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Some common shoulder pains are normal. For example, people feel pain and soreness after a good workout at the gym. This is normal and will go away in a few hours or days. However, sometimes people experience pain that is more severe and ongoing. It is one of the most common reasons people go to our New York pain management center for pain relief.
Shoulder pain can truly impact the quality of life, so it should not be ignored. If you've felt a pain in your shoulder, you know just how much it can limit your ability to do the things you want in life. It's not fun to keep taking pain medication and know that it won't cure your problem. Yet, you want to feel better and move around with more freedom.
There are different types of shoulder pain, and it's important to know about them so that you can take action before your condition worsens or if it is serious. Here, we'll introduce some common forms of shoulder pain that many people may experience.
1. Nagging Aches and Pains
The shoulder is a very mobile joint, which makes it prone to injury. A nagging ache in your shoulder could be due to a muscle strain or overuse injury. However, it could also be caused by other more serious conditions like osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis.
If you experience this type of pain several times per week for several months, make an appointment with a pain specialist for an evaluation to rule out any potentially serious issues before they become permanent problems.
2. Pain When Lifting Something Heavy or Reaching Overhead
If you try to lift something heavy and experience sharp pain when doing so, it's likely related to an injury in your shoulder — and not just because of the weight involved. This is also true if you reach overhead when putting away groceries or taking out the trash and experience sharp pain each time.
When you lift your arms over your head, you put pressure on the front of the shoulder joint and stretch out the muscles that support it. If these muscles are already tender from previous injuries, this movement can cause severe discomfort and pain.
3. Pain After a Workout or Fall
A sudden increase in pain after participating in physical activity is usually causing concern. It could be an indication of a torn muscle or ligament in the joint that has not yet healed properly. See a pain specialist as soon as possible so that it doesn't develop into something worse, like chronic tendinitis or rotator cuff tear.
It is important to determine the cause of your shoulder pain so you can get proper treatment. If you ignore your symptoms, they may get worse and result in serious problems with your joints or nerves.
4. Weakness
Weakness in your shoulder or arm is a sign that something more serious than a simple muscle strain or tendonitis may be going on with your shoulder joints. It could be a sign of nerve damage in the area. This can happen due to compression (from trauma) or inflammation of the nerves themselves (such as from rheumatoid arthritis), and it can result in permanent damage if not treated properly.
5. Pain With Movement
If you experience pain when moving your arm in certain directions, it may mean that you have injured one of your rotator cuff tendons or muscles. These tendons allow for movement in your shoulder joint; if they become inflamed or torn, it may be difficult for you to move your shoulder without experiencing pain.
In some cases, the pain may get better after resting or icing the area; however, if it continues to persist despite these measures, this could be a sign of more serious damage, such as tendinitis (inflammation of a tendon) or bursitis (inflammation of the bursa sac inside the joint).
6. Pain That Doesn't Go Away with Rest
If you've been experiencing pain for more than two weeks and it still hasn't gone away despite resting as much as possible, it's time to see a pain specialist about getting an accurate diagnosis so you can start treatment as soon as possible.
Shoulder pain can be a sign that something is wrong with your shoulder. It can happen for many reasons, including an injury or overuse. You should also see a pain doctor if the pain is severe enough that it interferes with sleep at night or during the day, if you have trouble lifting objects or increasing your arm range of motion, or if your skin around the shoulder becomes red or swollen.
7. Restricted Range Of Motion
The shoulder joint is a ball-and-socket joint, which means it has a greater range of motion than other joints in the body. However, this also makes it more susceptible to injury.
When you have a restricted range of motion in your shoulders, it can cause pain and stiffness during movement. Talk with a pain specialist about what might be causing it and how best to manage it so that it doesn't cause pain or injury in the future.
8. Difficulty Sleeping
Shoulder pain can make it difficult to sleep and is usually worse at night when you're resting in bed. In addition, you may wake up with an aching sensation in your shoulder that gets worse as the day goes on.
If shoulder pain is not treated properly, it can lead to long-term complications such as rotator cuff tear, frozen shoulder, or adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder).
Shoulder pain that keeps you awake at night could be caused by a serious injury or inflammation that requires treatment, such as physical therapy, especially if it doesn't improve over time.
Don't Ignore Your Shoulder Pain
If you have shoulder pain, it's important to address it as soon as possible. If left untreated for a long period of time, shoulder problems can get worse and result in damage that's irreversible. That's why ignoring your pain is such a bad idea!
Proper treatment can not only help you get back to pain-free activities and improve your overall quality of life, but it's also necessary for preventing long-term complications.
So, if you're experiencing any of these symptoms, make an appointment with our New York pain management specialist as soon as possible. Also, if you have any questions about your pain or how to treat it, please don't hesitate to contact or visit All of Pain today!