Shoulder Pain

The causes of shoulder pain

In many cases, shoulder pain has a muscular or tendon origin. They may be due to overuse of the shoulder in the context of physical and repetitive work, or during excessively intensive sports practice. There are several causes of shoulder pain, but the most common is rotator cuff tendonitis. It is an inflammation of the tendons that causes severe pain when the shoulder is solicited. But shoulder pain can be the result of other pathologies: arthritis in the shoulder joint bony growth in the shoulder area bursitis fracture of one of the shoulder bones shoulder dislocation (also known as shoulder dislocation) overuse or injury of nearby tendons torn rotator cuff tendons adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder

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Common Symptoms of Shoulder Pain

In all the pathologies identified, several common symptoms exist, however, the location of the pain will be different depending on the pathology.

 

It is usually a question of persistent pain in the shoulder joint, whether in the front, back and upper part of the shoulder. This pain is often associated with reduced mobility in the shoulder as well as weakness in the forearm.

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Symptoms of a dislocated shoulder

A dislocated shoulder results in intense pain at the level of the glenohumeral joint. It is possible to feel a sensation of slippage of the joint when the shoulder is dislocated, the pain can spread over the whole arm. A dislocated shoulder can lead to inability to move the arm.

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Symptoms of a frozen shoulder

The frozen shoulder generally results initially in significant pain localized to the shoulder present during the day but also at night. In a second stage, often one or two months after the onset of shoulder pain), the affected shoulder becomes increasingly stiff, with increasing difficulty in moving it. This stiffness persists for many months, we often speak of 18 months.

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Symptoms of Shoulder Bursitis

Shoulder bursitis results in pain and sometimes swelling in or around the affected joint. It is common for shoulder bursitis to cause stiffness as well as difficulty in movement of the shoulder.

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Diagnosis of the origin of the pain

To diagnose the origin of the pain, first of all, a complete physical examination will make it possible to detect a physical abnormality such as swelling, redness, lack of mobility and muscle weakness. Questioning the patient, in particular on his lifestyle and the history of his pain, provides key information. If this first step is not enough, in a second step, other means can be put in place: x-rays, ultrasound or even MRI. In some cases, an arthroscopy may be recommended, this surgical examination makes it possible to examine the inside of the joint and reveal lesions on the soft tissues, if there are any.

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Shoulder pain and chiropractic care

For people with shoulder pain, a chiropractic follow-up can be very suitable to regain shoulder mobility but also to gradually reduce the pain. Scientific evidence of chiropractic is particularly reported in the treatment of tendonitis of the rotator cuff.

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