Shoul­der pain is an extremely com­mon com­plaint, and there are many com­mon causes of this prob­lem. It is impor­tant to make an accu­rate diag­no­sis of the cause of your symp­toms so that appro­pri­ate treat­ment can be directed at the cause. If you have shoul­der pain, some com­mon causes include:

• Bur­si­tis | Rota­tor Cuff Ten­donitis
  The most com­mon diag­no­sis in patients with shoul­der pain is bur­si­tis or ten­donitis of the rota­tor cuff.
• Rota­tor Cuff Tear
  Rota­tor cuff tears occur when the ten­dons of the rota­tor cuff sep­a­rate from the bone. Surgery is some­times nec­es­sary for this condition.
• Frozen Shoul­der
  Also called ‘adhe­sive cap­suli­itis,’ this is a com­mon con­di­tion that leads to stiff­ness of the joint. Phys­i­cal ther­apy and stretch­ing are extremely impor­tant aspects of treatment.
• Cal­cific Ten­donitis
  Cal­cific ten­donitis is a con­di­tion of cal­cium deposits within a ten­don — most com­monly within the rota­tor cuff ten­dons. Treat­ment of cal­cific ten­donitis depends on the extent of symptoms.
• Shoul­der Insta­bil­ity
  Insta­bil­ity is a prob­lem that causes a loose joint. Insta­bil­ity can be caused by a trau­matic injury (dis­lo­ca­tion), or may be a devel­oped condition.
• Shoul­der Dis­lo­ca­tion
  A dis­lo­ca­tion is an injury that occurs when the top of the arm bone becomes dis­con­nected from the scapula.
• Shoul­der Sep­a­ra­tion
  Also called an AC sep­a­ra­tion, these injuries are the result of a dis­rup­tion of the acromio­clav­ic­u­lar joint. This is a very dif­fer­ent injury from a dislocation!
• Labral Tear
  There are sev­eral pat­terns of a torn labrum and the type of treat­ment depends on the spe­cific injury.
• SLAP Lesion
  The SLAP lesion is also a type of labral tear. The most com­mon cause is a fall onto an out­stretched hand.
• Arthri­tis
  Shoul­der arthri­tis is less com­mon than knee and hip arthri­tis, but when severe may require a joint replace­ment surgery.
• Biceps Ten­don Rup­ture
  A prox­i­mal biceps ten­don rup­ture occurs when the ten­don of the biceps mus­cle rup­tures near the joint.

When do you need to call your doc­tor about your shoul­der pain?
If you are unsure of the cause of your shoul­der pain, or if you do not know the spe­cific treat­ment rec­om­men­da­tions for your con­di­tion, you should seek med­ical atten­tion. Treat­ment of these con­di­tions must be directed at the spe­cific cause of your prob­lem. Some signs that you should be seen by a doc­tor include:

• • Inabil­ity to carry objects or use the arm
  • Injury that causes defor­mity of the joint
  • Shoul­der pain that occurs at night or while resting
  • Shoul­der pain that per­sists beyond a few days
  • Inabil­ity to raise the arm
  • Swelling or sig­nif­i­cant bruis­ing around the joint or arm
  • Signs of an infec­tion, includ­ing fever, red­ness, warmth
  • Any other unusual symptoms

What are the best treat­ments for shoul­der pain?

The treat­ment of shoul­der pain depends entirely on the cause of the prob­lem. There­fore, it is of utmost impor­tance that you under­stand the cause of your symp­toms before embark­ing on a treat­ment pro­gram. If you are unsure of your diag­no­sis, or the sever­ity of your con­di­tion, you should seek med­ical advice before begin­ning any treatment.

Not all treat­ments listed here are appro­pri­ate for every con­di­tion, but may be help­ful in your situation.

• Rest: The first treat­ment for many com­mon con­di­tions that cause shoul­der pain is to rest the joint, and allow the acute inflam­ma­tion to sub­side. It is impor­tant, how­ever, to use cau­tion when rest­ing the joint, because pro­longed immo­bi­liza­tion can cause a frozen shoulder.
• Hot and Cold Appli­ca­tion: Nature Cre­ation hot and cold pads are among the most com­monly used treat­ments for shoul­der pain. So which one is the right one to use, ice or heat? And how long should the ice or heat treat­ments last? Read on for more infor­ma­tion about ice and heat treat­ment.
• Stretch­ing: Stretch­ing the mus­cles and ten­dons that sur­round the joint can help with some causes of shoul­der pain.
• Phys­i­cal Ther­apy: Phys­i­cal ther­apy is an impor­tant aspect of treat­ment of almost all ortho­pe­dic con­di­tions. Phys­i­cal ther­a­pists use dif­fer­ent modal­i­ties to increase strength, regain mobil­ity, and help return patients to their pre-injury level of activity.Some exer­cises may help you strengthen the mus­cles around the joint and relieve some of the pain asso­ci­ated with many conditions.
• Anti-Inflammatory Med­ica­tion: Non­s­teroidal anti-inflammatory pain med­ica­tions, com­monly referred to as NSAIDs, are some of the most com­monly pre­scribed med­ica­tions, espe­cially for patients with shoul­der pain caused by prob­lems such as arthri­tis, bur­si­tis, and tendonitis.
• Cor­ti­sone injec­tions: Cor­ti­sone is a pow­er­ful med­ica­tion that treats inflam­ma­tion, and inflam­ma­tion is a com­mon prob­lem in patients with shoul­der pain. Dis­cuss with your doc­tor the pos­si­ble ben­e­fits of a cor­ti­sone injec­tion for your shoul­der pain condition.