THE COMMON CAUSES OF SHOULDER PAIN

Shoulder pain has been considered the third most common disorder among the numerous musculoskeletal conditions, with as many as 26 percent complaining of various forms of pain in the shoulders. As many patients would attest, shoulder pain can be very devastating, affecting hugely a person’s quality of life. To get a better understanding of the very common shoulder pain, here are the more common causes of this distressing condition.

Poor Posture

Poor posture has been known to cause numerous medical conditions and one of this is shoulder pain. Those who are characterized as having rounded shoulders are likely to develop shoulder pain since this puts the bursa, muscles, and tendons in a position in which these can easily be pinched. And once these are pinched, it can bring about intense pain and discomfort. Those who tend to slouch while sitting down face increased risk of experiencing shoulder pain. Making an effort to have the proper posture does not only improve your appearance but may also prevent the occurrence of shoulder pain.

Repetitive Overhead Activities

Frequent actions that involve reaching overhead increase the chances of developing shoulder pain that can be very terrible. This happens since reaching overhead decreases the space between the shoulder tendons called the rotator cuff and the shoulder blade, which may result to the tendons being pinched by the bony part of the shoulder blade. This condition, which can be very painful, is known as impingement syndrome.

Trauma or Injury

An injury or a trauma to the shoulders, such as falling on an outstretched arm or hitting the shoulder with great force, can result to intense shoulder pain. This occurs when the tendons and ligament of the shoulder become injured or damaged, with the degree of pain depending on the extent of the damage or injury. Pain can be very debilitating if the injury is very severe such as a fracture in the shoulder clavicle or very serious tearing of the ligaments.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a very common disorder that affects the joint, resulting to chronic pain and soreness when these joints are inflamed. The most common form of arthritis would be osteoarthritis in which the shoulder joints are affected mostly due to the normal wear and tear. While complete treatment for this condition has still to be discovered, there are a number of ways that this condition can be managed effectively.

Management of Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain may be prevented by observing proper posture and observing precautionary measures to minimize any injury. If this pain becomes chronic or very painful that does not go away after a few days, it would be best to see your doctor. Medications may be given to ease the pain and he or she may recommend physical therapy. With its various techniques and modalities, physical therapy has been acknowledged as a very effective and safe method of managing shoulder pain.