The shoulder is often overlooked as its movements come so naturally, except when something goes wrong - that’s when you’ll miss it almost imediately. Shoulder joints can rotate in many different directions, allowing you to do anything from throwing a ball to scratching that awkward spot in the middle of your back. But because they’re so mobile, they’re vulnerable to injury.
Here are a few of the likely causes:
Overuse
Doing the same motion over and over again can lead to inflammation or tears in the shoulder tendons and cartilage, instability of the joint or inflammation of the bursa, a fluid-filled sac in the joint. Whatever the injury, your recovery should include the following: rest, ice or heat, and ibuprofen. Consider physical therapy to strengthen your muscles once it is safe to do so.
Frozen shoulder
It’s not known precisely why it happens, but frozen shoulders caused by inflammation. It’s a gradual stiffening of the shoulder that suddenly escalates to the point of severe stiffness, along with varying levels of pain. Those with diabetes or thyroid problems are also more at risk, and it could take more than a year to subside. Until then, rest, cold or heat therapy, and anti-imflammatories are your best bet.
Impingement
This happens when tendons or a bursa get pinched between the shoulder bones, usually because of a repeated overhead motion like swimming. Symptoms are pain when reaching back or lying on the affected side. To prevent it from happening again, you’ll need physical therapy to strengthen the surrounding muscles and keep the shoulder aligned.
Osteoarthritis
Caused simply by the normal wear and tear that comes with ageing, osteoarthritis destroys the cartilage that cushions the shoulder bones. The bones can eventually rub against each other, causing pain and swelling. It limits your range of motion and is often accompanied by grinding, clicking or popping sounds as you move. Again, rest, ice or heat and ibuprofen should help, and steroid injections can ease pain in severe cases.
Neck pain
If your neck or upper back aches along with your shoulder, your neck could actually be the cause of the pain. It can happen for a number of reasons, from sleeping in an odd position to poor posture. It is, however, more common these days because of computer or smart phone use. To prevent it from happening, place your monitor at eye level and raise your mobile device rather than looking down at it. Better yet, turn off your electronic devices and give your eyes, brain and body a break.
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