form on the ends of your bones. Because of their location, they can interfere with your joints, including the ones in your shoulder.

• Pinched nerve: Nerves run through the joints in your shoulders. If they become pinched by surrounding muscles, bones, or cartilage, this can result in pain, tingling, and numbness in your shoulders, which can reach as far as your hands.

The most effective way to determine the cause of shoulder pain is with a medical examination. And treatment is entirely dependent on the cause of your shoulder pain. Treatment typically involves a combination of medication, physical therapy, and cortisone injections. In the worst case scenario, you need surgery.

For expert diagnosis and effective treatment, call AllCare Chiropractic today at one of our three convenient Maryland locations, in Annapolis, Bowie, and Laurel, or schedule an appointment on our website.