Understanding Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain can disrupt your life, keeping you from enjoying your favorite activities or performing daily tasks. Fortunately, pain relief can be found with the proper care. Here’s what you need to know about shoulder pain, from its causes to its treatment options.

The Causes of Shoulder Pain

While shoulder pain becomes more common as we get older, there are many other factors that can contribute to shoulder pain aside from age alone. Rotator cuff tendonitis, also called bursitis or shoulder impingement, is one of the most common causes for shoulder pain. Shoulder arthritis, bicep tendonitis, rotator cuff tears and frozen shoulder are also common diagnoses. Patient age often does correlate with an underlying diagnosis for shoulder pain. For example, an older patient with shoulder pain is more likely to have arthritis or a rotator cuff tear, whereas a young patient with shoulder pain may be more likely to have shoulder instability or tendonitis.

The Treatment for Shoulder Pain

Physical therapy can help tremendously with shoulder pain and even alleviate it completely for some patients. Anti-inflammatory medications and cortisone injections for more severe cases can also be helpful in reducing pain. If all those measures fail, surgery may then be recommended to address the problem.

Depending on the necessary procedure, shoulder surgery can be performed in an outpatient setting or in a hospital. Post-operative rehabilitation is vital following shoulder surgery, particularly for the most common procedures, rotator cuff repair and shoulder replacement. This therapy, which can last a few months, focuses first on regaining motion and then strengthening. While it is different for every patient, most are fully recovered and back to their normal life within six months.

When to Seek Care

If you have shoulder pain, or pain in any joint in the body for that matter, the first recommendation is rest and either ice or heat — whichever of these makes it feel better. Then, try an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen. If these measures fail to provide relief and the pain is affecting your daily life, sleep or otherwise, you should seek the opinion of a specialist. If you experience a traumatic injury or fall, especially if you notice weakness in the shoulder or a noticeable decline in your function, seek care from a specialist sooner.

Shoulder pain isn’t something you should live with. With proper care and the help of a specialist, you can resume your life with less pain.

Christine Piper, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon with Signature Orthopedics and is on staff at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital and Progress West Hospital. You can schedule an appointment with Dr. Piper by calling 636.928.WELL.

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