Rotator Cuff Injuries Aren't the Only Cause of Shoulder Pain

Given how much you use them, it should come as no surprise that shoulder injuries are common — slightly more than 30% of Americans report upper limb pain, and shoulders likely account for a large portion of the problem. 

Breaking this down even further, while rotator cuff injuries are some of the more common shoulder injuries — about 2 million people seek help for rotator cuff injuries each year in the United States — they’re far from alone.

To illustrate this, we turn to our team of musculoskeletal experts at Revive Spine and Pain Center. In the following, we take a look at shoulder injuries other than the rotator cuff to help you narrow down the possibilities.

Shoulder arthritis

A common road to shoulder pain involves arthritis, and there are two types that often strike shoulder joints: osteoarthritis (OA), which affects 33 million Americans, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects about 1.5 million Americans.

In either case, you’re left with pain and inflammation in your shoulder joints, and this discomfort isn’t going to go away on its own, since all forms of arthritis are incurable.

Frozen shoulder

Also called adhesive capsulitis, this is a condition in which the connective tissues that form a capsule around the joint become thick, stiff, and inflamed. Frozen shoulder goes through different stages:

• Freezing stage, which can last for weeks or months as the tissues become more inflamed and painful
• Frozen stage, when you have limited use of your shoulder for a few months
• Thawing stage, as you slowly regain use of your shoulder

In total, it can take a couple years for a frozen shoulder to cycle through.

Dislocation

Shoulders are inherently unstable joints thanks to shallow sockets, which is what gives your arms such great range of motion. Unfortunately, this range of motion comes at a cost — shoulder joints are more vulnerable to painful dislocations.

And when your shoulder dislocates, the damage can leave you more at risk for further dislocations, as well as ongoing instability.

Bursitis

Your shoulders contain five bursa sacs in each, which are small sacs that provide cushioning between tissues. If one or more of these sacs become inflamed, it can lead to shoulder pain, especially with certain movements.

Finding relief from your shoulder pain

As you can see from the above, there are many different roads to shoulder pain. What they all have in common, though, is that early intervention can make a big difference. 

With that in mind, if you’re dealing with shoulder pain that’s showing no signs of going away, it’s important to come see us for a definitive diagnosis. Armed with the right diagnosis, we can then take steps to relieve your pain and restore function in your shoulder.

To regain pain-free use of your shoulder again, please contact us at one of our conveniently located offices in Marlton, Hamilton Township, Northfield, or East Brunswick, New Jersey, to schedule a consultation.