What does your Shoulder Pain Indicate?

Have you ever observed how much we use our arms and shoulders throughout the day? From lifting up your kid to opening a closet, your shoulders are working 24/7. No wonder most people experience shoulder pain at some point in their lives.

Shoulders are complex joints that are designed to endure pressure and allow a great range of motion. However, being a highly mobile and flexible joint, shoulder is also more prone to injury and degeneration as compared to other joints.

Shoulder pain is a common complaint. But pain may vary from person to person and the type of shoulder pain you are experiencing may help your doctor identify the type of shoulder injury you might have.

Here are some warning signs that indicate the shoulder condition based on the pain sensation.

Shoulder Aches

A nagging ache may indicate the following conditions –

• Rotator cuff tears – These are often the result of worn out rotator cuff tendons and the cartilage due to overuse or injury.
• Frozen shoulder – Also known as Adhesive Capsulitis, this appears as stiffness and pain in the shoulder that makes it extremely hard to move your arm.
• Osteoarthritis – Osteoarthritis is usually the result of wearing off shoulder joint cartilage, causing bone-on-bone rubbing, resulting in inflammation and pain.

Radiating Pain

Sometimes, shoulder pain may "radiate" from the shoulder to other areas, such as arms and neck. This may be an indicator of –

• Arthritis – Arthritis may affect the AC or acromioclavicular joint on the top of your shoulder, causing pain to radiate to the neck.
• Tendonitis – Tendons connect muscles to bone. Tendonitis or inflamed tendons in the shoulder joint can cause pain to radiate to the outside of the arm.

Burning Pain

A burning or tingling sensation in the shoulder joint and surrounding areas can be caused due to nerve pain. Nerves transmit pain signals to the brain. If nerves in the shoulder are irritated or pinched, the pain signals may become intense and cause a burning sensation. If you are feeling this type of pain, it could be due to –

• Referred pain – The burning sensation could be due to a pinched nerve in a location other than the shoulder. This is called "referred pain."
• Pinched Nerve – When a disc in the upper spine bulges or herniates, it can irritate or compress a nerve, causing a tingling or burning sensation.
• Bursitis – This is characterized by inflammation of the bursa (fluid filled sac that absorbs shocks between the bones and soft tissue). The bursa may become inflamed due to trauma or overuse.

If you are experiencing any type of shoulder pain, do not ignore it. Seek urgent medical attention to prevent worsening of your shoulder condition.

To learn more about shoulder arthritis and other treatments, consult the best orthopedic shoulder surgeon in Phoenix, AZ at FXRX Inc.; call 480-449-3979.

Fxrx is a leading clinic based in Tempe, Arizona that provides board certified orthopedic surgeon in and around Phoenix.