Shoulder Pain

Why does my shoulder hurt?

The shoulder consists of multiple joints, muscles, and tendons which allow the arm to move freely. The shoulder is considered the most mobile joint in the body and gets its large range of motion from its bony architecture. The rotator cuff tendon is the most frequently injured part of the shoulder. Its function is to control and stabilize motion at the joint surfaces throughout the many different positions the shoulder can move. Any rotator cuff injury can cause pain when trying to move your arm around or lift your arm above your head. Pain at night, particularly when rolling onto the affected shoulder is a hallmark of rotator cuff pathology.

Shoulder injuries occur from a large variety of activities such as manual labor, sports, and even simple repetitive movement. Diseases of the neck, liver, heart, lungs, or gallbladder can also be disguised as pain in the shoulder. While surgery is sometimes required to treat certain conditions, shoulder physical therapy can be a highly effective way to treat shoulder pain.

Possible reasons for shoulder pain:

• Tendon tear in the shoulder
• Tendon inflammation/degeneration in the shoulder
• Bursitis
• Rotator cuff tear
• Tendinitis
• Arthritis
• Instability in the shoulder
• Fracture or broken bone
• Impingement
• Frozen shoulder
• Labral tear
• Shoulder dislocation

Treatment for shoulder pain:

The treatment options for shoulder pain will depend heavily on the condition at the root cause of your shoulder pain along with your symptoms and personal goals. Some treatment options include physical therapy for shoulder impingement, rotator cuff physical therapy, and physical therapy for shoulder pain.

Your physician can help you determine the best treatment options for your shoulder pain. If you don’t have a prescription for shoulder physical therapy treatment from your doctor, you may still be able to schedule an appointment with Ivy Rehab physical therapist near you for your shoulder injury, depending on the rules of the state you live in.