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Emergency

Why does my shoulder hurt?

Shoulder pathologies are fairly common. In fact, 1 in 20 patients I see in my everyday ortho practice would come to me with complaints of severe shoulder pain/discomfort.

Hello! and this is Dr. Salam and I a consultant orthopedic surgeon at the One Care Medical Center which is an international orthopedic hospital in coimbatore. In this article, I am going to tell you about the common causes of shoulder pain.

Read on!

There are many reasons for the pain that affects the shoulder. A simple fall on your shoulder can result in injury or some in cases the simple act of overdoing day to day household chores can also lead to severe shoulder pain.

Common shoulder injuries you should know

Shoulder fracture

The commonest fracture that is encountered in the shoulder join is that of the clavicle, this bone easily breaks on impact as it relatively soft compared to other harder bones in the body. If you find yourself unable to lift your shoulder after a fall, you could have suffered a possible clavicle fracture

Joint Separation

Do you see a bump on your shoulder?. Well, this probably indicates an AC joint injury (acromioclavicular joint). A high impact blow or fall can usually dislocate this joint pretty easily.

Rotator cuff injury

Your rotator cuff is nothing but a group of muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder in place. This can be easily damaged just by overuse!. If you hear crackling noises while moving your shoulder, or if you have pain while trying to lift things, you might have suffered a rotator cuff injury.

The Frozen shoulder

This shoulder condition particularly affects the mobility of the shoulder joint. Adhesions usually build up in the joint and limits joint movement. Adhesions can build up either due to past surgery or due to constant pain.

Bursitis

This is another condition where the fluid-filled sac cushioning the joint gets inflamed. The pain of bursitis is most apparent when you move your shoulder.

Osteoarthritis

This is a degenerative joint disease and can potentially affect any given joint of the human body.

Heart attack

Sometimes shoulder pain associated with heavy breathing or a tight chest signals a cardiac attack rather than a shoulder pain in itself

Bursitis

This is another condition where the fluid-filled sac cushioning the joint gets inflamed. The pain of bursitis is most apparent when you move your shoulder.

Treatment options

Treatment options for shoulder pain are fairly straightforward and simple. Anti-inflammatory medications combined with painkillers, rest, ice and immobilization is what is used by most doctors.

Sometimes in addition to routine treatments, your orthopedic doctor may also prescribe you physiotherapy to strengthen the joint.

If you are suffering from severe shoulder pain, do not ever hesitate to meet your orthopedic consultant