Shoulder Pain – An Overview from Louisville Orthopedic

Shoulder Pain Common With Shoulder Injuries

Your shoulder is comprised of three different bones – your humerus, clavicle, and scapula. Along with these bones, your shoulder also has a lot of ligaments, muscles, and tendons. Shoulder pain is a common symptom of a shoulder injury. Shoulder injuries are common and can happen as a result of an accident, some type of sports injury, or during a bad fall.

People who engage in a lot of repetitive arm movements that involve the shoulder are also at an increased risk for some type of shoulder injury.  Certain jobs like painting ceilings and walls, fixing cars that are on an overhead vehicle lift, or carrying and raising objects overhead, may lead to a shoulder injury over a period of time.

According to the CDC, millions of Americans experience chronic shoulder pain that lasts for longer than a few weeks. Shoulder injuries tend to be quite painful and can keep people off the playing field or out of work for an extended length of time.

Looking at occupational injuries among full-time workers in 2011, data from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 12% of all injuries involved the shoulder. About one third of ergonomic injuries or musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) required time off from work, and the most severe involved shoulder injuries, which required an average of 21 days off from work.

An Overview of Shoulder Injuries

When suffering from a shoulder injury, many people feel shoulder pain. Some also experience stiffness in the shoulder. Clicking or locking sensations are not uncommon from a shoulder injury. Shoulder injuries can also cause a change in sensation across the entire arm which may involve a numb or tingling feeling.

Some shoulder injuries are minor and heal on their own with the right amount of rest. Putting ice on an injured shoulder may also provide relief as can over-the-counter medicines that reduce inflammation.

Other shoulder injuries may make daily activities as simple as dressing and teeth brushing difficult. These more severe shoulder injuries may require medical intervention and sometimes surgery. Arthroscopy is a common surgical procedure used by orthopedic doctors to treat various shoulder injuries.

While there are many different shoulder injuries and medical conditions, some common shoulder injuries include frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis, rotator cuff injury, tendinitis, SLAP tear, broken collarbone, shoulder fractures, and arthritis.

If you are experiencing chronic shoulder pain and you think you have a shoulder injury that will not go away, you should seek medical treatment. A board certified orthopedic physician like Dr. Stacie Grossfeld can diagnose and treat your shoulder injury.